The Covenant School in Charlottesville

Posted: August 4, 2026

Our family has been at The Covenant School for 6 years and we love it!! Year after year we are impressed by the level of education and the thoughtfulness given to the school's mission, "Teaching the Next Generation to Live Well", through work and play. Our experience with the faculty and staff has been nothing less than excellent. The teachers are scholars in their subjects and they are grounded in their love for Christ. The students, and the Covenant community as a whole, benefit from their teachings. The leadership team is unified in its efforts to maintain a school that is consistent in its Christian Liberal Arts vision. In a world that is constantly changing it is a good to know that Christ's teachings and his love for us never change and that message is solidified daily through the shepherding of our children. If you are interested in a Christian education that is born from rigorous academics and fun activities that both grow the students' faith and their connection to the people around them then The Covenant School in Charlottesville, Virginia is a great place to look!

Posted: August 4, 2026

Posted: July 18, 2026

Choosing this school has been one of the best decisions we've made for our family. From the very beginning, we've felt welcomed into a caring community where the teachers, staff, students, and parents genuinely support one another.

The Christian values aren't just something that's talked aboutthey're lived out every day. Our children are learning not only strong academics but also kindness, integrity, and how to care for others. The teachers and staff are truly exceptional. They know each child individually, invest in their growth, and create classrooms where students are loved, encouraged, and challenged.

We also love the emphasis on getting kids outside and moving. Having PE every day, recess twice a day, and regular outdoor time has been wonderful for our children's physical and emotional well-being. Not to mention the other wonderful essentials like library, music, and art. They come home happy, excited to learn, and eager to go back each morning.

Most importantly, our children feel known, safe, and loved. As parents, there's no greater gift than knowing they're surrounded by adults who care deeply about them and are helping them grow academically, spiritually, and personally. We are incredibly thankful to be part of this school community and wholeheartedly recommend it to other families.

Posted: July 18, 2026

Posted: July 14, 2026

We had an amazing transition into Covenant starting in 6th grade for our son. He made new friends, enjoyed the classes, & especially loved his teachers. The Covenant community has been extremely welcoming & excitable. We have had such a good experience that we decided to enroll the rest of our children starting next year. The Covenant School has been an immense blessing to our family!

Posted: July 14, 2026

My wife and I could not be more pleased with our boys' experience at The Covenant School. The faculty and staff care deeply about every facet of our children's education, enriching their minds as well as their hearts and character. Our boys routinely come home to tell us what they have learned, whether it is ancient Egypt, fractions, birds, the Bible or money management. Each lesson is meaningful, inspiring curiosity while also equipping them with life skills. We are also grateful for the amount of physical activity they allow for our boys to enjoy. For them, school is not boring. It is a place that takes them seriously, that wants the best for them and is there to support them as they continue to grow.

Posted: July 14, 2026

Posted: July 8, 2026

We have children in Lower, Middle and Upper schools at The Covenant School and couldnt imagine them happier or better cultivated anywhere else. Such care is given to the development of curricula that educates them for a competitive world, but more than that, nourishes their souls. Teachers give generously of themselves in and out of the classroom and truly want each child to succeed, to master the material and to feel the thrill of learning. Course topics are brought to life in special field trips, on the acting stage, and in science labs. In our six years here, its been our observation that the Covenant ethos is humility, service and love rooted in faith. This is as evident in the classroom as it is on the playing fields. How did we get so lucky?
Victoria and David

Posted: July 8, 2026

Our experience at Covenant has been wonderful. I cant imagine sending my children anywhere else. The teachers are supportive and caring and really go the extra mile to make our kids feel seen. Being able to learn and grow with their friends in a strong academic and faith filled environment creates a culture unparalleled in the area.

Posted: July 8, 2026

Posted: November 1, 2024

Our children have thrived and are thriving at Covenant. We are grateful for their partnership in educating our children.

Posted: November 1, 2024

Posted: April 12, 2023

Looking in the rearview mirror, I am sorry our two children ever attended Covenant upper school. The atmosphere is almost plastic. Plants are in every parent group, parent prayer group and Facebook to keep any discord, complaint or concern silent. The teachers were less than caring and I felt like they got no more specialized help or attention than public school. The guidance counselor was great but he had 6-12 grade and Im sure completely under water. My child was constantly bullied and little was done. When my child got extra help, the academic helper belittled and shamed her even though she had missed school for health problems. If you are looking for a strong academic, caring, positive school environment, you will see that from the outside, but once in, its not as it appears.

Posted: April 12, 2023

Posted: March 30, 2023

Teachers are great around the children and caring

Posted: March 30, 2023

Posted: January 6, 2023

As a Covenant upper school parent, it pains me tremendously to see what was once a great school ruined over time by numerous adverse changes to Covenants academics, leadership, culture, vision, and faith community. I can no longer recommend Covenant, and urge families considering it to think very carefully. This all started with the previous head of the upper school, who launched a classical-lite style of education. AP classes were at first limited and now have been eliminated entirely and replaced with a home-grown advanced curriculum that replaces true academic rigor with unreasonable amounts of obtuse and convoluted work. Evangelical dogma has replaced authentic science and open-minded inquiry (to the point that a young earth creationist teaches what was formerly AP Biology). Extracurriculars other than sports and a few in the arts have been all but eliminated (student clubs are gone). Teachers are increasingly authoritarian, arbitrary, defensive, hostile, and unwelcoming of parental partnerships. My student was the brunt of several bullying incidents that the administration all but ignored and even suggested were imaginary. There were many other issues with bullying, including teachers that left mid-year because they were so badly bullied, so this is a widespread problem that is not being addressed effectively. Also my student, who is not evangelical, was made to feel unwelcome, disrespected, and ostracized because of their beliefs. Covenant used to be ecumenical and welcoming, but that has been replaced by an ever more narrow, rigid, and elitist fundamentalist worldview. And to top it all off, when I met with the former headmaster to respectfully advocate for not limiting AP courses, he clearly said that giving my student these academic opportunities hurt other students, as if academic achievement were some kind of zero-sum scenario. Think about how truly unbelievable that is the headmaster of Covenant stated that the schools position is that giving top students opportunities to excel and differentiate academically actually hurt other students, so those opportunities were being reduced as a result. If I wanted this kind of equal outcome mindset, I would have just gone to public school to begin with!

Posted: September 21, 2022

My child attended the Covenant upper school. Though the teachers varied in experience and quality (but that's to be expected in a private religiously -focused school) we still feel the curriculum was academically solid. Culturally, my child didn't fit with the white, upper-middle-class, evangelical-light, ESPN-conversant, child of privilege that is the median Covenant student. For this reason, my child was labeled 'odd' by students and administration, targeted and bullied mercilessly. I feel the administration not only refused to help, they were complicit. This culminated in threats of sexual assault against my child.
We found another school.
If you and your family fit a superficial, self-satisfied and privileged mold, or you want to brag about your faith, this is the place for you.
if you have a depth to your value system and have lived in the real world, you will probably not fit in.

Posted: May 12, 2020

As a parent of a student at Covenant we continue to be WOW-ed by our daughters experience and every aspect of the school (Kindergarten -2nd and hosted a student in 8th and 9th grade) The school is incredibly committed to not only giving students an outstanding education, but teaching them how to think and to love each other. This focus sets the school apart in our minds, and we are eternally grateful for the character and faith developing in our daughter because of this work. There is an overarching goal as they teach all students from Kindergarten to 12th grade. They have written a "Portrait of a Graduate" that is used to guide all curriculum from K-12 to keep school's focus on developing students of strong moral character, who are able to think and articulate their thoughts in the world. This in addition to Christian world view as foundation of learning is all I could ask for as a parent! The school is constantly re-evaluating their curriculum based on research and ensuring the best methods of teaching are being used and that all subjects weave together and are built upon in the coming years. Art class is not just art class at Covenant, projects intertwine with what they are learning in history for example. We love how nothing is random or disjointed at Covenant, all is thoroughly thought through by the unbelievable Headmasters leading the school! There is attention to providing work that is geared toward our daughter individually which is assuredly more work for the teachers, but is an extremely beneficial part of education at Covenant. The selection of staff by the schools leadership is probably one of the very most impressive things at Covenant. Wowed by the faculty and staff is all we can say. The thorough process and prayer that goes into each hire is very evident! I am writing this during distance learning 2020 where the school has exceeded any expectations we could have had, from the communication from the Headmaster to the caliber of the lessons taught by the committed teachers on a daily basis! It has showcased so many of Covenants strengths. I could not be a more grateful parent that our daughter gets the gift of going to this school. I could go on, as I have found myself tearful with gratitude for this school in my daughters life and for us as a family on so many occasions.

Posted: May 12, 2020

Posted: September 27, 2018

We moved from another prep school in Charlottesville to find a wonderful, nurturing , and very competitive academic environment at TCS.

Posted: September 27, 2018

Posted: September 19, 2017

The lower school was a Huge disappointment! Another comment below accurately states that the community is a mess. We experienced an incredibly mean spirited group of kids with an extraordinary sense of entitlement. One has to question where this behavior is learned? This nastiness is enabled by an equally inappropriate administration. For a school to be a success, there must be an atmosphere of mutual respect for ALL and this behavior must be modeled by the adults both at home and at school. Covenant could really learn from CCS and other schools. Covenant desperately needs a zero tolerance policy. Perhaps it is time to clean house administratively.

Posted: September 17, 2017

The teachers at the lower school are incredible! They go above and beyond to meet your children where they are academically while truly caring for their hearts. Our son's 1st grade teacher even made a point to get to all of her students soccer games on the weekend! The specialty teachers are also a huge asset and come up with innovative, effective ways to learn - one of my son's favorites was the "tracker" unit where they spent a lot of time outside.

Posted: September 17, 2017

It is infused in all they do and a large reason we are there.

Posted: September 17, 2017

In our fourth year at the lower school, we cannot say enough fantastic things about our experience. The teachers are skilled and caring, the kids are generally nice (something that stood out when we visited), and the community is supportive.

Posted: April 21, 2017

The Covenant Upper School enables and even encourages an immature and environment of students "telling" on each other--for the pettiest of things. This takes away from instruction time and leads to a lack of camaraderie-- and a sense of paranoia among even the best of students. The upper school headmaster doesn't seem to have much background in education and appears stiff and awkward to the students. She also doesn't take the time to get to know them. The academic experience is mediocre.

Posted: February 19, 2017

The small classes and academics are nice, but the overall community could use some work.

Posted: January 4, 2017

Yes, the academics are good. Not as outstanding as many think or say, but definitely rigorous. The community is a mess..wouldn't even call it a community. The majority of the people are either kids who don't want to be here or are here because their parents are trying to keep them out of trouble. Also, the majority is usually nice to your face but go behind your back and don't actually care about you at all. Some of the teachers are good, but most people say their best teachers they've had are from public schools. Definitely not diverse and a very cliquey school. Everyone tries to fit the same category and if you aren't part of it people think you're "weird" even if you aren't whatsoever. The school gets involved in events outside of school that aren't their business to get involved in. The Charlottesville alebmarble area has great public schools and they're probably a better option

Posted: January 4, 2016

I am a new Covenant parent this year and my children are having an amazing experience. My 10th grade daughter found the academics rigorous when she arrived this fall, but teachers worked with her closely to help her catch up and succeed. My children at the Lower School have thrived there; staff and teachers are wonderful. This school is nurturing yet challenging, and is preparing my children for academics and life. We look forward to being at Covenant for a long time.

Posted: May 15, 2015

Covenant has great teachers that go above and beyond to help the students, especially struggling ones. They truly care and are quality teachers. There are a lot of great students at covenant, some bad, but that is to be expected. The problem is the culture of the school. There are two separations at Covenant. The Students going to a great wonderful college that they spend all their time working towards, and those who, to put it nicely, are not on that path. Drugs are a problem at Covenant, along with alcohol and other unfortunate activities. There is a general feeling of privilege, and the idea that they are above the law and can do whatever they want, whenever they want. To parents reading this, Covenant is a good academic school. But if you are choosing to send your child to Covenant to get away from some of the things that go on at your local public high school, think again. Covenant has the same cultural problems as any public school. So save yourself 15 grand if you think your saving your child from bad influences. Simply put, Covenant is a public school atmosphere, with a private school price tag.

Posted: March 7, 2014

5/5 Stars for education! In the educational aspect, The Covenant Upper School is superb, and the teachers really do an amazing job at making sure you actually know the material. However, as a community, Covenant School is definitely in need of some improvement, earning itself a 1/5 stars. Having attended Covenant, I can truly say that unless you participate with their sports teams (which majority of students do) and exude an overwhelming and annoyingly high confidence in yourself , it will be hard to make friends. Not to mention that the school is very cliquey, and a lot of the students are weary of new ones in. The boys are really immature and interrupt class often while the girls are very catty. Many students seem and act nice but really could care less about you since they are majority of the time self-absorbed. I am very disappointed to say that I have had people act nice to me in front of my face and then they go and gossip about me behind my back... so much for the Christian and "Covenant Way", huh? In no way do I regret returning back to public school, and if you are planning to attend The Covenant School, I wish that you have a better experience than I did.

Posted: January 13, 2014

The Covenant School has been a wonderful school for my children and each year is better than the previous year. The teachers are so loving and truly want the students to learn. The administration changes from a few years ago have benefitted the school in a great way. Although I was skeptical about Singapore math, I have been amazed at the high levels of critical thinking my children exhibit on a daily basis in their accelerated math classes. Also, there are ample opportunities for parents to volunteer and be a part of the school community. Our family would certainly recommend TCS!

Posted: December 29, 2013

The Lower School at Covenant has been an excellent experience for our son and daughter. Our children are very different children and the school has met and exceeded their needs. They are both bright, intelligent, polite, RESPECTFUL children that can be put in any social situation and thrive. I believe much of this is due tot he daily influence of th entire school. The changes in administration have been stellar and the school has completely changed since 2010. Lower school administrators are compassionate, attentive, and enthusiastic. Teachers are nurturing and challenging. I would definitely recommend grades K-6.

Posted: December 27, 2013

The I'm third attitude is total nonsense and could not be FURTHER from the truth. If your child is mean spirited, nasty, and manipulative, then the child will thrive at Covenant. If your child is kind and good hearted, they will be chewed up and spit out by the other kids. The administration is unable/unwilling to resolve the problem for a variety of reasons..Do your due diligence, and you will find many similar reports about the school. Interestingly, you will find other educational alternatives that do not label themselves as christian schools, however you will in fact experience a far greater christian behavior, kindness and caring towards one another, as well as a great education.

Posted: December 25, 2013

The Covenant School is an educational institution where God is first, others are second, and individuals are taught to put themselves last. From the headmasters to the faculty and students, the sense of family is paramount. Children are taught to think, discuss, and use "hands on learning" to better understand the demanding curriculum. The community of TCS is strong and makes each child feel welcome.

Posted: December 20, 2013

Covenant is a great school to send your child for a wonderful academic education, as well as social, emotional, spiritual, and athletic learning! We are truly blessed by the experience our 2 children are having at The Covenant School. The administrators and teachers are fabulous, loving and nurturing. The staff are very instrumental in assuring our children succeed, with necessary encouragement to persevere. There is a partnership between faculty and parents that is exceptional. Parent involvement is superb. We truly feel TCS is the best school in Charlottesville.

Posted: April 26, 2013

Covenant had provided a fabulous education AND growing up experience for our child. They teach well, they truly care, and they model the Christian life. I have no doubt that their investment in her will bear fruit for a lifetime.

The Covenant School

Charlottesville, VA 22902

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