About CRS

Our Mission

Charles River School is an independent school offering students in prekindergarten through eighth grade a strong academic program in an environment that celebrates learning and values each member of its community.

At Charles River School, we:

• Challenge children with an engaging academic, arts, and athletic program that stimulates intellectual curiosity, supports risk-taking and fosters exploration and discovery;
• Honor children as individuals, and nurture their development, self-worth and achievement;
• Cultivate a community that approaches education as a shared endeavor among parents, students and teachers;
• Respect ourselves and others, and prepare children to be active participants in our diverse world.

School History

In 1911 four sets of parents founded Charles River School with the mission of finding a better way to educate their children. In a one room out-building on a Needham, Massachusetts farm, they established a school that would offer a strong academic program, advance moral learning, provide leadership in educational innovation, and instill in its students a love of learning. These parents also wanted to be actively involved in the education of their children.

In 1917 CRS moved to Dover, Massachusetts. Behind the school’s original Victorian house lies a 16-acre campus designed for educating the whole child. From academic buildings and play spaces to labs, studios and athletic fields, each space has a role to play in support of learning.

After a century of educating children, we continue to offer an academically challenging program that teaches crucial skills in an intellectually and culturally rich learning environment. Classes are small, learning is personalized, teachers are accessible, and parents are involved in the education of their children. On this decidedly 21st century campus, a thriving, diverse community of learners carries on the vibrant academic tradition and deeply held values of our founders.