The Little School at Duke

 The Little School at Duke, located at 1516 Hull Avenue, is managed by The Little School of Hillsborough. This center has a capacity for 142 children.  The Little School at Duke is a private, full-day preschool offering child care exclusively for faculty, staff and graduate students of Duke University and Health System.

Enrolling Your Child

The Little School at Duke is currently accepting applications for the 2012 - 2013 program year. Limited part time options* are also available.

  • Apply Online ($35.00 deposit with PayPal required)
  • Printable Application (PDF) - Mail completed application and $35 non-refundable application fee (payable to The Little School at Duke) to: 1516 Hull Avenue, Durham, NC 27705

For tuition rates, click here.

*Part time options at The Little School at Duke are Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday or Thursday/Friday.

Who We Are

The Little School began as a friendship between neighbors.  This sense of friendship and community continues to define us as a school.  We love what we do and it shows.

Principles That Drive Us

We respect each child's natural predisposition to enjoy the unexpected.  We know that children are  driven to engage in active exploration and investigation in order to make sense of their world.  We are confident in their ability to construct their own meaning of their experiences.

We believe that it is our calling to fuel children's investigative impulses and to encourage discovery, promote questioning and challenging of ideas, and formulate connections of experience.

We know that the collaboration between the school, family, and community is essential  in order to fully support the development of the child. We are committed to creating and supporting these relationships.

We are fueled by our conviction that learning is a joyful experience!

What Your Child Will Experience

He will see beautiful, creative spaces designed with children in mind, with furnishings reminiscent of a sweeter time with comfy chairs and beautiful rugs.  He will see spaces for quiet, spaces for loud, natural spaces and  spaces for exploration. 

She will feel the textures of clay, paint, mud, and dirt.  She will also feel safe, respected, confident, connected, curious, powerful, validated, unhurried, accepted, composed, and heard!

She will feel part of a community.

He will hear the sounds of laughter, Laughter, LAUGHTER, squeals of joy, reassuring voices, and excited discovery.  He will hear birds and insects, rain on the roof, and trees rustling in the wind.

She will taste delicious, whole foods created by talented and passionate chefs.  She will taste sweet pea falafel, sour cherry muffins, salty parmesan crackers, and bitter lettuce grown in our own garden.  

He will smell bread baking for morning snack, freshly cut herbs and vegetables gathered by the children for lunch,  and the sweet smell of the fruit in our community basket  for afternoon snack.   He will also smell paint and clay, mulch and mud, grass and trees, and the soapy smell of a teacher's hug.

For more information or to experience the school firsthand, please visit us at www.thelittleschool.net. 

Location:  1516 Hull Avenue, Durham, NC 27705
Phone:       919-354-6600
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Capacity: 160 children
Ages: 12 weeks - 6 years
Classrooms for each age level: Infants, Toddlers, Twos, Preschool

Curriculum Highlights and Enrichment Activities: TBA

Extracurricular Options: TBA

Playground: TBA

The Little School at Duke is managed by The Little School of Hillsborough.

For more information please contact Mary Swanson at mary@thelittleschool.net