Hero
Where Middle
Comes First
Middle School
Grades 5–8
Young people undergo a tremendous transformation in their pre-teen to teenage years. Critical connections form in the brain, bodies stretch and change, and students begin to develop habits that will determine the character they will carry into adulthood.
At Durham Academy Middle School, teachers dig into this tremendous period of growth, partnering with each family to create a positive atmosphere that fosters individual maturation and sense of place within a community.
A Campus Reimagined with Middle School Learners in Mind
Our Middle Schoolers enjoy the benefits of being members of a pre-k-to-12 school community, as well as the perks that come with having a campus all to themselves: space for 10-year-olds to transition into their Middle School years, and room for our older students to find their place as leaders of the campus.
Situated a couple of miles apart from DA's other three school divisions, the Middle School campus features Durham Academy's newest, most state-of-the-art facilities, all designed specifically with adolescents in mind — including flexible spaces that allow learning to spill outside the classroom, an auditorium that calls the Durham Performing Arts Center to mind, and roller slides in the quad (opening in Spring 2024) that will allow students to glide from class to class with a bit of glee.
What Happens at the Middle School?
As a DA Middle Schooler, here's a little taste of what your day might hold!
- 8 a.m.
- 8:10 a.m.
- 9:10 a.m.
- 10:10 a.m.
- 10:30 a.m.
- 11:30 a.m.
- 12:20 p.m.
- 1:20 p.m.
- 2:20 p.m.
- 3:10 p.m.
Stretching Boundaries, Deepening Learning
Durham Academy Middle School teachers share a sincere passion for working with adolescents — an intentionality given to equipping students with what they need to thrive at this particular moment in their lives academically, as well as in the challenges ahead. As a DA Middle Schooler, you will be provided with ample opportunities to discover who you are, both through our core course requirements and our Exploration/Elective courses.
The foundation of our curriculum is helping each student to understand who they are as a learner — their strengths, their challenges and the academic habits that are uniquely valuable to them as they grow. And we aren’t afraid to stretch boundaries and be innovative as we do so, as evidenced by our transition to Competency-Based Learning. In each course, our goal is for students to truly develop mastery in a set of competencies, rather than just ticking boxes that lead to a particular letter grade. That intentionality leads to deep knowledge that builds year to year.
Jon Meredith
Director of Middle School
Balancing Personal & Academic Growth
As a Durham Academy Middle Schooler, you will be part of an advisory group, along with about 10 other students and a teacher. Your advisory serves as your "home away from home" while at school, with check-ins a couple of times a day.
Throughout the year, each advisory works through a social-emotional learning curriculum designed to encourage introspection, trust among advisees and thoughtful decision-making.
We're Growing — Expanded Capacity in Fifth Grade!
Over the last couple of years, we have reimagined the Middle School campus, purposefully designing facilities with middle school-aged learners in mind and creating space for more fifth-graders. We encourage you to experience our state-of-the-art learning spaces on a visit! Opportunities are available for both prospective parents/caregivers and for students.
We also know that you may have questions about affording a Durham Academy education. We encourage you to apply for financial aid if you believe you need any level of support and to reach out to chat about the financial aid or admission process.
Plan Your Visit to the Middle SchoolLearn About Financial Aid
Life @ DA Middle School
Thanks to the generosity of a local foundation, Durham Academy has secured a Community Engagement Grant in November to enhance and expand schoolwide community engagement initiatives. The returns of such an investment, DA wrote in its official grant application, are exponential: The project aims to foster civic responsibility, critical thinking and real-world problem-solving skills among students through hands-on participation and leadership in community-based initiatives.
Mundy — who will take the helm of Durham Academy Middle School on July 1 — has served as DA’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Engagement since 2022, overseeing the launch of the school’s three-year DEE action plan in 2024. But before he made an outsize imprint on diversity work, Mundy was, first and foremost, a middle school educator
Durham Academy is continuing and strengthening work in civil discourse — equipping students with the necessary skills to hold tough conversations with abiding respect, humility and curiosity.