Middle school is when everything changes. The child who was curious and engaged in elementary school suddenly faces a fragmented schedule, impersonal classrooms, and an educational model that prioritizes compliance over curiosity. For many students, the transition to middle school is where the love of learning begins to fade — replaced by boredom, social anxiety, and the feeling that school is something to endure rather than enjoy.
It doesn't have to be this way.
Templeton Academy DC offers DC families a project-based independent middle school (grades 6–8) that keeps the curiosity alive. With classes of approximately 10 students, extended learning blocks, weekly Fieldwork in DC's world-class institutions, and a daily Core Advisory program, Templeton's middle school builds the academic foundation, social-emotional skills, and love of learning that students need to thrive in high school, college, and beyond.
And here's what makes Templeton's middle school uniquely valuable: you don't have to wait until 9th grade. While most of DC's acclaimed experiential and selective programs — School Without Walls, Duke Ellington, and others — begin in high school, Templeton gives families the option to start in 6th grade, building three additional years of project-based, personalized education before the high school years even begin.
Why Middle School Matters More Than You Think
The research is clear: middle school is the most critical transition in a student's educational journey. It's when students develop their academic identity, their relationship with learning, and the executive functioning skills that determine high school and college success. Get middle school right, and the foundation is set. Get it wrong, and families spend years trying to recover.
Templeton's middle school is designed around what adolescent learners actually need:
- Extended learning blocks of two hours and twenty minutes — allowing students to sink into subjects rather than context-switching every 45 minutes across seven or eight periods
- Project-based learning that connects academic content to real-world relevance — keeping engagement high during the years when traditional schools lose students to boredom
- Core Advisory — a daily mentorship program where students develop self-awareness, social-emotional skills, and executive functioning with a dedicated faculty advisor who knows them deeply
- Classes of approximately 10 students — small enough that no student is invisible, and every learner receives genuine individualized attention
DC as a Middle School Classroom
Templeton's weekly Fieldwork program transforms DC's institutional resources into extensions of the classroom. For middle schoolers — who learn best through concrete, experiential engagement — this is transformative.
What middle school Fieldwork looks like at Templeton:
- Smithsonian museums: conducting research, analyzing artifacts, and connecting classroom content to world-class collections
- Capitol Hill: studying civics and government through firsthand observation rather than textbook abstractions
- Local cultural landmarks: exploring history, architecture, and community identity through place-based learning
- Community organizations: developing empathy and civic responsibility through service learning
- Partnerships with local experts: gaining mentorship from professionals who connect academic subjects to real careers
One example from the curriculum: in a middle school humanities project called Stories of War — Graphic Novels of Courage, students analyze primary and secondary sources from WWI and WWII, gain deep understanding of diverse historical perspectives, and develop artistic and narrative skills. Students receive firsthand accounts and mentorship through partnerships with local veterans, cultural centers, and professional graphic novel artists.
This is learning that sticks — because it's connected to real people, real places, and real questions.
Middle School Curriculum at Templeton DC
Templeton's middle school curriculum (grades 6–8) integrates academic rigor with the real-world relevance that keeps adolescent learners engaged:
- Integrated Humanities (English and History): developing literacy, analytical writing, and historical thinking through interdisciplinary projects
- STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math): hands-on investigation and problem-solving through Templeton's award-winning program
- Foreign Languages: Spanish, French, and Mandarin
- Arts and Exploratory courses: creative expression woven throughout the curriculum
- Core Advisory: daily mentorship focused on identity, purpose, and essential durable skills
Every week, teachers create innovative lesson plans that include weekly Fieldwork connecting classroom concepts to the community, quarter- or semester-length projects, and collaborative experiences that develop teamwork and communication.
Start in 6th Grade — Build the Foundation
Most of DC's acclaimed experiential programs begin in 9th grade. That means families who want this kind of education must wait through three years of traditional middle school — years when engagement often drops and learning habits form.
Templeton's middle school begins in 6th grade, giving students three additional years of:
- Project-based, hands-on learning before high school
- Social-emotional development through Core Advisory
- Small-class personalization that builds academic confidence
- Weekly Fieldwork that establishes DC literacy and civic understanding
- Executive functioning skills (planning, time management, self-advocacy) that traditional middle schools rarely develop intentionally
By the time Templeton middle schoolers enter high school, they've already spent three years practicing the skills that most students don't encounter until college: managing long-term projects, presenting to authentic audiences, thinking critically about complex problems, and directing their own learning. The high school transition isn't a shock — it's a continuation.
Guaranteed Placement vs. Lottery Uncertainty
DC's selective public middle and high schools offer no guarantees. Families apply, hope, and wait — often with backup plans that feel like compromises. For middle school families, the stakes feel especially high because these are the foundational years.
Templeton's admissions process is holistic and relationship-based. There's no lottery, no audition, and no test score cutoff. We're looking for curious, motivated students who are ready to engage — and we welcome families from DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grade levels does the DC middle school serve?
Templeton DC's middle school serves grades 6–8. High school serves grades 9–12. The full program spans grades 6–12.
Is project-based learning appropriate for middle schoolers?
It's ideal for middle schoolers. Adolescent learners are developmentally primed for hands-on, collaborative, real-world learning. Research consistently shows that project-based approaches increase engagement, motivation, and retention during the middle school years — precisely the period when traditional models see engagement decline.
How does Templeton's middle school prepare students for high school?
Templeton's middle school intentionally develops the executive functioning, study skills, and self-advocacy that high school success requires. Students who continue into Templeton's high school experience seamless continuity. Students who transition to other high schools arrive with project management, public speaking, and independent learning skills that set them apart.
Can we tour the middle school specifically?
Absolutely. Schedule a middle school tour to observe a project-based learning block, meet middle school faculty, and see student work firsthand.
See Middle School Done Differently
We invite DC families to observe a middle school project presentation and experience what engaged, purposeful middle school learning looks like. Meet our faculty, review student portfolios, and discover why Templeton's middle school gives students a three-year head start on the skills that matter most.
Contact our admissions team to schedule your visit.
Now enrolling grades 6–12.