OUR COMMUNITY
A school built around connection.
Ideal Preparatory is an independent school for 104 students in grades 9–12 in Washington, DC.
Our program brings together seminar learning, sustained language study, and engagement with the city. Students learn to read closely, examine evidence, communicate clearly, and take responsibility for their work.
A small school gives relationships time to develop. Teachers see students across discussions, projects, and revisions. Advisors help them reflect on progress and identify a manageable next step.
What we ask of one another.
Curiosity
Ask where an idea comes from. Seek the evidence, the missing perspective, and the question that deserves another look.
Care
Listen closely, treat people with respect, and recognize that a community depends on everyday acts of consideration.
Independence
Explain your reasoning, use feedback, and know when to ask for help. Responsibility grows through practice.
Contribution
Understand what others need, keep your commitments, and use your knowledge in ways that are useful to them.
Washington belongs in the lesson.
On selected Fridays, City Lab connects classwork with the public and cultural life of Washington. A hearing can raise questions about how decisions are made. A museum can invite a closer look at whose stories are being told.
Students prepare questions before they go, collect observations while they are there, and return ready to use what they learned. Notes, interviews, and source material become part of subsequent discussion and research.
Explore possible projectsMeet our school leaders.
Head of School
Patrick Taylor
School leadership and questions about the Ideal experience.
Contact the school officeCollege Counselor
Nia Okafor
College exploration, application planning, and next steps after high school.
Email NiaAssistant Principal & Amharic
Melat Hailu
Academic questions, student experience, and Amharic language learning.
Email MelatA CLOSER LOOK
An education built through everyday practice
A small school is shaped by what happens between its larger milestones: a question followed up after class, a draft revised with care, a language conversation attempted again. Ideal’s program brings academic study, advising, and independent work into a four-year experience. Families can explore how those elements connect through the curriculum, ATLAS, and senior capstone guides.
As you learn about Ideal, consider both your student’s interests and the conditions that help them learn. Ask how feedback is communicated, how students seek support, and how a developing interest can become a sustained project. These conversations can make the school’s approach more concrete than a list of subjects alone.