Lower School | Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill

A group of young girls with excited expressions, one holding a barn owl, at an outdoor educational event.

Lower School

Trinity’s Lower School learning experience establishes a strong educational foundation for students while nurturing their character and integrity in the context of Christian faith and conviction. Our Lower School faculty build a strong educational foundation for students from transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. Our developmentally appropriate curriculum balances the big ideas of Bible, literature, history, and science with skill development in reading, math, writing, and problem solving.

Smiling young boy in a yellow shirt enjoying coloring with crayons at a classroom table, with other children and classroom supplies in the background.

Lower School

Trinity’s Lower School learning experience establishes a strong educational foundation for students while nurturing their character and integrity in the context of Christian faith and conviction. Our Lower School faculty build a strong educational foundation for students from transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. Our developmentally appropriate curriculum balances the big ideas of Bible, literature, history, and science with skill development in reading, math, writing, and problem solving.

A young boy with a backpack, laughing joyously amidst floating soap bubbles with blurred figures in the background.

Lower School

Trinity’s Lower School learning experience establishes a strong educational foundation for students while nurturing their character and integrity in the context of Christian faith and conviction. Our Lower School faculty build a strong educational foundation for students from transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. Our developmentally appropriate curriculum balances the big ideas of Bible, literature, history, and science with skill development in reading, math, writing, and problem solving.

Cheerful woman with curly hair, wearing a navy blouse and white pants, holding two children's books, with a radiant smile

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Amy Chauncey • Head of Lower School

LOWER SCHOOLKnown & Loved

The Trinity classroom is a place where children learn about themselves and others. It is also a place where they can be themselves while respecting other people. In this caring school community, students experience the joy and wonder of learning together.

Trinity helps students discover and strengthen their gifts so they can become who God has created them to be. Our teachers recognize the uniqueness of each child and create a classroom atmosphere in which students feel safe and secure. This is done with the help of small class sizes and teacher-student ratios. In TK and kindergarten, classes have 12–14 students, with a dedicated full-time assistant in each. Our first through third grade classes have up to 18 students along with a dedicated full-time assistant. Grades 4–6 remain small, with up to 18 students in each section.

Excited children exploring and looking closely at something in the forest during an outdoor nature study.

“We immerse students in the wonders of nature to enrich and unhurriedly educate. Through these studies, students not only learn about the natural world but also about God’s eternal power.”

Watch the Nature Study Video

At Trinity, spiritual growth underpins all learning. Mornings begin with welcome and prayer, while classrooms engage in devotions. The Lower School meets weekly for worship, and all-school chapel services occur throughout the year. Alongside regular Bible study and a Christian-faith-professing faculty, these practices are the foundation of spiritual development.

 

  • Sixth Grade

    Trinity School’s sixth grade is unique. It is a program designed specifically to support and challenge sixth graders as they adjust to the initial stages of adolescence. Sixth grade functions as a hinge, connecting Lower School to Middle School and ensuring a smooth transition to seventh grade. It features a special space, pace, and curriculum inherent to the needs of these students.

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  • Transitional Kindergarten: Bridge from Pre-K to K

    Trinity’s TK gives younger five-year-olds a place to learn and grow in a nurturing environment tailored to meet their academic and social needs. The gift of time lets our TK Cubs follow their natural developmental path and grow their readiness skills fostering confidence and a love of learning.  The TK class investigates fascinating topics and participates in a variety of activities at school and in the community. Our curriculum addresses academics while giving necessary attention to the playful side of five-year-olds.

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Two young girls engaged in reading and working on a laptop in a cozy room adorned with fairy lights and a bookshelf.

Academics in the Lower SchoolDeveloping Lifelong Learners

Trinity’s curriculum engages children’s imagination and curiosity for authentic learning. Through rich literature, hands-on and multisensory activities, and meaningful play both in the classroom and outdoors, young minds are cultivated to love learning.
 

Discover Academics

A joyful family dressed in formal attire poses for a holiday portrait outdoors, with four smiling children and a couple seated on a blanket amidst tall grasses, under the clear sky.

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What makes the education at Trinity so invaluable is that we see it as a partnership where Hagar and I are able to entrust the teachers at Trinity to supplement and reinforce what we desire for our children, which is God’s Word as the foundation, love, and kindness in our hearts and our home.

The Peerman Family
1, 1, 3
 

Hear My Story

The Peerman Family

“What makes the education at Trinity so invaluable is that we see it as a partnership where Hagar and I are able to entrust the teachers at Trinity to supplement and reinforce what we desire for our children, which is God’s word as the foundation, love, and kindness in our hearts and our home.

“The teachers at Trinity’s Lower School have seen our children, advocated for them, committed to teaching them God’s Word, believed in them, loved them, saw their early dreams and passions, and have spoken life into them. Our children absolutely love Trinity and their teachers, to the extent that there really isn’t a day that has passed or a trip taken that we don’t speak of them or consider them with us. We are so thrilled to be able to give our children a head start in this world through a Trinity education, and we pray that God would use it in our children’s lives for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom.”

A smiling teacher assisting a young girl with a craft project in a brightly lit classroom while another girl watches.

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Each day, I look forward to anticipating what it will be like in TK. As I walk in the front door, I usually chuckle thinking about these little people with such big personalities and ideas! At Trinity, the relationships among the divisions, administration, colleagues, families, and students are strong and enduring.
 

Louise Holland
Faculty, Transitional Kindergarten
 

Hear My Story

Louise Holland

“Each day, I look forward to anticipating what it will be like in TK. As I walk in the front door, I usually chuckle thinking about these little people with such big personalities and ideas! At Trinity, the relationships among the divisions, administration, colleagues, families, and students are strong and enduring.”

A happy family posing for a portrait in an autumn setting, with two smiling children and cheerful parents.

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We all felt safe and welcomed from day one, by children and adults alike. Indeed—and this is what makes Trinity stand out—our family felt loved.
 

The Dongre Family
K, 3
 

Hear My Story

The Dongre Family

“We all felt safe and welcomed from day one, by children and adults alike. Indeed—and this is what makes Trinity stand out—our family felt loved. Everyone at Trinity has displayed the sort of faith, dedication, and leadership qualities we hope our children to develop.

“The high quality of Trinity’s pedagogy comes through in every activity. Every interaction, every email communication, every event displays the thread of excellence. Trinity is a one-of-a-kind institution. With each new cohort, the school develops the kind of loving, strong, open-minded young men and women the world needs. If you are on the fence about the value of enrolling your child at Trinity, we hope you will allow Trinity to take your hand and bring you into its family.”

Visit UsWe’d love
 to meet you!

Explore the heart of Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill with our personalized campus tour and information sessions, offering a firsthand look at our Christian, classical education in action.
 

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Where Now?Explore the Lower School

 

  • Athletics

    Embrace the benefits of physical activity in Trinity School's Lower School PE, where play and physical activity are part of the learning process.

  • Arts

    Trinity's Lower School Arts Program enriches students with a Classical and Christ-centered education in visual and performing arts.

  • Student Support

    Trinity School provides a tailored support system for Lower School students, emphasizing early intervention in reading and math.

  • Academic

    Discover Trinity School's academic programs rooted in Charlotte Mason's principles, nurturing a child's love for learning and growth in character.

  • Transitional Kindergarten

    Join Trinity's Transitional Kindergarten, where young learners thrive in a nurturing environment designed for their unique developmental stage.