Welcome

Known. Connected. Valued. Loved.

Students grow in confidence, character, curiosity, and independence through challenging academics in a nurturing community.

Every student matters. They're known, valued, and supported.

Students build meaningful relationships with teachers and peers in a community where they feel seen, valued, and connected.

Strong academics for curious minds.

Students are excited to learn at TDS! They stretch their minds and ask big questions every day, with teachers encouraging them along the way.

Build confidence for high school and beyond.

Students grow into resilient learners and independent thinkers, equipped with academic and human skills that help them thrive as high schoolers and as people.

You Don't Have to Choose Between Challenge & Belonging.

At TDS, high expectations are paired with deep personal connections. Students grow into confident learners and good people, not just good students.

  • Rigorous Academics
  • A Nurturing Community
  • Character & Confidence
Students

Students take five core academic classes every day and build the skills that carry them: reading comprehension, analytical writing, research, media literacy, quantitative reasoning, and scientific inquiry. Teachers meet students where they are and expect them to stretch.

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Students

TDS is small by design: 346 students, 51 faculty, and a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Teachers know every child by name and by nature, friendships cross grades, and families tell us the same thing year after year - everyone is friends with everyone.

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Students

Our six core values are taught, not assumed. Through morning meetings, advisory, and the ordinary moments of a school day, students learn to advocate for themselves, reflect honestly, and repair things when they go wrong. At TDS, doing good matters as much as doing well.

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TK-8 Done Right.
High School Ready.

In an environment focused on children and young adolescents, students develop academically, socially, and personally before moving confidently into the high school environment that best fits them.

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See what "known and loved" looks like on campus. We'll be in touch to help you explore the next step.

Financial Assistance Available

Triangle Day School offers financial assistance and accepts the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship.

Testimonials

"We play and do activities. Like today… Mommy, have you ever heard of the artist named Georgia O'Keeffe?"

"During a recent walk after school, in an offhand attempt to start a conversation, I asked my son what he had learned at school. He replied, “Oh, we don't really learn at school. We play and do activities. Like today… Mommy, have you ever heard of the artist named Georgia O'Keeffe? She does paintings of nature really, really, very close-up. Today we made drawings like Georgia O'Keeffe." He proceeded to share his observations of a pinecone and how he drew a teeny tiny little spine at the end of each scale."

"I could not dream of a better education for a five-year-old, to expand his perspective, appreciate the arts and sciences, engage hands-on with new ideas, and take so much pleasure in exploring that it doesn't even register as learning. I am so grateful for TDS and our truly talented teachers who excel at understanding and nurturing students."

Emily Yeatts
Current/Alumni Parent '25, '27, '34

Testimonials

"This beautiful place and all of the adults inside have poured love, acceptance, and belonging into both of our children."

"To say we are indebted to TDS is a gross understatement. This beautiful place and all of the adults inside have poured love, acceptance, and belonging into both of our children. TDS has been a safe space to grow and learn from mistakes. Thank you for seeing and loving our quirky family over the past six years. This school will always hold the most special place in our hearts."

Jill Marcus
Alumni Parent '23, '26

Testimonials

"We were thrilled with the lower school curriculum and social experience and were frankly surprised to be even more impressed with the middle school."

"The community of welcoming and warm peers and encouraging teachers is truly unparalleled. We were thrilled with the lower school curriculum and social experience and were frankly surprised to be even more impressed with the middle school. TDS has created a middle school environment without the stereotypical middle school miseries!"

"As a typical mother concerned about children fitting in and finding kind peers, I would often inquire, 'are you still friends with so and so?' Year after year their exasperated response was, 'Mom, everyone is friends with everyone.' What more could a parent ask for?"

Leslie May
Alumni Parent '23, '24
Students

Gallery

See What Learning Feels Like at TDS

From the classroom to the playground, TDS students connect, create, and grow in a community where they feel known and supported.

Learning is a joyful experience.

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Your Questions Answered

What grades does Triangle Day School serve?

TDS serves Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade. We are small by design: 346 students, 51 faculty, and a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio on our campus at 4911 Neal Rd in Durham. The school is secular and has been part of the Triangle since 1991.

What makes TDS different from other schools?

TDS is small by design, creating a community where students feel known, connected, valued, and loved. Students experience rigorous academics alongside meaningful support, strong relationships, and a nurturing environment.

How does TDS prepare students for high school?

Ending at 8th grade is a feature, not a gap. Our teachers are here because they love teaching ages 4 to 14, and our middle schoolers lead the campus instead of feeling caught between elementary school and high school. Research bears this out: students in K-8 schools score significantly higher than their middle-school counterparts in reading, language arts, and math.

Eighth graders earn high school credit in several subjects and finish with a capstone research project and presentation. Our graduates go on to independent schools, IB programs, charters, and boarding schools, and they arrive confident, academically prepared, and ready to lead.

Is financial assistance available?

Yes. 23% of TDS families receive financial assistance. Awards are decided after admission, and all financial information, including award amounts, is kept completely confidential.

Families apply through Clarity, which takes most people under 30 minutes. We also participate in the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship, worth up to $7,942 per year toward tuition for eligible students.

How do I start the admissions process?

Most families start with an inquiry and a campus tour, then submit an application. What follows depends on the grade: TK and Kindergarten applicants come in for an assessment visit, 1st graders spend a half day with a class, and students applying to 2nd grade and above visit for a half or full day and sit the ISEE.

Applications for 2027-2028 open September 14, 2026. The priority deadline, which is also the financial aid deadline, is January 11, 2027.

TK-8 Independent School · Durham, NC

Come See What “Known and Loved” Looks Like on Campus.

Tour Triangle Day School and experience a small-by-design community where strong academics, meaningful relationships, and belonging go hand in hand.

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Schedule a Tour