About Field School
Our Mission
Field’s School’s mission is intentionally simple — to develop well-rounded boys of character and accomplishment.
Our motto is omnis puer situs et frater (every boy known, every boy a brother).
At a Glance
Founded in 2007
5th-8th grade
All boys
Current enrollment
88 students
Average class size
12 students
Our History
Field School was founded by Todd Barnett in September, 2007, with a mission to “develop well-rounded boys of character and accomplishment.” The school opened its doors with 22 boys in the 5th and 6th Grades and added 7th and 8th Grades in the following two years. The school’s size grew slowly through the years. It has been an academically ambitious school, with high expectations of its students. It has also been remarkable for its dynamic and highly capable faculty, one that has been genuinely dedicated to the welfare and mission of the school.
The school started in the Activities Building at Claudius Crozet Park in Crozet, Virginia, and after two years there, moved to the “Old Crozet School,” a 13,000-square foot space in a school building owned by Albemarle County and built in 1923. Field School’s leadership has always intended to have a long-run home closer to Charlottesville, and in 2019, purchased a 25-acre Barracks Road lot for this purpose. The site is ideal: centrally located, with government approval for a school there, with abundant space for buildings and fields, and a 3-acre pond.
Our Goals
- To establish an academically rigorous boys middle school in Charlottesville, with particular attention to the needs and learning styles of boys;
- To develop our school and its traditions around a strong, well educated, hard working, involved faculty, one which participates in the school’s activities and coaching, and one which models and mirrors the school’s philosophy;
- To distinguish ourselves by our rigorous, regular, and engaging academic curriculum, one that inspires our boys to become lifelong learners;
- To teach to the whole boy—giving attention to the academic, social, physical, creative, ethical, and personal development of each of its boys.
- To engage middle school boys by exposing them to a variety of interests in academic, athletic, extracurricular, and service opportunities;
- To attract and support a student body which reflects the diversity of our local community, both ethnically and socioeconomically;
- And, to develop a strong working relationship with the parents, one that recognizes the partnership we have in raising all our children.
Field School Fundamentals
Field School has been developed as:
- an academically rigorous boys middle school, with attention to the needs and learning styles of boys;
- around a strong, well educated, hard working, involved faculty, one which participates in the school’s activities and coaching, and one which models and mirrors the school’s philosophy;
- with a rigorous, regular, and engaging academic curriculum, one that inspires our boys to become lifelong learners;
- for the whole boy—giving attention to the academic, social, physical, creative, ethical, and personal development of each of its boys.
- to expose boys to a variety of interests in academic, athletic, extracurricular, and service opportunities;
- with daily team sports participation, emphasizing physical fitness, teamwork, fair play, and sportsmanship.
- to attract and support a student body which reflects the diversity of our local community, both ethnically and socioeconomically;
- with emphasis on regular field trips, to expand the classroom and to increase the vitality of learning experiences.
