The Girls' Middle School

Name

The Girls' Middle School

Legal name

The Girls' Middle School

Website

https://girlsms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Middle School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Classroom Assessment & Grading (Formative/Summative) (EDAJAFAC)

Keywords

• Middle school education
• Girls education
• Progressive private school
• Computer science curriculum
• Social emotional learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: GMS charges tuition for grades 6-8. For the 2025-26 academic year, tuition is $50,128. Tuition covers academic instruction, sports teams, homework club, textbooks, and all school trips. Additional costs include technology fees, uniforms, hot lunch, and shuttle transportation.
2. Annual Giving (The GMS Fund): The GMS Fund is the annual giving program that funds approximately 10% of annual operating costs not covered by tuition. The 2025-26 goal is $700,000 with 100% family participation target.
3. Bennett Scholars Program Donations: The Bennett Scholars Program supports high-achieving girls from under-resourced communities with full scholarships. The 2025-26 fundraising goal is $1.6 million.
4. Flexible Tuition Program: Flexible Tuition enables qualifying families to pay adjusted tuition based on financial capacity, ranging from $5,000 to $40,000 depending on circumstances. Approximately 28% of families are enrolled through Flexible Tuition or Bennett Scholars programs.
5. Planned and Major Gifts: The school accepts gifts of stock, donor-advised funds, wire transfers, matching gifts, planned gifts (bequests), and in-kind contributions. The Founding Mothers Legacy Circle honors planned-giving donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Girls' Middle School delivers a progressive, all-girls education for grades 6-8 through an integrated academic program in Humanities, Mathematics, Science, Computer Science, Spanish, and Arts & Media, augmented by signature programs including a year-long seventh-grade Entrepreneurial Program, weekly Social & Emotional Learning, Intersession weeks, and the Bennett Scholars full-scholarship pathway. The school uses narrative assessment in place of letter grades and provides wrap-around student support, athletics, after-school activities, and college-preparatory math that completes high-school-level Algebra I by eighth grade. It serves approximately 200 girls annually from more than 45 Bay Area elementary schools at its Palo Alto campus.

Product overview

The Girls' Middle School offers a comprehensive progressive education program for girls in grades 6-8, built around an integrated academic curriculum combined with distinctive signature programs. The core academic offerings include Humanities, Mathematics, Science, Computer Science, Spanish, and Arts & Media, all taught through project-based and experiential methods. Unique programs include the year-long Entrepreneurial Program (7th grade), required three-year Computer Science curriculum, Social & Emotional Learning courses, and the Bennett Scholars scholarship program. The school also provides extensive enrichment through Intersession weeks, after-school activities, class trips, competitive athletics, and narrative assessment rather than traditional grades. Together, these components create a holistic educational experience focused on developing confident, empowered young women during their critical middle school years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Bennett Scholars Program: A comprehensive scholarship program supporting high-achieving girls from under-resourced communities who are often first-generation college bound. Provides full three-year scholarships with wrap-around support including laptops, lunches, uniforms, tutoring, and all trip expenses.

Products and services

• Core Academic Program (Grades 6-8) Integrated academic curriculum spanning Humanities, Mathematics, Science, Computer Science, Spanish, and Arts & Media taught through progressive, project-based learning methods across grades 6-8. The math track completes a Common Core High School Algebra I equivalent by eighth grade. Intended for families seeking a progressive middle school education for girls.
• Entrepreneurial Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Every GMS student completes a high school level algebra course in eighth grade
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Jewish Community Center (JCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighboring institution to the new campus at Fabian Way, with potential for community engagement and partnerships.
• The Kehillah SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighboring institution to the new campus location, with potential for forging new partnerships and deepening existing community connections.
• Google CloudminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for the Bennett Scholars Breakfast 2026 event, providing support for the annual scholarship fundraising event.
• OLH VenturesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for the Bennett Scholars Breakfast 2026 event.
• Antoine's Cookie ShopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for the Bennett Scholars Breakfast 2026 event.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Castilleja School: All-girls independent school in Palo Alto serving grades 6-12. The closest geographic peer sharing GMS's all-girls progressive education mission in the same Bay Area market — directly competes for the same pool of mission-aligned families.
• Kehillah School: Independent Jewish day school in Palo Alto explicitly cited as a neighboring institution to GMS's new Fabian Way campus. Serves a similar Bay Area progressive-education family demographic.
• Pinewood School: Independent, non-sectarian K-12 school in Los Altos Hills, California. Comparable Bay Area private school serving similar affluent, education-focused families in adjacent communities.
• Prospect Sierra School: Independent K-8 progressive school with campuses in El Cerrito and Corte Madera, California. Comparable Bay Area progressive private school serving similar mission-aligned families.
• The Archer School for Girls: All-girls independent school in Los Angeles serving grades 6-12. Comparable mission-driven single-gender school with progressive educational philosophy and similar signature-program structure.

Broad incumbents

• Harker School: Large independent K-12 school in San Jose, California, well known for strong STEM offerings. Bay Area peer serving similar high-achieving, college-bound families and competing for the same top-tier high school placements.
• Menlo School: Independent 6-12 school in Atherton, California. Comparable Bay Area private school with strong college placement record that competes for similar tuition-paying families.
• Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton: Catholic independent day school serving preschool through 12th grade in Atherton, California. Comparable Bay Area private school competitor for similar college-preparatory families.
• Stratford School: Independent private school with multiple Bay Area campuses serving preschool through 8th grade. Competes for similar Bay Area families seeking rigorous private education with a multi-location footprint.
• Challenger School: Independent private school with multiple Bay Area campuses serving preschool through 8th grade. Competes for similar Bay Area families seeking structured, academically rigorous private school education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/the_girlsms
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIkzL6cM_irGHhFaL9hQn0A
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/The-Girls-Middle-School/376942032590
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-girls'-middle-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/thegirlsmiddleschool
• Pinterestpinterest.com/the_girlsms

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Girls' Middle School