The Philadelphia School

What The Philadelphia School does

The Philadelphia School (TPS) is a coeducational, nonsectarian independent school founded in 1972 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving approximately 406 students from preschool through 8th grade across two Center City campuses: the Lombard Building at 2501 Lombard Street (grades 1-8) and the Ellen Schwartz & Jeremy Siegel Early Childhood Education Center at 2501 South Street (preschool and kindergarten). The school delivers a progressive, inquiry-based curriculum organized into four academic units (Early Childhood, Primary & Third, Junior Unit, and Middle School) supported by an integrated curriculum spanning Art, Language Arts, Math, Music, Science, Spanish, and Physical Education, plus a multi-disciplinary Learning Resources team. A distinctive tri-location "Classroom Is Everywhere" model rotates students weekly through on-campus spaces, the city of Philadelphia, and outdoor "country" sites including John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Wissahickon Creek, Awbury Arboretum, and Bartram's Garden. The teaching operation runs on an 8:1 student-teacher ratio with 72% of the 102 faculty and staff holding advanced degrees, and a team teaching model with at least two lead teachers per classroom.

The business model is tuition-driven, with 2026-27 rates ranging from $29,100 (Preschool 3) to $37,000 (Grades 6-8), partially offset by approximately $2.5M of need-based tuition assistance distributed annually to roughly 30% of families through the Clarity Application. The school layers several auxiliary recurring revenue streams on top of core tuition: the After School Enrichment Program (ASEP) and Middle School Extended Day (MSED), the After School Music Program (~5,000 individual lessons annually), the Club Program (40+ clubs per term), Vacation Care ($100/day), Camp TPS (50+ summer camps), and a no-cut interscholastic athletics program. The school also generates non-tuition revenue from Facilities Rentals (The Garage, Gym, Classrooms, Commercial Kitchen, The Commons, Lombard Yard) and a BSN Sports online school store, with philanthropy — anchored by the "Ours to Shape" comprehensive capital campaign that has raised over $18M since July 2021 — providing material annual fundraising support including 100% of financial aid needs.

The technology stack is a fully outsourced SaaS-based school operating platform: Veracross powers the Family and Faculty/Staff Portals, SchoolAdminOnline manages the $60 admissions application, Clarity Application handles tuition assistance financial assessment, Finalsite runs the public website and Communications Zone, Active.com/CampSite registers after-school programming, SmugMug hosts the historical photo archive, Vimeo hosts video content, and Juicer.io aggregates Instagram into the Communications Zone. GTM is direct-to-consumer: families initiate inquiry through the admissions portal, complete a rolling admissions process with tours and student visits, and pay tuition billed annually or on a 10-month extended plan. The school is accredited by the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) and is a member of NAIS, the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools, and the Educational Records Bureau; it also operates within the PRISEC consortium that coordinates common application, notification, and commitment dates across Greater Philadelphia independent schools.

Name

The Philadelphia School

Legal name

The Philadelphia School

Website

https://tpschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Philadelphia School is a coeducational, nonsectarian independent school in Philadelphia serving approximately 406 students from preschool through 8th grade across two Center City campuses, delivering a progressive, inquiry-based curriculum with an 8:1 student-teacher ratio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-8 Progressive Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

Waldorf/Steiner K–12 Schools (EDAJABAE)

Keywords

• Progressive education
• Independent school
• Preschool through eighth grade
• Inquiry-based learning
• After-school enrichment

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition (Day School): Recurring annual tuition charged per student across Preschool 3 through Grade 8. Tuition includes all instructional materials, textbooks, early morning care (7:30am), field trips, and sports uniforms. Extended 10-month payment plan available. $95 annual parent association dues per family billed alongside tuition.
2. Summer and Vacation Camp Programs: Camp TPS and Vacation Care programs operated year-round, including Winter Break Camp, Spring Break Camp, and day camps during professional development days. 2025-26 Vacation Care priced at $100/day.
3. Facilities Rentals: Rental of indoor sports tournaments, conferences, team-building events, birthday parties, and seasonal leagues in spaces including The Garage (capacity 120 seated/200 standing), The Gym (150 standing), Classrooms (up to 40 adults), a Commercial Kitchen (capacity 15), The Commons (up to 70), and The Lombard Yard.
4. After-School Enrichment, Clubs, and Music Lessons (ASEP, MSED, ASMP): Fee-based after-school care, club program (~40 clubs per term across arts, chess, hobbies, sports, technology), private music lessons (cello, guitar, percussion, piano, recorder, violin, voice), and ensembles including Junior Ensemble and Sandra Dean String Ensemble. Over 5,000 individual music lessons offered annually.
5. Philanthropy and Capital Campaign Contributions: The 'Ours to Shape' comprehensive capital campaign has raised over $18 million to date, funding facility renovation, tuition assistance, music spaces, and programming expansion. Gifts include TPS Fund, planned giving, and EATS fundraising event.
6. School Store and Merchandise: School-branded merchandise sold via BSN Sports sideline storefront (apparel, gear) for the TPS community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Philadelphia School is an independent, non-sectarian, coeducational school that delivers a progressive, inquiry-based preschool-through-8th-grade education on two Philadelphia campuses. Its integrated offering combines a year-long Project Approach thematic curriculum with a tri-location "Classroom Is Everywhere" model that rotates students weekly through the city of Philadelphia, outdoor country classroom sites, and on-campus progressive learning spaces, supported by an after-school enrichment, athletics, and summer camp layer.

Product overview

The Philadelphia School (TPS) is a single, integrated preschool-through-8th grade progressive education offering delivered on two campuses in Center City Philadelphia (2501 Lombard Street and 2501 South Street), organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture: a core academic platform divided into four unit modules (Early Childhood, Primary & Third, Junior Unit, and Middle School) is wrapped by shared cross-cutting services—Learning Resources support, an Integrated Curriculum spanning Art, Language Arts, Math, Music, Physical Education, Science, and Spanish, and DEIB programming. On top of the core academic platform sits an extensive After School layer (ASEP, MSED, ASMP, the Club Program, Vacation Care, and Camp TPS), plus co-curricular Athletics, a Family Portal and Faculty/Staff Portal powered by Veracross, a SchoolAdminOnline-based Admissions Portal, the Ours to Shape fundraising campaign, the EATS gala, a BSN Sports school store, and a Facilities Rentals program covering The Garage, The Gym, Classrooms, the Commercial Kitchen, The Commons, and The Lombard Yard.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TPSA (The Philadelphia School Association): Parent-led association that automatically includes all TPS families; supports the school community by facilitating communication, providing enrichment and outreach opportunities, and sponsoring community-building events.
• ASEP / MSED (After School Enrichment Program / Middle School Extended Day)
• ASMP (After School Music Program)
• Sandy Dean String Ensemble
• Camp TPS

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students accepted to one of their top three high school choices
• +7 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional membership; TPS Sandy Dean String Ensemble performed at the 2013 NAIS Convention in Philadelphia. Membership indicates alignment with national independent school standards.
• Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional membership and TPS's primary accreditor. Membership and accreditation signal regulatory standing in Pennsylvania.
• Association of Delaware Valley Independent SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional membership in the regional independent school consortium.
• Educational Records BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional membership for student records and assessment services.
• Philadelphia Region Independent School Enrollment Consortium (PRISEC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerConsortium of Greater Philadelphia independent schools sharing common admission process dates (December 1 application, January 10 notification, February 15 commitment) for fair and transparent admissions.
• John Heinz National Wildlife RefugecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor 'country classroom' site used for weekly outdoor education; one of several Philadelphia-area sites expanded into the program.
• Wissahickon CreekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor 'country classroom' site for nature-based science and stewardship education.
• Awbury ArboretumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor 'country classroom' site used for weekly environmental science instruction.
• Bartram's GardencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor 'country classroom' site for weekly outdoor education programming.
• Philadelphia Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity Classroom partner used for Primary Unit walking tours and ceramics residencies among other arts-based studies.
• Rosenbach MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with TPS Junior Unit on the 2007 Civil War Project and with the Primary Unit on the 2001 Manjiro and Japan study producing a musical adaptation.
• Fairmount Park CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with TPS on the 1983 Fairmount Park Treasure Hunt created and illustrated by trustees Cal Simon and Mary French.
• University of Pennsylvania (Penn)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTPS Tennis practices and matches take place at The Penn Hamlin Tennis Center on Penn campus; track practice takes place at Penn Park; UPenn-affiliated Tennis with UPenn and C-S Coding Academy with UPenn offered as after-school clubs.
• Philadelphia Orchestra / Jasper String QuartetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnsemble players have the opportunity to work with guest coaches from the Philadelphia Orchestra or the Jasper String Quartet each year.
• Clarity Application (Clarity Tuition)coreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party tuition assistance platform used to determine family financial need based on assets, income, expenses, and debts. Application takes ~30 minutes with a $55 fee.
• VeracrosscoreTechnology or IntegrationSchool management system powering the Family Portal and Faculty/Staff Portal at portals.veracross.com/tpschool/.
• SchoolAdminOnlinecoreTechnology or IntegrationAdmissions portal used to create inquiry accounts, submit initial applications with $60 fee, and access the Application Checklist.
• Active.com (CampSite/ACTIVE Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationRegistration platform powering ASEP, MSED, Club, and After School Music Program enrollment at campscui.active.com/orgs/ThePhiladelphiaSchool.
• BSN Sports (Sideline Storefront)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline retailer powering the TPS School Store for branded apparel and gear at sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/pennsylvania/philadelphia/the-philadelphia-school.
• Philadelphia ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSite of the 1980 Big Game Hunt fundraiser/field trip, an early example of TPS's city-based exploratory programming.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Agnes Irwin School: Main Line independent girls' PS-12 school with progressive elements; competes for the same Main Line/Philadelphia progressive family demographic, particularly at the K-8 entry.
• Friends' Central School: Philadelphia-area Friends PS-12 school with a progressive academic program; serves overlapping Main Line and Center City families and competes for progressive-minded applicants in the same zip code range.
• Friends Select School: Philadelphia Friends PS-12 progressive school serving Center City families seeking values-driven, inquiry-based education; competes head-to-head with TPS for the same preschool and kindergarten entry points.
• Springside Chestnut Hill Academy: Philadelphia independent PS-12 school offering progressive, college-preparatory education; serves overlapping Philadelphia families seeking alternatives to public schools.
• The Shipley School: Bryn Mawr independent PS-12 school with rigorous college-prep and progressive traditions; competes for the same Montgomery/Delaware County progressive family demographic as TPS.
• William Penn Charter School: Philadelphia Friends PS-12 school (the oldest Friends school in the U.S.) with Quaker progressive values; overlaps with TPS on mission, pedagogy, and feeder family pipeline.
• Waldorf School of Philadelphia: Philadelphia independent PS-8 progressive school with a Waldorf curriculum; directly comparable in scope (PS-8 only), pedagogy (child-centered, project-based), and city footprint.
• Germantown Friends School: Philadelphia Friends PS-12 school with a long-standing progressive tradition; competes for Philadelphia families drawn to inquiry-based, child-centered pedagogy.

Emerging players

• The Nueva School: Bay Area independent PS-12 school nationally recognized for progressive, inquiry-based gifted education; relevant comparable for TPS's project-based pedagogy and tri-location learning model at a national benchmark level.

Regional players

• Princeton Friends School: Central New Jersey Quaker PS-8 progressive school with a comparable pedagogy, size, and tuition profile; relevant comparable for PS-8-only progressive model even though geographically separate from TPS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thephlschool
• YouTubevimeo.com/tpschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/thephiladelphiaschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-philadelphia-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/thephlschool

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Philadelphia School