The Great Little School at Broadway Presbyterian Church

What The Great Little School at Broadway Presbyterian Church does

The Great Little School at Broadway Presbyterian Church (legal name: Broadway Presbyterian Church Nursery School, also known as BPCNS or GLS) is a non-profit, play-based early childhood education program operated under Broadway Presbyterian Church at 601 West 114th Street in Manhattan's Upper West Side / Morningside Heights neighborhood. The school serves approximately 40–60 children ages two through five across two classroom programs — the Snail Room (twos and young threes) and the Fish Room (older threes and fours) — plus a six-week summer session with three two-week themed sessions. Curriculum follows the Developmental Interaction / Whole Child Approach with project-based learning, anti-bias education, weekly music and art specialists, daily outdoor play at Riverside Park and the Columbia University campus, and preparation for NYC kindergarten admissions (public G&T and independent schools).

The school's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: prospective families sign up for in-person tours, submit applications (with a $55 fee) online or by mail, and receive notifications aligned with ISAAGNY dates. Tuition ranges from $19,340 to $32,620 per year depending on program and session length (morning, extended, full-day), with early drop-off, summer session, and a $425 community fund contribution as ancillary fees. Approximately 85% of tuition revenue is directed to staffing, supporting Masters-level certified Head Teachers with comprehensive benefits and low turnover. Supplemental revenue comes from tax-deductible donations (via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, employer-match, and in-kind gifts) and a Tuition Assistance Fund supported in part by the West Harlem Development Corporation, with financial aid applications processed through Smart Aid for Parents. The school is a member of ISAAGNY and the Parents League of New York, has an active parent community with an open-door policy, and reports graduate placements at schools including Brearley, Spence, Trinity, Bank Street, Collegiate, Allen-Stevenson, Alexander Robertson, Hunter Elementary, and various District 3 G&T programs.

Name

The Great Little School at Broadway Presbyterian Church

Legal name

Broadway Presbyterian Church Nursery School

Website

https://greatlittleschool.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Great Little School at Broadway Presbyterian Church is a non-profit, play-based preschool in Manhattan's Upper West Side serving children ages 2-5 through two classroom programs and a summer session, with tuition-based revenue supplemented by donations and ISAAGNY-aligned admissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5) (EDACAJAA), Classroom Learning Centers & Thematic Units (Dramatic Play, Blocks, Sensory, STEM) (EDACAJAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Preschool programs
• Play-based learning
• Progressive education
• Nursery school

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition payments for morning, extended, and full-day sessions. Additional fees include application fees ($55), early drop-off fees, and community fund contributions. School operates as a non-profit, with approximately 85% of tuition revenue directed to staffing and educational operations.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: School accepts personal and corporate donations, employer-match gifts, and donations in kind. Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal donation options available. Donations support tuition assistance, facility upgrades, materials, and professional development for teachers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Great Little School at BPC is a non-profit progressive early childhood education program offering play-based, project-based learning for children ages 2-4. It operates two core classroom programs—the Snail Room for 2s and young 3s, and the Fish Room for older 3s and 4s—plus a six-week Summer Session. Curriculum emphasizes Developmental Interaction/Whole Child Approach with mixed-age classrooms, daily outdoor play, music and art specialists, anti-bias education, and kindergarten preparation.

Product overview

The Great Little School at BPC is a play-based progressive early childhood education program operating as a non-profit. The core offering consists of two classroom programs: the Snail Room for 2s and young 3s, and the Fish Room for older 3s and 4s. A six-week Summer Camp program runs from mid-June through July. The school also provides parent education resources and follows a Developmental Interaction/Whole Child Approach curriculum with project-based learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Snail Room Program (2's and Young 3's) Early childhood education program for two-year-olds and young threes focused on gentle adjustment to school, fostering love of learning through hands-on sensory experiences, social-emotional learning, dramatic play, and simplified project-based learning. Offered in morning (9-12), extended (9-2:30), and full-day (9-5:30) sessions.
• Fish Room Program (Older 3's and 4's) Mixed-age classroom for older threes and fours centered on community building, meaningful inquiry, and in-depth projects. Children learn literacy, numeracy, science, and social studies through developmentally appropriate, experiential activities with kindergarten preparation. Offered in morning (9-12), extended (9-2:30), and full-day (9-5:30) sessions.
• Summer Session/Camp Six-week summer program (Session A: June 22nd-July 2nd, Session B: July 6th-17th, Session C: July 20th-July 31st) with simplified school-day schedule, themed activities, outdoor play in local parks including Riverside Park and Morningside/Dolphin playgrounds, and mixed-age grouping. Children must be two years old to participate. 5% discount for enrolling in all three sessions.
• Parent Education Resources Curated collection of resources for parents covering technology and young children, academic skills and early learning, play-based education, mixed-age classrooms, and curriculum approaches including teacher-published works, supporting family engagement with the school's progressive philosophy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates successfully placed in top NYC independent and public schools including Brearley, Spence, Trinity, Bank Street, and various Gifted & Talented programs

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ISAAGNY (Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBPCNS is a member of ISAAGNY. The school follows ISAAGNY admissions notification dates and operates within their professional network for independent school admissions guidance.
• Parents League of New YorkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGLS is part of the Parents League of New York professional network, providing parent education resources and community connections.
• West Harlem Development CorporationminorOthersWest Harlem Development Corporation provides support to the school's Tuition Assistance Fund, helping provide financial aid to qualifying families.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Manhattan Country School: Progressive Manhattan school serving ages 3-18 with a developmentally appropriate, child-centered approach. Comparable in progressive philosophy and NYC feeder positioning.
• Rodeph Sholom School: Manhattan independent school with a Nursery program serving 2-year-olds using play-based progressive pedagogy. Direct peer in geography, religious-affiliation model, and family demographic.
• Grace Church School: Manhattan independent school whose Nursery program serves 2- and 3-year-olds with a progressive, play-based philosophy. Similar in NYC location, ISAAGNY/Parents League network affiliation, and feeder-school positioning for top NYC elementary schools.
• City and Country School: Independent Manhattan progressive school serving ages 2-14 with a project-based, child-centered curriculum rooted in the same developmental-interaction tradition as GLS. Comparable in pedagogy, NYC geography, and family demographics.
• Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School: Progressive Greenwich Village school whose Beginnings program serves 2-year-olds through pre-K with progressive, child-centered values aligned with GLS's philosophy. Long-standing NYC progressive peer in the same admissions ecosystem.
• Bank Street Family Center: Bank Street's Family Center serves infants through preschoolers with a progressive, play-based developmental-interaction approach nearly identical to GLS's philosophy. Both schools operate in Manhattan, share the Young Investigators lineage, and feed graduates into the same NYC independent and G&T elementary schools.
• The Studio School: Small progressive Manhattan school serving ages 2-14 with a studio-based, project-driven curriculum. Comparable in size, philosophy, and emphasis on creative/experiential early childhood education.
• 92Y Nursery School: Long-running Manhattan cooperative nursery school serving 2- to 4-year-olds with progressive, play-based pedagogy and active parent involvement. Strong direct comparable in scale, philosophy, and Upper East Side family demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Large national for-profit early childhood education provider offering preschool and daycare programs across Manhattan. Comparable in core service (preschool for ages 2-4) but operates at much larger scale with a corporate structure opposite GLS's small non-profit model.
• Trinity School (Early Childhood Division): Elite Manhattan independent school (K-12) whose early childhood division serves 4-year-olds with a progressive approach. Listed among GLS feeder destinations, Trinity is a destination rather than direct competitor, but operates in the same NYC admissions ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Broadway-Presbyterian-Church-Nursery-School
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatlittleschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glsbpc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Great Little School at Broadway Presbyterian Church