The Cornerstone School was incorporated in December 1985 as a non-profit organization with the goal of meeting the growing need for a non-traditional private preschool and elementary experience in the seacoast region of New Hampshire. Located on 11 acres, The Cornerstone School's campus provides ample space for learning. The school boasts a full gym and stage area complete with sound and lighting equipment, as well as a large expanse of outdoor space. A graded soccer field, sledding hill, climbing trees, and an amphitheater are among the elements available to students. All of the classroom environments at The Cornerstone School are designed to be conducive to the Montessori philosophy and are equipped with a full complement of Montessori materials.

We are committed to a school which is small enough to maintain a feeling of community. Thus we can maintain individual attention and foster the development of each child in our care.

The Cornerstone School maintains the highest standards for faculty accreditation and education. While the faculty maintains individual memberships in several different organizations, The Cornerstone School is affiliated with the American Montessori Society (AMS). In order to qualify for this standing, The Cornerstone School must meet national standards for its faculty and facility.

The Cornerstone School has been a nurturing place for child-centered learning since 1986. In that time, its graduates have found success in the finest private schools in New England as well as their local public high schools. While competency in all curricula areas is an assumed standard, The Cornerstone School has always provided for self-directed development of the whole self. A sense of mastery, self-discipline, initiative, the power of concentration, and a positive attitude are all results of a Cornerstone education.

Our students leave our community with a love of learning, an intrinsic motivation, a strong sense of self, and a loving heart.


The Cornerstone School is deeply committed to laying the foundation upon which each child can build, in order to become the architect of his or her own future. The foundation consists of an open, inquiring mind, a loving heart, and a solid inner confidence that permits respect for our earth and its inhabitants. The ground work is laid in an environment of intellectual challenge and close, supportive relationships among students, teachers, and parents.