As the top-rated private school in the Bradenton/Sarasota area and one of the most respected independent, college preparatory schools in the nation, Saint Stephen’s provides a world-class education at every level. From pre-kindergarten (3 year olds) through grade 12, students are nurtured in small classes, encouraged and supported by outstanding faculty who help them navigate a curriculum that balances academic rigor and character development.

Academic excellence is central to the culture at Saint Stephen's. Our teachers are passionate about the subjects they teach and genuinely care about the students and their long-term success. Each day, they engage talented students in innovative and stimulating lessons that ultimately prepare our graduates to matriculate to some of the finest colleges and universities in America.

With the ever-changing landscape of education, it is important for educators to pay attention to the trends that influence and impact schools and students. Technology has placed so much knowledge at our fingertips. It is imperative that students are taught skills over content, that environments are created where students learn to problem solve, think critically and globally, and can navigate their own learning rather than just being receivers of information. The days of a teacher standing in front of a class and teaching lessons exclusively from a textbook are gone. SSES strives to create an interactive learning environment that often reaches well beyond the four walls of the classroom to include opportunities for valuable experiential learning.

STEAM is also an important component of a Saint Stephen’s education. This innovative problem-solving integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and/or Mathematics. With the inclusion of arts into curriculum previously identified as STEM, we recognize the crucial role of creativity and the understanding of aesthetics in problem solving. At each grade level, students have a tremendous set of ever-evolving opportunities to explore each of these worlds.

For more than 50 years, Saint Stephen’s has delivered a wide variety of customized curricular and extracurricular experiences, and strived to instill each student with a love of learning in an environment where independence, self-worth, physical health and spiritual awareness are valued.