Who We Are
We know that choosing a school for your child can be incredibly emotional because you are not simply choosing a classroom or a curriculum. You are choosing the people who will comfort your little one when they feel unsure, celebrate their milestones, build their confidence, and help shape how they see themselves during some of the most important years of their life. As a parent, you want to feel certain your child is walking into a place where they will be safe, deeply cared for, understood, and genuinely happy each day. This is a big decision, and we never take the trust families place in us lightly.
At Cranfield Academy, your child is surrounded by caring educators who believe childhood should feel magical, meaningful, and full of connection. We believe the early years should be filled with discovery, laughter, confidence-building, and moments that help them fall naturally in love with learning. Every classroom, relationship, and learning experience is intentionally designed to help your child feel secure, supported, and excited to grow.
Parent Reviews
Ashley K.
January 21, 2025
We love Cranfield, the staff, the teachers. I would recommend it to anyone!
Marissa B.
December 3, 2024
Cranfield has been an amazing place for us. Our son has grown immensely and the staff are so caring and engaged. He looks forward to going each day and is always so happy. We love that they send updates throughout the day and the stimulating curriculum they implement.
Jeanne F.
December 3, 2024
We loved our time at Cranfield Academy. The teachers and staff were wonderful and took great care of all 3 of our children! Our son had some medical and behavioral difficulties, but the teachers at Cranfield worked with us to make sure he had a wonderful experience as well.
Ashley D.
October 15, 2024
My son Eli has been going to this school for over a year and he a absolutely loves this school. He loves his teachers Ms. Deera & Ms. Madelyn, he enjoys all his friends and its a very welcoming environment, and I have never had an issue with anything at the school. I thank everyone here for their hard work and always the friendly attitudes.
Our Story
Cranfield Academy was founded in 2000 by Todd and Laura Pace with a heartfelt vision to create the kind of school they would want for their own children, a place where children feel safe, cared for, encouraged to explore, and genuinely excited to learn each day.
What began as one nurturing school has grown into five welcoming Campuses serving families across North Carolina, but the heart behind our community has never changed. We still believe the early years matter significantly, which is why our classrooms are built around meaningful relationships, intentional learning experiences, and the everyday moments of connection that help your child feel confident, loved, and understood. In fact, Harvard's Center on the Developing Child explains that simple "serve and return" interactions between children and caring adults help build the brain architecture that supports lifelong learning and emotional well-being, which is exactly the kind of connection our educators prioritize each day.
Bobbi Jo Lewter-Mofield, School Leader at Cranfield Academy, Morrisville, shares, "It is such a rewarding feeling to not only watch children learn and grow, but to support families through those important early years as well." This spirit of partnership is something your family will feel throughout all stages of your child's journey with us.
As part of the Endeavor Schools family, our educators also benefit from ongoing professional development, shared knowledge, and additional educational resources from a national network of schools, while still maintaining the warmth, personal attention, and close-knit community that makes Cranfield Academy feel like home.
Our mission is to help your child grow into a confident, compassionate, and curious learner by nurturing who they are, their mind, heart, body, and sense of self. We want your little one to feel safe, loved, encouraged, and truly supported through every stage of early childhood while building a trusting partnership with your family along the way. When children feel secure and wholly cared for, they begin to take brave little steps, form meaningful friendships, and discover the excitement of learning in a way that feels natural and joyful.
We want Cranfield Academy to feel like a second home for your child and your family. When your little one feels seen, understood, and emotionally safe, they gain the confidence to explore, ask questions, try new things, and grow into the person they are meant to become. Our hope is that every child leaves our classrooms feeling proud of who they are, excited to learn, and ready for each new stage of life with confidence and curiosity.
Your child's learning experience at Cranfield Academy is thoughtfully designed to feel engaging, hands-on, and full of discovery. We blend play-based learning with the research-backed Creative Curriculum, so your child can learn through exploration, creativity, meaningful relationships, and intentional guidance from educators who truly understand child development. Through art, music, sensory play, language experiences, early math, science exploration, and social-emotional learning, your child builds strong academic foundations while also developing confidence, independence, kindness, and problem-solving skills. Our programs are carefully designed to grow alongside your child, supporting your little one from infancy through their transition into kindergarten with warmth, encouragement, and individualized care each step of the way.
What Makes Our Private School Different
When parents tour Cranfield for the first time, they often tell us they have visited many schools and that something about ours feels different. We believe that difference comes from the way our teachers truly know and love the children in their care. At each of our Campuses, your child will be warmly greeted each morning by educators who have made it their life's work to support little ones during these incredibly important years.
Dr. Jeff Ingram, School Leader at Cranfield Academy, Cary, explains it this way, "Our pedagogy revolves around the whole child. This allows for a differentiated approach that fosters creativity and flexibility within our studies. Children can meet their academics at their own level while still collaborating with their peers to achieve successful learning outcomes." This whole-child focus shapes everything we do, from the way our classrooms are arranged to the way our teachers respond to your little one's questions and ideas.
Suzanne Price, School Leader at Cranfield Academy, Providence, describes our model further, "While many play-based programs in Charlotte, NC, incorporate play as part of a broader daily structure, our approach uses play as the primary and intentional vehicle for all learning through the Creative Curriculum. Teachers actively embed academic goals, assessment, and individualized support into child-led experiences, which results in a more consistent, purposeful model where play directly drives meaningful skill development and school readiness." For your family, this means your child never has to choose between joyful play and meaningful academics. They are getting both, every single day.
As part of the Endeavor Schools family, Cranfield Academy is also backed by a trusted network of schools that shares a deep commitment to educational excellence, safety, innovation, and whole-child development. This partnership allows our campuses to offer families the warmth and personal connection of a close-knit school community while benefiting from the resources, training, and long-term vision of one of the nation's leading early childhood education groups.
When you choose Cranfield, you are giving your child a school that combines heartfelt care, strong academics, and a learning experience intentionally designed to help them grow with confidence from the very beginning.
Early Childhood Leadership & Staff
One of the most important questions a parent can ask when touring a school is, "Who exactly will be caring for my child every day?" We love answering that question because the answer is what we're most proud of. Across our schools, our teachers and leaders are credentialed professionals who care deeply about your child's safety, growth, and happiness. Every educator on our team completes ongoing training in health and safety, CPR and First Aid, Conscious Discipline, SIDS prevention for our infant teachers, and many additional hours of professional development each year. Many of our teachers have been with Cranfield for years, and at our Carmel Campus alone, more than half of our staff have between 5 and 19 years of tenure.
Libby Gant
School Leader at Cranfield Academy, Carmel
With more than 30 years in early childhood education and 9 years leading at Cranfield, Libby believes children learn and grow best when they trust the adults around them, and her warmth and consistency set the tone for the entire team and the families they serve.
Dr. Jeff Ingram
School Leader at Cranfield Academy, Cary
With more than 25 years in education and a lifelong connection to the Cary community, Dr. Ingram leads with a focus on creating a school culture in which each family feels respected, and every child is supported.
Bobbi Jo Lewter-Mofield
School Leader at Cranfield Academy, Morrisville
With more than 30 years in early childhood education, Bobbi Jo brings deep wisdom, warmth, and a genuine love of mentoring both teachers and families. She believes in stepping into every role on the team and leading by example, which sets the tone for the supportive, hands-on culture your family will feel the moment you walk through our doors.
Suzanne Price
School Leader at Cranfield Academy, Providence
With more than 10 years of leadership experience, Suzanne loves connecting with families and celebrating the diversity of our Providence community. She works closely with her team to ensure every child feels successful, valued, and inspired to keep learning.
Nessy Denis-Lynch
School Leader at Cranfield Academy, Wake Forest
With more than 25 years in early childhood education, Nessy brings calm, intentional energy to our Wake Forest community. She thrives on building relationships with families, supporting her teachers, and creating an environment where children become creative thinkers and confident communicators. As she shares, "Education is the key that unlocks the golden door to freedom."
Achievements & Accreditations
Across all of our Campuses, your family will find a school recognized for safety, academic quality, and a genuinely loving environment. Our programs hold a 5-star rating from North Carolina's Division of Child Development and Early Education, which speaks to the strength of our learning experiences, our talented teachers, and the safety of our schools. We are also proud that, based on internal assessments aligned with national standards, 96% of our students meet or exceed national benchmarks, reflecting how our teachers weave play, structure, and individualized attention into every part of your child's day.
"It is meaningful to me that I can make a difference in the life of a child. Children need the tools to set them up for success in a world that may not always make the time to do that gently. I love that I am that gentle force who can guide them."
- Suzanne Price, School Leader at Cranfield Academy Providence.
Endeavor Schools is a community of more than 100 schools across the country, brought together by a shared commitment to caring for children during the most important years of their lives. Each school is thoughtfully connected to its local community, creating environments where children feel safe, supported, and encouraged to grow. Behind every classroom is a team of educators and parents who understand how much these early experiences matter, and who are dedicated to helping children build confidence, develop essential skills, and find a genuine love for learning. At the heart of Endeavor Schools is a focus on one simple goal: to give every child the support and foundation they need to thrive, both in school and in life.