Campus Life
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Our campus—59 acres known as the Cathedral Close—is a dynamic place.
 
Conveniently located in Northwest D.C., NCS is full of curious and spirited individuals who come together as a collective to learn and live life intensely, with purpose and passion. 
 
Students traverse the Close frequently, on their way between NCS’s four well-equipped classroom buildings or en route to a service in Washington National Cathedral, a co-educational class at St. Albans, lunch with friends in the dining hall, or our state-of-the-art 90,000-square-foot Athletic Center. 
 
The East Terrace of the Close fills with chatter as Lower School students jump rope at recess, or on sunny days, English or language classes meet under the trees.
At NCS, we understand the importance of both academics and co-curricular programming to develop our students’ minds, bodies, and spirits. Athletics, music, visual and performing arts are integrated into a student’s day, alongside student-led extracurricular groups, allowing students to discover and develop their passions and try new things. 
 
The Center for Ethical Leadership and Service (CELS) is an interdisciplinary model combining our community service, diversity and inclusion, and global education programs. It enables students, in collaboration with educators whom they know and trust, to integrate what happens in the classroom, on the field, and on the stage, with time for reflection and exploration of themselves and their connection to their community and the world. 
 
Our support system – from our counselors to our advisors to our chaplains to our nurses and beyond – ensures there is an extensive list of professionals who are trusted adults, intentionally taking time to understand each student. We spend dedicated time discussing each student so we both know them deeply and are acutely aware of their needs.
 
As a Cathedral school, NCS has the privilege of gathering as a community in Washington National Cathedral throughout the school year for singing and dance performances, as well as lectures. Every seven school days, we convene for an all-school Cathedral service—a time for contemplation, fellowship, and celebration.  
 
An Episcopal school, NCS welcomes students of all faiths and traditions, aligned with the Cathedral’s mission to be “a house of prayer for all people.”