New Covenant Schools' Mission

Seventeen years ago a small group of dedicated parents, guided by a large vision for education, founded a school that would attempt to provide classical, Christian education for their children. Guided by the vision of Dr. Robert Littlejohn, who, at the time, was a local biology professor, the school, distinct among educational options in Lynchburg, opened with sixteen students and three volunteer teachers. They met in a small church outside of Lynchburg in New London. They were motivated by a vital interest in classical, Christian education, and by a desire to develop a school that would be thoroughly Christian, academically rigorous, and grounded in the liberal arts.

The school rapidly expanded, requiring the student body to move twice in the early years. By 1995 the grammar school (grades K-6) had grown to more than 100 students, and classes were located in the old Fort Hill School in Lynchburg. The dialectic and rhetoric levels (grades 7-12) were soon added, and upper school students met at the old Jones Memorial Library near downtown.

In the summer of 1998 Dr. Littlejohn was succeeded by the Rev'd John Heaton, a minister in the Reformed Episcopal Church, and the former Headmaster of the Geneva School (Orlando, Fl). The school continued to grow, and quickly reached capacity at its two locations with 155 students.

A gracious providence enabled the Board of Directors to successfully locate and purchase fifty acres of land in Lynchburg, and to pursue a rigorous campaign to unite the student body in one location. With the generous help of benefactors, parents, and friends, this campaign was launched in 2001, and came to fruition the following year when the school completed construction. Students began classes in the current facility in January, 2003. The campus is now permanently located on Fleetwood Drive and you can take the virtual tour by clicking here.

Today the school serves about 335 students with about 50 professional faculty, adjunct instructors, and administrative staff. It is governed by an independent board of parents and community leaders, while maintaining affiliation with the Reformed Episcopal Church. New Covenant follows a managed growth policy and envisions a student body of about 450 by the year 2012.

We are an educational community serving families of Central Virginia, providing an exceptional education in a classical curriculum within the framework of historic Christianity, furnishing the student with the tools of education and the inspiration to be a life-long learner.

Emphasis is placed upon teaching students how to think and how to learn, preparing them for a breadth of post-secondary educational and vocational experiences. Curriculum and educational methods employed are intended to meet the academic, social, cultural and spiritual needs of the traditional learner.

Our desire is to develop well-equipped students who will be contributors and leaders in their vocations as well as their churches and communities. Our students consistently test well above national norms on standardized tests, as well as on tests that are discipline specific such as Latin and mathematics. Many students take Advanced Placement examinations in a variety of disciplines, and have earned college credit in Literature, Composition and calculus.

Since opening its high school New Covenant students have been accepted to more than 40 major colleges and universities. Many have earned significant merit scholarships. Click here for a complete list of colleges, universities and graduate schools that have accepted New Covenant students. For more information about our graduates, visit our alumni pages here.