About the Academy
Since our 1728 founding, Norfolk Academy has existed for the transformative education of children and families in Hampton Roads. As Virginia’s oldest independent school, we carry that historic mission into today, even as we constantly reevaluate and improve upon our purpose, our performance, and the lasting effect we have on our students and our region. Students who attend Norfolk Academy come from Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina. Few schools have thrived for almost 300 years like Norfolk Academy. It’s the clear and ringing timbre of relationships you find at Norfolk Academy that continues to demonstrate our relevance today.
Meet our Head of School
We are delighted to welcome Travis J. Larrabee as Norfolk Academy's new Head of School, starting July 1, 2023.
Mr. Larrabee joins us from William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, where he has served since 2007, most recently in the role of Assistant Head of School.
He is the ideal person to lead Norfolk Academy into the future, embracing our Philosophy & Objectives, our Honor System, and our distinctive approach to innovation — “judicious experimentation with the new” — that has kept our school at the forefront, not just in Virginia but nationally as well.
~ Excerpts from a letter from the Search Committee Chair
Memberships & Accreditations
Norfolk Academy is the only school in the state that enjoys accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS/AdvancEd); the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS); and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS).
Under the auspices of the Virginia Council of Private Education (VCPE), Norfolk Academy is recognized as an accredited school by the Virginia State Board of Education. The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the College Board, the Educational Records Bureau (ERB), the Enrollment Management Association (EMA), and the World Leading Schools Association (WLSA).