School Overview and Mission

Gateway Middle School is a college preparatory, public charter school in San Francisco. 

Preparing students for high school and beyond

Since opening in 1998, Gateway High School has sent more than 96% of its diverse graduates to college. Yet each year one challenge persisted: more students entering 9th grade underprepared. To combat this issue and increase our overall impact, we extended the successful academic and educational programs of Gateway High School to grades 6 - 8, with the opening of Gateway Middle School in 2011. 

Supporting students to achieve excellence

Gateway Middle School supports and challenges all students to discover their unique potential, actively participate in their community, and develop skills and habits to achieve excellence in high school and college.

Focused on success in high school, college and beyond

Committed to excellence and equity, we have a rigorous academic program that helps identify and support the individual talents and strengths of our 300 diverse students. With a 25:1 student-teacher ratio, our intentionally small community allows students to be known well and receive personalized instruction from highly trained teachers. We seek and support students who have ambition, are committed to working hard, and are eager to share responsibility for their own learning. Gateway Middle School students will acquire the skills, habits, and knowledge necessary for academic and personal success in a college preparatory high school, in college, and in adult life.

Diversity that mirrors the larger community

Gateway Middle School's values of responsibility, community, excellence, and respect for others should inspire students to contribute to their communities however they can. Our middle school serves approximately 300 economically, racially, ethnically, and intellectually diverse 6th - 8th grade students from the San Francisco community and the surrounding Bay Area. By attending a school which fully embraces the diversity of the Bay Area, Gateway Middle School students appreciate what they have in common with those who are different and value what they learn from one another.

Developing foundational skills

The middle school years are an exciting time in which students explore their personal identities, develop independence, and become active members of their community. It is also a time when students gain the skills, habits and knowledge they need for academic and personal success in high school, college and beyond. At Gateway Middle School, we embrace the unique needs of middle school students, helping them to feel a sense of belonging, supporting and respecting their individual learning needs and challenging them to think critically and participate actively.

Get to know us and see if we are right for you

San Francisco has many strong middle schools to consider. As you begin to explore Gateway, we encourage you to reflect on the type of school experience you seek and, equally important, to think about your goals and dreams for the future. Get to know us better by joining us at one of our enrollment events. Our teachers, administrators, parents, and students truly make Gateway one of a kind. 

Gateway Middle School supports and challenges all students to discover their unique potential, actively participate in their community, and develop skills and habit to achieve excellence in high school and college. 

Gateway Middle School Graduates will be: 

Self-aware, courageous, and responsible individuals who:

• Are conscious of who they are, how they learn, what they want to achieve, and what they value as individuals;
• Develop and practice self-respect and self-acceptance by exploring individual strengths;
• Understand the impact of their choices on themselves, others, learning, and the environment, and:
• Demonstrate responsibility, empathy, resilience, and respect.

Positive, active, and responsive members of the community who:

• Develop effective communication skills;
• Collaborate effectively in groups;
• Learn to understand and appreciate individual differences;
• Actively support others’ learning and learning styles; and,
• Are aware of community issues, understand their role in the community, and create positive change in the community.

Readers, writers, researchers, and problem-solvers who:

• Approach learning with curiosity, enthusiasm, and determination;
• Take pride in their work and strive to achieve their individual academic potential;
• Use their resources and strategies to solve problems and ask for help when needed;
• Monitor their individual progress, reflect on areas for improvement, and take advantage of opportunities for growth;
• Develop their reading, writing, math, and critical reasoning skills across classes and make connections between their classes.