Recognition of Excellence · Charlotte, NC · 2026

Cranfield Academy Carmel

11330 Carmel Commons Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28226
https://cranfieldacademy.com
🏆 Ranked #17 in Charlotte · 7.4 / 10 overall
Awards Earned
Best Infant Care
Best Infant Care
Earned the highest infant care score in Charlotte. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.
Full Ranking Detail
childcarepreschool

Cranfield Academy Carmel is a well-regarded Endeavor Schools-affiliated preschool in south Charlotte holding North Carolina's highest 5-star DCDEE rating, with 165-child capacity and programs from infants through transitional kindergarten. Parent reviews consistently praise the caring, stable teaching staff and strong academic focus, though a cluster of regulatory violations in 2023 and mixed employee reviews about corporate management warrant attention from prospective families.

Safety7.0
Curriculum8.0
Art / Music7.0
Infant care8.0
Kindergarten readiness8.0
Teacher quality8.0
Compassion8.0
Management6.0
Culture7.0
Class sizes7.0
Extracurriculars7.0

What parents say

“The staff is kind, dedicated, and committed to the kids...minimal staff turnover.”
“The teachers are incredibly loving and attentive...truly feels like a second home.”
“The staff love the children, and it's smaller environment means they're not just a number.”
“The warm atmosphere...you can feel it when you walk in the door. The teachers truly love their job.”
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
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Best Infant Care
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Cranfield Academy Carmel --> <a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/charlotte/charlotte/cranfield-academy-carmel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> <img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-infant.jpg" alt="Best Infant Care - Cranfield Academy Carmel - Charlotte, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy"> <span> <strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Infant Care</strong> <span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest infant care score in Charlotte. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.</span> </span> </a>
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This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.

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