A multi-denominational Christian school, Ambleside is based on the philosophy of
educational reformer Charlotte Mason (1842-1923).
Ambleside provides a broad and varied curriculum for every student through direct encounter
with great literature and primary sources in history, with art, music, science, mathematics,
geography, language, nature, and handwork.
The school offers small student-teacher ratio and an emphasis on guiding and developing a
child’s relationships with others—peers, younger children, elders, authority—and self.
Instruction focuses on the development of the child as a whole person.
Students are evaluated on their growth in their relationships, study habits, and attitudes, as
well as their knowledge.
Standardized and fill-in-the-blank test are not used. Exams and daily narration work in all subjects are largely broad essay-type questions, answered orally in the lower grades. Narrating daily and at exam time is an opportunity for students to bring forth and show what knowledge they have attained. It’s a call to synthesize and summarize, master and make sense of main ideas and facts, while developing the child's competence in clear thinking and verbal expression.
We strive to offer students the richest materials along with our highest expectations of
what they can accomplish. We expect every student to learn and grow to their full potential as a person, born in the image of God, into a vast inheritance.
We believe that children need to:
• Participate in a broad, challenging curriculum (all students participate in all subjects and
disciplines—write, think, calculate, solve, explore, recite, sing, act, dance, design,
construct).
• Learn in an atmosphere of sincerity and truth, not manipulation.
• Learn for the sake of knowledge, rather than for competition or grades.
• Be challenged, not limited by their strengths and weaknesses.
• Develop good mental and moral habits, becoming life-long learners who care about
their world.
More information about our philosophy and principles
What goes on in an Ambleside classroom
