7 Notable Schools: Educational Renewal across the Globe

I visited Ireland a few weeks ago and met with a group of homeschool parents just outside Dublin. As I was presenting on Charlotte Mason’s method of narration, it struck me that the principles and values of our educational renewal movement are not beholden to one single culture. Across the globe a Christian liberal arts education utilizing great texts with a sound pedagogy can flourish wherever it’s planted.

Classical Christian education is not merely the domain of the US, but is taking root throughout the world. In this article I want to chronicle some of the exciting locations where some form of classical education and/or Charlotte Mason education is taking shape.

The first two locations happen to be in England, the place of origin of both Charlotte Mason and the classical renewal movement instigated by essays from Dorothy Sayers and C. S. Lewis. It is ironic that the former colonies would take up the mantle of educational renewal. But now we are seeing the emergence of new locales on every habitable continent. From England we will travel to the heart of Africa, the far East, South America, Central Europe and down under in Australia.

Heritage School (England)

The first location to chronicle is Heritage School in Cambridge, England. It opened its doors in the 2007-2008 school year with a handful of students and has grown ever since. The school is solidly within the Charlotte Mason tradition, with one of its founders, Fiona Macaulay-Fletcher, having attended a Charlotte Mason school in her childhood. Starting an alternative school in the UK is not altogether different than what one might expect in the US. They share on their history page:

“In early 2006, they visited schools operating intentionally along Charlotte Mason lines and a small number of PNEU schools still operating in England. During the remainder of 2006 they developed a business plan, which they began circulating in January 2007, to see if there would be sufficient interest from prospective families, and to try and raise the necessary start-up funding.

In the eight months prior to September 2007, all the necessary pieces came together: a small number of committed families, start-up funding, a small staff team, premises, a unique curriculum, registration with the Department for Education, an initial Ofsted inspection, preparation of classrooms, purchasing resources, and so on, and Heritage School was able to get started.”

“History of the School”

While Heritage is not explicitly classical, it is clearly informed by the classical tradition. They offer classical languages and utilize a great books approach to literature.

I have been a big fan of Heritage for well over a decade, and thoroughly enjoy following their Facebook feed. Having lived in Cambridge previously, I sometimes get glimpses of the campus and surrounding countryside, which warms my heart. But what I find truly inspiring is seeing the implementation of Charlotte Mason in photo after photo.

The King Alfred School (England)

Founded by Tom and Hayley Bowen, The King Alfred School was officially registered with Ofsted in July of 2021. Located near Birmingham in the West Midlands, The King Alfred School is the first member of the ACCS in Britain.

The story of their founding was reported by Jonathan Hodge at the Circe Institute blog back in August 2021. In this article you get a sense of the need for classical education as the Bowens share their heart for educational renewal. They describe the state educational system as “a factory production line, but the products were not good.” (Circe, “The First (Modern) Classical School in England”)

On their website, the Bowens casts a vision for classical Christian education in England:

“Like King Alfred in his own day we would like to see a revival of Christian education in England. We wish to serve local families by offering affordable, high quality education to prepare children to live virtuous lives.

We strive to offer a small and friendly environment where students’ talents can be nurtured. We wish to pass on to our children the rich cultural heritage of the Christian West.

We aspire to graduate students who are knowledgeable individuals with the ability to think logically and independently. Our goal is to help raise up young men and women who are well rounded and equipped to succeed in the wider world.”

The King Alfred School, “Our Vision”

Alfred reigned from 871-899 as King of the Anglo-Saxons, defending the kingdom against repeated Viking attacks. During his reign, he oversaw a number of legal, religious and educational reforms. Alfred translated the volume The Book of Pastoral Rule, written by Gregory the Great around the year 590, into (old) English. In his preface, Alfred expresses the decline in education that resulted from years of neglect due to warfare with the Vikings. “Learning had declined so thoroughly in England that there were very few men on this side of the Humber who could understand their divine services in English or even translate a single letter from Latin into English.” (Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge, Alfred the Great, Harmondsworth: Penguin (1983), 101-102) The King Alfred School now stands in that same tradition of defending the faith against the forces that assail it through educational renewal.

Rafiki Foundation (Africa)

The Rafiki Foundation is part of an initiative to establish classical Christian school across Africa. Beginning as a mission to Africa in 1929, over the past two decades the Rafiki Foundation has brought classical Christian education to numerous locations across Africa from Ethiopia in the east to Liberia in the west. In 2015 a training college was founded called the Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE) with the aim of providing well-trained classical educators for schools in Africa.

One of the beautiful projects The Rafiki Foundation is undertaking is the creation of classical curriculum that is written with African village schools in view. They write, “Names, places, and stories used to teach universal truths are decidedly African by design.” (“Rafiki Foundation Curriculum”) The art curriculum for Grade Level 1, for instance, is illustrated with images of desert sands, palm fronds and zebras, all of which ground the reader within an African context.

There are many ways individuals and groups can support the efforts to provide classical Christian education in Africa. The Education Fund raises support for village schools as well as providing educational resources. There are many opportunities to serve in teaching roles as a short-term missionary.

Seoul International Christian Academy (Korea)

Located in South Korea, Seoul International Christian Academy (SICA) is a member of the ACCS, blending classical education with a Charlotte Mason educational philosophy. It is fascinating to see classical Christian education planted in the East, but this demonstrates the point that living ideas – especially our Christian faith – transcends cultural differences.

The founders describe their search for an educational methodology, choosing classical education, “which has produced historically outstanding thinkers and leaders.” Paired with Charlotte Mason pedagogy, they are forming not only great thinkers but enable children to form character through habit training. The Christian foundation at SICA is beautifully expressed as they aim “to nurture students who are wise and godly.” (“SICA Education Advantages”)

They spell out what has often been a point of contention, the way the great books tradition is embedded in Western civilization. For a school in Korea, they utilize the great books tradition, but don’t they see the differences between East and West as an insurmountable cultural divide. “The Humanities Classics Great Books are books that have had an important influence on the formation of society and culture historically.” They go on to state that great books have had “a strong ideological influence on the formation of world civilizations including the East and the West.” They also see how the great books express “great ideas that have been practiced and accumulated since ancient times.”

Trinitas Escola Cristã Clássica (Brazil)

Our next location takes us to just south of São Paulo in Brazil. Trinitas aims to provide an educational alternative in the region based on “the rediscovery of the classical method.” They follow the trivium as stages of child-development approach, incorporating tools “tools such as imitation, recitation, Socratic discussions, content integration, debates” among others.

What I like about this school is that they ground their approach in the long story of classical education. In the Q&A section of their homepage they write, “The pedagogical approach based on the classical Christian model is a way of teaching created by the Greeks, adapted by the Romans and fully developed by Christians throughout the Middle Ages.” The grounding of classical education in several historical settings gives the sense that our educational renewal movement is dynamic, able to be applied in new eras and in different locations (an idea that has inspired this exploration of locations outside North America.)

Trinitas is a multilingual school with students literate (alfabetizados) in English and Portuguese while also learning Latin. This school seeks “an inner transformation of the student, cultivating virtue in them and enabling them to train (disciplinar) their affections in all that is true, good and beautiful, so that they desire God and follow his ways.” Trinitas seems like a lovely school doing great work in South America.

Die Lerche (Linz, Austria)

A Charlotte Mason school within the Ambleside International network of schools opened in the 2018 school year and now serves elementary and middle school students. Linz, about a two-hour drive west from Vienna, is located in northern Austria. Die Lerche, or the Lark, symbolizes “the striving for a learning atmosphere that is characterized by joy, interest and appreciation.” (Die Lerche, “Was wir von der Lerche lernen”) The lark is ever climbing in flight without ever ceasing to sing.

As an Ambleside school, there is a rigorous curriculum approached with attention and joy that contains instruction in religion, math, science, German, English, music, the visual arts, and technical skills (pre-vocational). In the middle school they add Spanish and follow the biology, chemistry, physics sequence in science. One of the ways Ambleside schools resonate with classical education is that they emphasize the great books. Die Lerche expresses how they implement interdisciplinary teaching (Fächerübergreifender Unterricht), which is similar to what we might call integrated humanities. (Die Lerche, “Lehrplan und Stundentafeln”)

Coram Deo Micro-Schools (Perth, Australia)

Classical Christian education is on the rise in Australia. Last April, Circe Institute sponsored the Classical Renewal Conference simulcast in Australia and the US. The recently established Australian Classical Education Society placed a marker down as to the wellspring of interest in classical education down under.

One location that classical education is taking root is in Western Australia where a group of micro schools in the Perth area are providing an educational alternative. The Coram Deo Micro-School have three locations around Perth, partnering with area churches “to provide an alternative academic outlet for parents looking for quality Christian education in Perth.” (“About Us”)

Despite launching during Covid, the Coram Deo schools are gaining traction and having an impact. With several parent testimonials pointing out the warm and caring environment they are creating at their schools, I can imagine a growing number of families in Western Australia being blessed by the visionary team guiding these schools.

Educational Renewal, A Global Movement

It is instructive to observe the extent to which our educational renewal movement spans the globe. Far from being an American enterprise, we see how an authentic liberal arts tradition finds its home in any language and in any culture. Great ideas are by nature transcendent, so we should not be surprised to see shared educational values bridging East and West, North and South. The seven locations enumerated here are only a fraction of the schools furthering the cause. With our shared vision and purpose, hopefully we can find ways to support and promote one another on a global scale to see a rich educational heritage renewed in even more diverse locations.

---