Banburry is every way it said it is and more. I picked this school for my 5 year old not only because the self directed learning principle, but mostly the warmth, the love and the happiness this school radiates. I personally would love to attend the school if I could. My very shy 5 year old just turned 6 and has opened up significantly from attending the school since last September. She is very articulate, very confident and mostly, very very happy. She looks forward to see her friends at school, in all age groups, including her teacher, every morning. She is eager to share her experiences at school and at home.Through her I truly see that it is possible to have a learning environment that allows children to thrive through play, activities and self realization with teachers assistance and encouragement. I would recommend Banburry to any parent who is considering an alternative to the old education system and is wanting to see more natural self development from their children.
When my son and I first went to Banbury Crossroads school, we were immediately overtaken by a feeling of inclusion and acceptance. My son had been attending a public junior high school where he had been subject to both physical and verbal abuse. This abuse was not just meted out by the other students attending there, but also included name calling and rejection by the teaching staff at this school. My son had begun to exhibit signs of severe emotional stress that began to wear down his mental and emotional health and well-being.This was how we came to discover Banbury Crossroads, in a desperate search for a place of belonging and supportive education. And what we found at this school was so much more than we could have ever imagined! The school administrator, Diane Swiatek, immediately made us feel welcome as she showed us around the school for the first time. Following this initial introduction to the school, we quickly discovered that this was more than just a school for learning educational subjects: this was a place where children who did not fit the mold of mainstream education, were accepted and embraced for their unique traits and abilities. This was a place of inclusive acceptance, even to those children who appeared odd and unusual to outsiders. In Banbury, there is a philosophy of equality and respect for all who attend. The children are treated with the utmost dignity and allowed to learn at their own pace and in their own manner. There is a progressive wisdom that acknowledges the differential ways in which different children are capable of learning. The staff understands the importance of flexibility in education so that each childs education is tailored to their unique manner of learning (some children are more visual learners while others are more tactile, etc.). However, Banbury goes beyond basic institutional education. Here, the children learn the fundamentals of adult living and survival as well. In the higher grade classes, they work with a school mentor to choose a job internship that complements their own interests and inherent abilities. This allows the young adults attending there to learn valuable life lessons and gain priceless experience in the adult work environment. They also learn immense life skills such as money management and conflict resolution in the larger world beyond the boundaries of the school.Most notably, however, is the atmosphere of genuine caring and compassion exhibited by all the staff at Banbury. All students are engaged and accepted equally, and praised, rather than criticized or ostracized, for their uniqueness and individuality. They are not forced into a mold of normalcy but are actually honored for who they are. They are accepted with open arms into a loving community that allows them to feel safe and supported. I will always remember my sons education at Banbury with immense gratitude for helping him to feel accepted and nurtured in his experience there. And to Diane Swiatek, I can never adequately repay your kindness and support for accepting us as part of your family! We will never forget you. Thanks to you, my son finally finished his high school education and acquired the confidence he needed to believe in himself again. With a sense of self-esteem and confidence in his abilities, he forged forwards and is now studying at university for a degree in political science. Without the support of Banbury, he would have dropped out of school and limited his opportunities for a successful and prosperous life where he can have a fulfilling and rewarding career, while giving back to the community!
It is a funny thing to offer a review for a school in the same way that you might offer a review for a hamburger joint. Offering a review for a school one attended is not the same kind of thing as offering a review for a traditional store or service provider because in order to do well at a school, the participant, and their parents and family, must be willing to themselves grow and learn and potentially let go of bad habits that they picked up elsewhere. Not the case with hamburgers. But, letting go of bad habits, and being in a situation where I needed to find my way, was indeed the case for me. After three years in a local public junior high and half a year in the local high school, I was in rough shape. My grades were only marginally above the bare minimum passing point, and I was as angst-filled as any teenager might have been. There were certainly teachers who tried to help, to reach me, and to offer guidance, but with 30-50+ students in a class, and multiple classes throughout the day, there was basically no way that anyone had time to see me, let alone remember my name. I don't blame those public schools, but they certainly didn't help. I was lost in every sense of the word, with a D+ average. I went to Banbury for the latter part of my high school education, as I had done for grades one through five, and it felt like the part in the movie where the hero finds their way again. The overall atmosphere was caring, compassionate, patient, individualized, and I felt coached, and mentored personally, by almost every teacher I interacted with. It took me some time to get my progress back up to speed, but fast forward more than a decade, and I'm finishing my third degree, which will be my second graduate degree. I'm not certain I could have ended up where I am without Banbury helping me find my way again. A lot of people like hamburgers. It isn't hard to have a successful hamburger joint, because a good hamburger will appeal to a large number of people. A good school, on the other hand, only needs to be good for *you*. It will likely be great for others, too, but it doesn't need to be great for *everyone*. I'm not sure Banbury is great for everyone. The public system is OK. Plenty of children go through the public system and end up just fine. But, for a hundred different reasons, it doesn't work for everyone. If you're reading this, you, or your child, or someone you know, might not be getting their needs best met by the public system, or even by another independent school. It's hard to provide a review that reads like a burger review, because what worked for me might not be what you're looking for. But, I can speak sincerely when I say that Banbury is a nurturing environment that produces confident students who believe in themselves and go on to accomplish and be happy in their lives. I have kept in touch with most, if not almost all, of my Banbury friends, and by and large, they are all better, or significantly better, according to their own admission, than they would have been had they not gone to Banbury. If you want to experience self-directed learning at one of the first schools to do that in Canada, where teachers have the time and sensitivity to care, where students learn to manage themselves, ask for what they want to, and to be given the space and nourishment to grow into the best versions of themselves possible, then I think Banbury could well be for you. But don't take my word for it. Go check it out yourself. And, if it doesn't look like something you want, remember, it isn't a hamburger.
As a parent of a child who has been attending Banbury Crossroads for four years, I must say I am thrilled with the skills the school has promoted in my child. I very much appreciate the schools attention to individual needs it has fostered a healthy level of autonomy in my son, who is now able to work independently and self-directed. His particular and personal needs are met and has developed a great deal of confidence since attending Banbury. I am so happy to see his personality shine through in the work he does and to have hope for his future career.
My daughter has been attending Banbury for 4 and half years now and it has totally transformed her attitude about school and her academic achievements. She has really come out of her shell and has so much more confidence in herself and in her studies. She loves that she can work at her own pace and that the teachers are passionate about what they do and ensuring that the students really understand what they are learning. It is a family atmosphere and the students are able to express their creativity and choose topics that are of interest to them. With the small student to teacher ratio, the students are able to grow and advance and are not just pushed through the system. The students learn to take an active role in their education and their future and at the same time learn responsibility and accountability. I highly recommend Banbury Crossroads School!
Banbury Crossroads School is a Canadian School based in Dieppe, New Brunswick. Banbury Crossroads School is located at 201 2451 Dieppe Avenue S W, Calgary, AB T3E 7K1, Canada.
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