Our philosophy

At the Spruce School, our mission is to advance the quality of American schools by serving as a model program, grounded by three educational pillars: excellence in care, meaning-making, and effective academic instruction. We view ourselves as a lab school for developing a replicable model for schools that are designed around learning. We are building a model that will achieve stronger academic and human outcomes than traditional schools while remaining feasible for broad adoption in varying contexts.

Our early learning programs (ages 0-5) are inspired by the schools of Reggio Emilia that operate with a strong image of the child as a capable member of the community, recognize the teacher as a caring professional, and promote collaboration between children, teachers, families, intelligent materials, and the environment.

We believe that caring relationships and true play are essential to young children. We structure the program around consistent relationships by enrolling on a cohort basis, where children transition between classes with peer groups, and operating mixed-age classrooms where children spend long periods with the same peers and adults. Opportunities for extended periods of uninterrupted play and sensitive care define the schedule. Children have the opportunity to explore real tools, embark on deep exploration of real-world topics, and build strong friendships through play.

Our primary grades (ages 5-8) bear little resemblance to traditional classrooms. Students spend the majority of their day engaged in projects and play. Academic skills (math and literacy) are primarily developed through mastery-based direct instruction in a one-on-one tutorial setting with reinforcement in independent or small group practice. Efficient, effective instruction allows students to grow their skills at the pace and level that’s right for them rather than the pace set by the average of their same-age peers. Content knowledge (science and social studies) is developed through the lens of meaning-making, where project-based learning calls students to view themselves as active participants in the world and inquiry-based learning builds the muscles of curiosity.

In practice, this means that each student has two main teachers: a tutorial teacher, whose primary responsibility is academic skill development through individually-paced direct instruction and independent practice, and a projects teacher who develops large and small group learning experiences that build knowledge that broadens students’ horizons. The daily rhythm includes significant time for uninterrupted play and movement.

The Spruce School is currently looking for a physical home in Denver, Colorado. If this mission and philosophy speaks to you, we invite you to reach out to Emily Anders at hello@spruceschool.org