About Us
Our Story
Twin Oaks Classical School opened its doors on 14 July 2025 in Greenlane, Auckland, but the story starts years before. As founders, we had each been home educating our children with a Classical Charlotte Mason philosophy and loved the fruit it was bearing in our whanau, but we wanted more for our children: we also wanted them to have the benefits that come with a school community: rich friendships, opportunities for service and leadership, and input from other teachers—but we didn’t want to sacrifice the benefits of home education either: enjoying unhurried time together with space to nurture passions and make memories.
Our first step towards Twin Oaks started in 2020 when we founded Scholé: a one day classical programme in Three Kings, Auckland. A vibrant community gathered around this vision with both school and home educated children attending. We soon knew that many families were looking for something different and our vision of a hybrid school began to take shape.
We named our school after Twin Oaks drive in Cornwall Park. This place holds special significance to our founding families and is a place of beauty and conversation. The image of oak trees standing side by side speaks to the partnership with teachers and parents, both working together to provide a place of shelter and nurture for our tamariki. It also speaks of the intertwining of the Classical education tradition with the Charlotte Mason method. These two time-tested educational pathways foster a rich intellectual life and the formation of deep character and virtue.
Today Twin Oaks is a place where children delight in learning, families form deep friendships, and every member is encouraged to grow.
Our story is only just beginning.
Welcome from our Head of School
It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you to explore Twin Oaks Classical School. We are grateful to the Charter School Agency who believed in our vision and our team—together we are creating a truly unique form of education that is open to all families who share our goals, regardless of their income.
A Twin Oaks education is different by design. Our partnership model gives parents a meaningful role in their children’s learning and this matters deeply to us. Parents know their children best and love them the most. Parents are a child’s best bet. We are here to serve those mātua who aren’t content to cheer from the sidelines, but rather want to join us on the pitch. It’s not for everyone, but that’s the point. We’re providing an option for those families who want the structure and community of a school but also want just a bit more unhurried time together and the space for children to follow their passions. Not all children thrive in a school environment five days a week, and not all children thrive being homeschooled full time. Our goal is to bring together the best of both worlds.
Our curriculum is also unique. We are inspired by the time-tested wisdom of Classical pedagogy and the joys of a Charlotte Mason education. Our team is carefully crafting a learning experience that is firmly rooted in the story and whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand and will set children up for success in our rapidly changing world.
Above all, our school culture emphasises virtue, character, wisdom and a life of service, because we are focused on who our children are becoming.
Amanda Goodchild
Head of School
"Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education."
— CHARLOTTE MASON, 1904
Community Life
Twin Oaks is more than a school—it’s a community. Families gather for picnics at the park, bush walks, poetry recitations, drama, music, and ordinary moments of daily life. We believe that friendship and manaakitanga are essential to human flourishing, and we delight in building relationships that last.
We hold a Family Fun Friday once a term
Sport
We are a small school but are making every effort to provide opportunities for the children to participate in sport within a culture of being active. Children learn at home on Thursday and Friday and we encourage them to participate in local sports teams. Our students are enjoying tennis, football, basketball, netball, ballet, judo, gymnastics, swimming, parkour and more outside of class time.
Since opening we have organised:
A weekly visit to Cornwall Park where everyone plays games and trains for sports activities
Three touch rugby teams to compete in the Fearon Park tournament
Wednesday whole-school cross-country training and competition in the AHE event and the Auckland Christian School’s competition
Weekly PE sessions in a local hall for our older children
Weekly PE sessions for our younger children in our outdoor play space
Christian Character Formation
We value the formation of character which is a daily and life-long pursuit. Our vision of children is anchored in the belief that they are born fully persons, made in the imago Dei. As a Christian school, character is formed through daily liturgy, Scripture reading, catechism, and the study of literature and biographies. We seek to develop habits of paying attention, perseverance and an appreciation for beauty. We encourage our students to consider the example of Jesus and live a life dedicated to serving others.
