Cultivating Beauty, Goodness and Truth
Welcome to Twin Oaks Classical School—where learning is a partnership, and every child is invited to grow in wisdom, wonder, and character.
We are New Zealand's first Classical Charlotte Mason school, involving parents as true partners in their children’s learning and formation.
At Twin Oaks, we believe education is more than the pursuit of knowledge; it’s the cultivation of flourishing lives. Our classical, Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum is rooted in both the Christian tradition and the uniqueness of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Currently serving tamariki in years 1-9 and expanding up to year 13.
Children learn Monday to Wednesday in class, and Thursday to Friday at home.
The Classical and Charlotte Mason methods of education are historically well-tested, knowledge-rich, and the fruit of these methods speaks for itself: young adults who can think clearly, reason intelligently and communicate effectively on a wide range of subjects. We are carefully fusing the very best of these approaches together to design an educational experience that can succeed in a mixed age classroom of 21st century New Zealand learners.
The Twin Oaks education distinctive
We are Collaborative
Partnership with parents is at the heart of Twin Oaks Classical School. Many parents want to take an active role in shaping their children's learning, but full time home education isn't an option for most. We offer a unique solution, whereby children learn in school Monday to Wednesday, and parents deliver learning at home on Thursday and Friday, supported by our teachers and resources. We also provide regular parent training and encouragement.
We believe that education thrives when families and teachers work shoulder to shoulder.
We are Classical
Our curriculum content is shaped by the Classical Trivium arts of Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric and a pursuit of beauty, goodness and truth. Children are invited into the “Great Conversation” with thinkers, leaders and artists from the past, exploring what it means to be human and so live a virtuous and flourishing life.
We believe in teaching children how to think and reason well.
We are Charlotte Mason
The Charlotte Mason philosophy understands education as atmosphere, discipline (habit formation), and the enjoyment of ideas brought to life. To use her words, education is “the science of relations” and must lead children to cultivate a deep relationship with the natural world and its Creator, with the characters of history and with one’s neighbour. Our classroom practices are shaped by many of her methods including short lessons which help children develop the habits of paying attention and giving their best effort. In this spirit we embrace a liberal education that spreads a rich feast of ‘mind food’ for children alongside nature study, the arts, and poetry to cultivate curiosity and wonder.
We believe all children deserve a rich feast of knowledge and hands-on experiences with the world.
We learn in the Christian Tradition
The Classical & Charlotte Mason methods emphasise training children to recognise what is true, to love and create what is beautiful, and to pursue the highest good, for self, family, community and country. These will remain our long-term goals as well. Although the Classical and Charlotte Mason methods can be delivered in a secular way, Twin Oaks is distinctly Christian in character with a daily focus on spiritual formation in the Christian tradition.
We are non-denominational and honour parents as first educators in matters of faith.
We are Low Tech
We prioritise deep engagement with books, nature, art and community over screens. In years 1-9 children use pencil (or pen) and paper instead of personal devices because we are cultivating children’s ability to attend deeply to challenging work without the need for constant stimulation. In our High School years (10-13), students will use personal devices in an intentional way – where they add value to learning and allow for customisation.
We are training children to pay attention and persevere without instant gratification.
Charter schools | kura hourua give a new schooling choice to families and more flexibility for educators to lift children’s achievement.
Dear parents, friends and educators,
Twin Oaks Classical School invites parents to partner with us in our shared purpose: raising hopeful children who think well, seek wisdom and live flourishing lives in service to others. As a publicly-funded Charter School, we are delighted to provide a new schooling choice to Auckland parents that is rooted in time-tested educational pathways that lead to human flourishing. We warmly invite you to consider whether our vision and ethos align with the goals you have for your family.
Tuhi Isaachsen
Board Chair
“The question is not - how much does the youth know when he has finished his education - but how much does he care? And about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set, and therefore, how full is the life he has before him?”
— CHARLOTTE MASON, 1904
