about
Classical Christian Education
FORMATION RATHER THAN INFORMATION
If you take a few steps back from the classroom and ask “What’s the purpose of all these books, tests, and math problems?”, you’ll find that different schools give you different answers.
For a lot of schools, the purpose of the hours spent in kindergarten through 12th grade is to get into a good college and then land in a well-paid career. For classical Christian schools, however, this answer isn’t sufficient. Knowing your multiplication tables is helpful, but shouldn’t you also be able to tell the difference between wise choices and foolish ones? What’s the good of getting into your favorite college if you stop going to church once you get there?
At The Ambrose School, we follow the proven path of classical Christian education because it prioritizes formation over mere information. We believe that the purpose of education is to form the whole person so that they know how to learn, how to think, and how to live well.
What do we mean by “classical”?
Most people know what it means to refer to something as a “classic”—it’s something good that has stood the test of time. Education has classics as well: our students read authors like Aristotle, Dante, Shakespeare, and Milton because they offer time-tested insights into how humans flourish. Classical educators choose these works because they seek to teach their students wisdom and virtue rather than just prepare them for a vocation.
The ancient Greeks had a word for the type of education that forms the whole human being: they called it Paideia. We follow in their footsteps by offering instruction in the liberal arts, training of the body, and formation of the character.
This goes beyond memorization for a test. Our students engage with material deeply, reading foundational texts and applying logic to reach well-informed conclusions. They learn to think through the consequences of ideas, and they learn how their conclusions apply to life.
What do we mean by “Christian”?
One of the greatest follies of modern education is that it disconnects knowledge from its source. By contrast, a classical Christian education nourishes the soul with truth, goodness, and beauty that have their source in God.
At The Ambrose School, we are committed to shaping students who love God, seek truth, and live in the light of His Word. With Scripture as the foundation, our teachers integrate a Christian worldview into every subject, helping students see the unity of God’s truth across all disciplines. This is reinforced by discipleship, as teachers guide students to apply biblical truth in every aspect of their lives.
This is work for the heart, not just the mind, and it takes place in partnership with parents. We expect our families to regularly attend a local church, and our community represents over 70 congregations in the Treasure Valley. The Ambrose School is ecumenical, adheres to the Nicene Creed, and teaches within the evangelical Protestant tradition. You can read our convictions here.
What does this look like in the classroom?
A classical education encourages students to make connections across subjects rather than seeing them in isolation. During the course of a school day, teachers intentionally show the relationships between the subjects being taught—between the Bible and history, history and art, art and philosophy, philosophy and culture, and culture and the sciences. This approach enables children to grasp the “big ideas” proposed throughout history, understand their influence on our culture, and view them in light of God’s Word.
At The Ambrose School, we structure our Kindergarten through 12th-grade coursework in keeping with the Trivium, a three-part structure that correlates different modes of instruction with the child’s age.
The Grammar Stage (Grades K-6)
During the Grammar Stage, our primary goal is to foster students’ love of learning and of great stories. Students memorize easily at this age and learn facts about many subjects—from history to Bible to science—through songs, chants, and rhymes that give them a storehouse to draw from in future years. Teachers also work to build a strong foundation in the English language through phonics instruction, spelling, grammar, and composition that will serve students throughout their lives.
The Logic Stage (Grades 7-8)
As students move into junior high, they are ready to begin reading the Great Books of the Western Tradition in earnest, including Genesis, Exodus, the Odyssey, Julius Caesar, excerpts from Augustine’s Confessions, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. They often exhibit a newfound independence and a persistent questioning attitude. We use this time to begin teaching them the art of civil discourse, including logic, reasoning, and debate, so that they become equipped to stand firm in their faith and engage with others in a respectful and loving manner.
The Rhetoric Stage (Grades 9-12)
In high school, students become more conscious of how others perceive them and seek to articulate their own understanding and opinions. We use these years to equip them with rhetorical eloquence while also seeking to instill wisdom, preparing them for a life after graduation. In addition to great literary and historical works, students also engage with philosophers and political thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Nietzsche, and Marx. Through Socratic discussion, class presentations, written papers, and speeches, students learn to speak and write with clarity, beauty, and conviction—skills that serve them in all areas of life and leadership.