At Friends Academy, Class Size Matters
It’s easy for students to feel lost in any school setting. After all, school is often a child’s first introduction to the larger world outside their families. Putting them in a room with many other students and one teacher can lead to some children getting left behind. According to Learner.com, the average size of an American classroom is 21.6 students. Friends Academy believes that number is far too high and intentionally designs small class sizes under 12 students to deliver the best learning environment possible.
The best way for students to be seen and heard is to reduce the ratio of students to teachers. Friends Academy believes that each child’s growth, as a student and a person, is paramount. By keeping its classroom size under 12:1, teachers can give the maximum amount of attention to each student, allowing them to identify learning gaps, and provide instruction tailored specifically to each student. Students are ultimately allowed to discover and develop the best of who they are and who they can become.
Another benefit of having fewer students for each teacher is that students participate more — and get more from — small group work. Having smaller classes means their voices are heard. Feeling heard, and seen, often means that their mastery of the material grows because they’re more involved in their own learning.
Smaller Classes Build Leaders
In smaller class settings, students are encouraged to take active roles in their education by participating in discussions, developing a sense of community while exploring leadership roles, and learning to truly collaborate with others.
At Friends, students develop close relationships with the faculty, who hold a total of 104 master’s degrees and PhDs and can adapt their subjects to students’ learning styles. This helps teachers build a better rapport with students throughout the school year. Teachers become mentors, imparting valuable life lessons that complement academic learning. Moreover, with a lower student-to-teacher ratio, building a healthier classroom dynamic is easier, with fewer distractions and a better learning environment all around.
Friends Academy students are held to the highest standards; in fact, Niche.com ranks Friends as the #1 private K-12 school and #1 College Prep private High School on Long Island for 5 years in a row. They are also ranked in the top 50 schools nationwide. That’s because Friends Academy aims to instill a lifelong love of learning in all its students, from Early Childhood, Lower, Middle and Upper School.
Planning intentional small class sizes facilitates a sense of community where students aren’t only responsible for their own learning, but as part of a collective, are encouraged to collaborate and help — and be helped by — their peers.
Founded in 1876, Friends has set the standard of academic excellence but they are steadfast in their commitment to the Quaker values of integrity, simplicity, peace, equity, stewardship, and service. This combination of academics and values is what sets Friends apart from other private and public schools. The school is also committed to a diverse and inclusive environment, which offers students a wide range of intellectual, socio-economic, and religious perspectives, while strongly emphasizing moral, ethical, and spiritual character development. The goal is to prepare students to emerge from their school years as active, thoughtful, and engaged citizens of the world who are exceptionally prepared for college and a life of purpose. Their youngest students take class trips across the community, in different historical cities across the US and in Upper School they take immersive learning trips to Spain, France, Switzerland, The Galapagos, Iceland and China. These immersive trips are designed to prepare students to deeply understand their coursework and the world they will be expected to lead and change for the better.
The Friends Academy campus places students in a unique environment conducive to exploring their world and what it means to be a part of it. Located on 65 acres in Locust Valley, the buildings are surrounded by beautiful grounds that often become outdoor classrooms.
Friends also offers financial aid to all eligible students. Interested families are encouraged to experience all that the Friends Academy by calling 516-393-4244 or emailing (admissions@fa.org) their friendly Admissions team. The most efficient way to start your Friends journey is to also set-up an account in their Admissions Portal and an Admissions Team member will reach out to schedule a call or personal tour of the campus. The Early Decision deadline is December 15th, 2024 and the regular application deadline is January 15, 2025.
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