The Buckley School

The Buckley School is a dynamic, nurturing learning community committed to equity and inclusion. Our innovative teachers and challenging programs inspire creativity, courage, and collaboration. By promoting a balanced development of mind, body, and character, we encourage each student to find joy and meaning in life and make an impact in the world.

The Buckley School, founded in 1933 by Isabelle Buckley, is the oldest K-12 independent co-educational day school in Los Angeles. Dr. Buckley developed the 4-Fold Plan of Education with equal emphasis on Academics, the Arts, Athletics, and Moral Education. These four pillars remain the foundation of our school and are continually updated to reflect current research in teaching, brain science, diversity, and a globalized world.

The Buckley Commitment was created by students in 1995 to guide the community in school-wide standards of behavior. These values are carved into the cement steps of the Commitment Courtyard and posted around campus. Students, families, faculty, staff, and the Board of Trustees commit to: Honesty, Loyalty, Respect, Kindness, Self-Reliance, and Self-Discipline.

• We must be truthful and value honesty in all areas of school life, both inside and outside the classroom.
• Because loyalty means commitment, we support the goals of the school and the efforts of its members.
• We respect the rights, feelings, and possessions of others, just as we respect ourselves. We also respect authority and the rules by which we are expected to live.
• Because we are committed to helping others, kindness is essential. We each need to empathize with others and help students and faculty in a caring, supportive manner.
• A healthy community is one in which each member has the self-discipline and self-reliance necessary for independent thought and action, balanced by the support from the community when that support is needed.

At a K–12 school, administrators and faculty have the ability to coordinate the curriculum across divisions to provide students with a smooth educational progression from one division to the next. Just as important as our formal curriculum is the hidden curriculum that emerges as rich interactions develop among students of all ages. Respect, engagement, and friendships grow among students, families, and faculty members over the course of Lower, Middle, and Upper school life.

Buckley’s Lower School curriculum emphasizes project work, creativity, and individualized teaching in a developmentally appropriate academic program that inspires students to challenge themselves and take risks as learners.

Our Middle School provides a guided and exciting transition from childhood to young adulthood. It does so in a welcoming environment that permits students to explore their interests and unique abilities while being challenged academically.

Our Upper School is a rigorous, nationally regarded, college preparatory program. With attention to individual students' needs and a focus on creativity, we offer students a strong liberal arts curriculum that prepares them for college and beyond.

Three school divisions situated together on one campus foster a spirit of support for students. For instance:

• Division Heads meet with each other on a regular basis to share news and discuss effective approaches they’ve taken with individual students.
• Middle School students enjoy visiting and having lunch with their Lower School teachers and frequently visit their old classrooms to hang out or chat.
• Students who attend Buckley from kindergarten through twelfth grade experience an engaging curriculum that does not repeat material.