Choose to Succeed with Banbury Crossroads

Welcome to Banbury Crossroads School, Calgary’s unique JK – Grade 12 Self-Directed Learning (SDL) private school, established in 1979. Our educational philosophy is built on the foundation that learning should occur in an environment that is relaxed, accepting, and welcoming, catering to the diverse learning styles, rates, interests, and talents of each student. At Banbury, our teachers support students in engaging with knowledge and activities that are meaningful to them, while also ensuring compliance with the Alberta Curriculum. We believe that empowering students to take control of their learning journey fosters self-confidence, initiative, perseverance, and overall well-being. Our graduates go on to lead successful lives and pursue a wide array of careers.

Experience the Banbury wayjoin us for an info session or reach out for more information at (403) 270-7787 or admissions@banburycrossroads.com.

Need a school for 2024-25? We’re still taking registrations!

Reasons for studying at Banbury

  1. Success: Learn to Mastery, develop enduring self-management skills.
  2. Academically Innovative: Where learning is really fun!
  3. One-on-One Teaching: Individualized Learning!
  4. Self-Directed Learning: Student-paced!
  5. Interest-Based: You learn based on your interests.
  6. Small class sizes: Maximum ratio 1:10!
  7. Hands-on Learning: Get real-world experience.
  8. Mixed Aged Groups: Age 3-6, 7-11, and 12-18.
  9. Mutual Respect: We immediately resolve disputes which creates mutual respect.

Our Core Values

Students are happy and engaged in learning.

And that’s because of Self-Directed Learning! We engage students to plan their day and to design their assignments depending on their interests. We encourage them to make decisions about their goals, materials they need, and how to monitor their progress. We explore the world on many field trips! We don’t stress competition between students since it creates performance anxiety. And yes, we do follow the Alberta Curriculum, although we have no marks until Grade 9.

We teach and mentor each child individually.

Every child is different. Banbury trusts students to make scheduling decisions and to learn at their own pace. With our tutorial approach, teachers move around, assisting and teaching every child one-on-one, with daily feedback.

We encourage mutual respect.​

Our school fosters mutual respect, providing a peaceful, caring, and safe environment for our students.  We prioritize welcoming students who seek refuge from negative experiences or have developed social anxieties.  Rather than adopting a behaviorist approach, we emphasize a communication and problem-solving approach based on mutual respect.

We believe in multi-aged groups.

And that’s because this approach prevents social problems that can arise when children learn at different rates. Banbury implements a system with three multi-aged groups: ages 3-6, 7-11, and 12-18. By placing students together with older or younger peers and eliminating marks on report cards, Banbury creates a unique classroom atmosphere that minimizes destructive judgment. At Banbury, every child is embraced for who they are, fostering acceptance and inclusion. Moreover, this environment encourages children to learn from one another, allowing them to gain valuable knowledge and even develop leadership skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

We offer small class sizes.

Classrooms at Banbury are not traditional. You often will find cozy sofas or bean bags. With a ratio of 8:1, teachers have time to interact with students, look at their work and chat about how they are doing.

Join us for an Info Session

Interested in exploring a unique approach to education for your child? Join us for an enlightening information session at Banbury Crossroads School! 

What to Expect:

  • Dive deep into our school’s philosophy.
  • Understand our day-to-day environment and curriculum.
  • Meet our dedicated staff, including our registrar, Trudie Douglas.
  • Discover why Banbury Crossroads stands out in the world of education.
  • This session is an excellent opportunity for parents to gauge if Banbury Crossroads aligns with their child’s educational needs.

For those keen on a more intimate experience, we also offer private tours, interviews, and trial periods.

Registration: Secure your spot for our information sessions by simply sending an email to admissions@banburycrossroads.com. We look forward to seeing you!

There are currently no planned dates, but don’t worry! If you are interested, email our admissions team and they can work with you to find a day and time for a private tour or let you know about upcoming dates!

Contact Information: For more about the information session, or to book a private tour:

We are eager to introduce you to the transformative power of Self-Directed Learning at Banbury Crossroads.

New Program at Banbury!

See our New Program page for more details

Website Under Construction

Our website is currently undergoing construction and updates. As a result, some information may be incorrect or outdated. If you come across any errors or discrepancies, kindly report them to dayn.williams@banburycrossroads.com. Your feedback is highly appreciated as we strive for accuracy. For other inquiries, please see our contact us page.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

-The Banbury Crossroads Team