The Waverly School culti­vates curious, resource­ful, confi­dent learn­ers who demon­strate intel­lec­tual engage­ment, crit­i­cal and creative think­ing, respect for indi­vid­ual differ­ences, a strong aware­ness of personal respon­si­bil­ity, and an active commit­ment to social justice.

To realize this mission, the school embraces the following ideals:

Commu­nity:

Rela­tion­ships are para­mount at Waverly, defined by trust, under­stand­ing, and mutual respect. Mean­ing­ful, authen­tic inter­ac­tions occur every­where: in the class­rooms, on the play­ground, on the quad, at the farm, and on outdoor trips. Students collab­o­rate to problem solve, discuss, and make connec­tions. Waverly teach­ers know students on a personal level, with a keen under­stand­ing of cogni­tive and social-emotional needs. Student-teacher conver­sa­tions are open, chal­leng­ing, and playful. Waverly teach­ers model intel­lec­tual curios­ity, a commit­ment to a life of meaning, and the highest integrity. Waverly is a commu­nity where students, teach­ers, and fami­lies learn from one another. 

Progres­sive Education:

Waverly’s educa­tional philos­o­phy asserts that students learn best when they are actively involved in their educa­tion, when they become respon­si­ble for their growth as students, when they are encour­aged to work to their highest level, and when their learn­ing is based on life expe­ri­ences. Chil­dren and young adults develop in stages; Waverly respects and supports each child’s journey through these stages. The educa­tional program at Waverly incor­po­rates all aspects of human devel­op­ment — intel­lec­tual, social, phys­i­cal, aesthetic, and ethical — and strives to inte­grate learn­ing by guiding students to be curious about all that the world has to offer. While Waverly is inspired by the work of John Dewey, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygot­sky, amongst others, the school also pays atten­tion to current research and best prac­tices in education.

Equity and Diversity:

The Waverly School is commit­ted to social justice educa­tion and thus seeks to provide all members of the commu­nity with the tools to recog­nize and speak out against acts of bias and the discrim­i­na­tory systems of power that produce struc­tural inequal­i­ties. The school is commit­ted to treat­ing indi­vid­u­als with dignity and provid­ing an envi­ron­ment where all members of the commu­nity can engage in dialogue, ques­tion, learn, and contribute fully. This commit­ment to full partic­i­pa­tion encour­ages commu­nity members to be self-reflec­tive about their atti­tudes toward them­selves and others. An equi­table and diverse school commu­nity makes members better informed, more empa­thetic, and better prepared to effect posi­tive change in the world. To that end, Waverly fosters an envi­ron­ment in which indi­vid­ual differ­ences of race, ethnic­ity, biolog­i­cal sex, gender iden­tity, sexual orien­ta­tion, socioe­co­nomic circum­stance, national origin, immi­gra­tion status, ability and disabil­ity, phys­i­cal char­ac­ter­is­tics, reli­gious belief, and all aspects of iden­tity are acknowl­edged and celebrated.

The Waverly School is fully accred­ited by the Western Asso­ci­a­tion of Schools and Colleges and the Cali­for­nia Asso­ci­a­tion of Inde­pen­dent Schools.