History
If we ask in perplexity, why do so many men and women seem incapable of generous impulse, of reasoned patriotism, of seeing beyond the circle of their own interests, is not the answer, that persons are enabled for such things by education? These are the marks of educated persons and what have we given them in lieu of education?
The founding of Ambleside Southern Africa
In 1999 Maryellen St Cyr opened the first Ambleside School with 28 students in the small town of Fredericksburg, Texas. Since then, Ambleside Schools International has grown to a network of 26 schools across the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe – all offering students what Charlotte Mason described as a living education.
The beginning of Ambleside schools in Africa came with a change of course for an established Christian School in the Hout Bay valley near Cape Town.
The school's founder, Gaby McKellar, was introduced to Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education when she read Susan Schaeffer Macaulay's book "For The Children's Sake". Inspired by the profound insights of the book, she and the principal of Hout Bay Christian School attended an educational conference in England where they met Susan Macaulay. They also met Maryellen St Cyr who was, together with her husband Bill, in the early stages of establishing Ambleside Schools International.
Immersed in the conference's rich discourse, Gaby was particularly stirred by the notion of nature study as a conduit to drawing closer to God. She returned to Cape Town, eager to transform the educational ethos of the Hout Bay school. Gaby and her husband, Craig, fostered deep connections with Bill and Maryellen St Cyr, culminating in Hout Bay Christian School becoming the first Ambleside School in South Africa.
As the beauty and power of Ambleside education became better known, other Christian schools joined the movement. The Vine School entered the fold in 2012, followed by Ambleside Primary School of Kensington in 2015. Subsequently, four more schools in South Africa and Africa have been established.
Ambleside Southern Africa was established in 2016 to provide the comprehensive support needed to start and sustain a thriving educational community in the Southern African context. Member schools of Ambleside Southern Africa can now be found throughout the region including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, and Mozambique.
Ambleside training
Ambleside Schools are venues, not only for the education of children, but also for the training of teachers and parents. Since 2019, training has been undertaken by qualified South African Master Teachers who are employed by Ambleside Southern Africa.