Friends schools vary greatly, both in their interpretation of Quaker principles and in how they relate to formal organizations that make up the Society of Friends. Most Friends schools are similar in their mission however: to provide an academically sound education while also instilling values of community, spirituality, responsibility and stewardship in their students.[1]
Some institutions founded by Friends were never formally "Quaker schools." Some historically Friends institutions are no longer formally associated with the Society of Friends. Those that continue to call themselves "Quaker schools" may have formal oversight from a Friends yearly or monthly meetings (often called coming "under care of" a meeting), and others are governed by members of the Society of Friends and/or adhere to aspects of Quaker practice.
Because of the wide range of Friends, the branch (or branches) of Quakerism with which the school affiliates are included, and where applicable the Yearly, Quarterly or Monthly Meeting under whose care or governance the school is held is shown.
The following is a list of schools currently or historically associated with the Society of Friends, regardless of their current degree of affiliation:
Australia
The Friends' School, Hobart, in Hobart, Tasmania: PreK-12th grade, founded by Quakers in 1887 and governed by Quaker principles. The majority of the school governors are appointed by Australia Yearly Meeting, mostly from the Tasmania Regional Meeting; the Hobart local Meeting House is adjacent to school grounds.
Belize
Belize Friends School, Belize City, (formerly known as Belize Friends Boys School) supported by Friends United Meeting[2]
Bolivia
Bolivian Friends have established several schools, which are supported from the United States by the Bolivian Quaker Education Fund.[3]
Instituto Teológico de los Amigos de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador, a ministerial training institute under the care of Iglesia de los Amigos en El Salvador
Honduras
Instituto Biblico Jorge Fox, San MarcosOcotepeque, Honduras, a ministerial training institute under the care of Junta Annual Amigos de Honduras
Ireland
Drogheda Grammar School, Drogheda, Co. Meath (Louth), trustees are mostly members of the Society of Friends, not formally under care of a meeting
Happy Grove High School, Hectors River, founded by Quakers, now operated by the Jamaican government[6]
Japan
Friends School, Tokyo, Japan, founded by Quaker missionaries, now independent of specific meeting care, but run on Friends principles
Kenya
All Quaker schools and yearly meetings in Kenya are affiliated with Friends United Meeting. Note that the Friends World Committee for Consultation[7] counts, but does not name, many more Kenyan Friends schools than are listed here,
Ackworth School, near Pontefract, England; "founded in 1779 by John Fothergill on behalf of The Religious Society of Friends... the School Committee is still accountable to this body"[10]
Bootham School, York, England (1822); majority of School Committee is appointed by Quakers in Yorkshire, formerly Yorkshire Quarterly Meeting[11]
Breckenbrough School, near Thirsk, England (1934); residential school for boys with behavioral and emotional conditions; a "registered charitable trust school with a Quaker... trusteeship"[12]
The Mount School, York, England (1785), independent Friends school for girls, founded by Yorkshire Quakers
Sibford School, near Banbury, England (1842), independent Friends school
Sidcot School, near Weston-super-Mare, England, "founded in 1699 and administered on the Quaker principles of truth, integrity, respect, simplicity, equality, and sustainability".[14] The current institution was (re)founded in 1808.
Non-Friends schools with Friends connections
St Christopher School, Letchworth, England, founded by Theosophists and never under care of the Society of Friends, but operated 1925–1980 by the Harris family, who were Quakers[15]
Defunct Friends schools
Great Ayton Friends' School, England, founded as a school for students whose parents had been disowned by Friends meetings for "marrying out" of meeting, became a general Friends school after 1854, became formally disassociated with Friends in 1991 as "Ayton School," and closed in 1997
Friends' School, Saffron Walden, England, (known as Walden School in 2016–17) the oldest Friends School, was founded in 1702, under the care of Britain Yearly Meeting which indirectly appointed the school's Board of Governors through the Friends' School Saffron Walden General Meeting[19] The school closed at the end of the summer term, 2017.[20]
Barclay College, Haviland, Kansas, associated with Friends Church, "an evangelical Friends school which accepts and embraces persons with evangelical Christian beliefs from a variety of denomination backgrounds"
Earlham School of Religion, Richmond, Indiana, associated with FUM, but has relations with all branches of the Society of Friends
Friends University, Wichita, Kansas, founded as a Quaker institution, now non-denominational with "an amicable but independent relationship with the Society of Friends" (EFCI)[22]
Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania; founded by members of the PYM, became part of the Orthodox PYM after the Hicksite-Orthodox schism; remains rooted in Friends tradition and grounded in Quaker practice, but without formal affiliation
Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, California, graduate school of education based around a children's school founded by Quakers; strong Friends influence but no formal affiliation
William Penn University, Oskaloosa, Iowa, founded by Quakers, no formal affiliation; "The university is firmly rooted in its Christian heritage with certain characteristics distinctive to Quakers, but welcomes faculty, staff and students from all faiths."[28]
"Independent Quaker schools" are operated using Quaker principles and often include a majority of Quakers among trustees, but are not formally under care of a meeting.
Friends School of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, grades preK-12. Pre-preschool options are available as well, known as Baby Friends and Little Friends, which offer daycare for children ages 3 and under. Additionally, it is now an independent Quaker school, but maintains historic ties to Baltimore Monthly Meeting, Stony Run, Baltimore Yearly Meeting (FGC)
Mary McDowell Friends School, Brooklyn, New York City, specializing in students with learning differences, age 5–18; formerly known as the Mary McDowell Center for Learning
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