Frequently Asked Questions

We believe that each of us has a special calling in life, and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose, in order to live a satisfying and fulfilled life.

Our mission is to prepare your child for his or her special journey.

Someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems — admit that they don’t know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help — participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.

For our Elementary studio and above (6+ years), we are not a Montessori school. Montessori is the closest pedagogy to our learner-driven, mixed-age studio approach, but we differ in a few ways.

We incorporate the latest interactive technologies, hands-on projects, and the Socratic Method for discussions in a learner-driven environment, which are not traditionally part of the Montessori method.

The grown-ups at Acton are called “guides” and they don’t teach.
Guides use the Socratic method – which is to ask questions and inspire our learners to find the answers out themselves.

Guides are actually not allowed to answer any questions and will usually answer a question with another question and offer choices.

A mixed-age classroom is one in which children of different ages sit and work together.

At Acton, our classrooms are called “Studios” and we divide them as follows:

1. Elementary Studio
   For our learners in grades 1 – 5. (We don’t have grades – but for the sake of explanation, it helps to have parity with traditional schools).
2. Middle School Studio
   For learners in grades 6 – 8.
3. LaunchPad Studio
   For learners in grades 9 – 12.

Learners of different ages can learn together because, for subjects like core-skills (Math, Reading & Writing), all learning is self-paced and work on their own goals for these subjects (no one-size-fits-all blackboard teaching).
All other subjects such as science, technology, history, geography, etc. are offered via hands-on projects in which the learners are divided into groups and work together.

A tremendous amount of learning takes place, and leaders emerge (exactly like in real life) when people of different ages interact – which a traditional school cannot replicate easily.

As of 2023-2024, we have over 300 campuses across the world in 42 countries.
Acton Academy East Kolkata is the 6th Acton Academy network school to open in India with the other five being in Adalaj, Chennai, Pune, Wayanad, and Bangalore. 

Socratic teaching, named after the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, is a method of teaching that fosters critical thinking and illuminates ideas through questioning.

The Socratic method is crucial in education as it fosters critical thinking and independent problem-solving by encouraging students to question and engage in dialogue rather than relying on rote memorization. This approach cultivates deep understanding and intellectual independence, equipping students with essential skills for navigating real-world challenges and lifelong learning.

Self-paced learning works in 3 steps:

Step 1: Figure out where our learner is currently with understanding of basic fundamentals and concepts.

Step 2: Discuss with the families and the learners where they would like to be at the end of a year?

Step 3: Help them chart out a plan with S.M.A.R.T goals and equip them with tools to track their progress.

Our learners have access to world-class tools, books and courses to learn concepts at their own pace.
They dial up or dial down their goals regularly depending on their cadence.
They have running partners to run things by and offer motivation.

Just like in real life.

AA Guatemala explains this best:

Running Partners are classmates who meet together regularly to set goals and hold each other accountable for meeting those goals.
They encourage and inspire each other by asking good questions, listening and providing affirmation. 

We are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities but have been able to serve young heroes with dyslexia if they receive special training and believe that many minor learning disabilities are commonly misdiagnosed.

We believe each of our students will find a passion — something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. This may be by becoming a shoe-shiner who tells stories and makes people's day just by doing his job with love and vigor; it may be by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero's Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people's lives.

Lord John Emerich Edward Dahlberg Acton (1834-1902) was a Victorian scholar of Freedom who saw liberty not as a license, but as the freedom to do what was right. He was suspicious of power for the sake of power, which led to his most famous quote: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." At the Acton Academy, we celebrate his defense of economic, political and religious freedom.

At Acton, students are assessed daily. Students are encouraged to use any tool to understand and learn a concept, and once they are confident, they are invited to prove their mastery via a set process.

There is no formal examination, and students choose to be evaluated whenever they feel confident.
In addition to this, students are also tracked on the effort they put into their learning. They are awarded points for spending time trying to master a particular concept.

The way Acton approaches learning would not be possible if we were to affiliate with any board in India.

Acton Academy East Kolkata is a partner school of the Acton Academy, Austin and shares processes and best practices with 350+ parent-run Acton Academies around the world.
Acton Academy East Kolkata is also accredited by the IALDS (International Association of Learner Driven Schools).