Mission, Philosophy, & Core Values

Our Mission:

Buckingham Friends School honors the Light within each person, inspires scholarship and spiritual community, and instills the value of caring for others and our world.  

Our Philosophy:

As a Friends school, we believe that each individual contributes in unique and important ways to our community. As educators, we nurture the inherent promise of each student, demonstrate our faith in their abilities, and challenge them to develop the motivation and discipline necessary for personal, social, and academic success.  

We teach for life inside and outside the classroom through projects and experiences relevant to the reality of today and the potential of tomorrow. Each student is expected to take responsibility for their work; to strive for high levels of achievement; and to participate fully in a variety of academic, artistic, and athletic pursuits.  

We foster a loving and structured environment in which young people look forward to being together, and where accomplishment becomes a shared celebration. We encourage children to maintain a balanced approach to life, to view mistakes as learning experiences, and to address challenges with creativity and confidence.  Our students work hard, respect themselves, recognize each other’s humanity, and welcome the diversity of society—building self-awareness and a set of personal values that will guide their contributions to the local and global community for the rest of their lives.

Our Core Values:

Rooted in the beliefs and traditions of Quakers, our values as a Friends school guide us to engage members of the school community in the shared responsibility of honoring the Light within each person and fostering the growth, individual talents, and passions of every student.

Inspirational Academics – We promote academic achievement within an environment of experiential learning to inspire curiosity, creativity, critical and analytical thinking, communication skills, and collaboration. We strive to meet high standards, to remain agile and innovative, and respect individual approaches to thinking and learning.

Individual Character and Personal Integrity – We foster originality, honor and encourage each voice, and recognize that the development of an authentic, confident self provides the foundation for realizing personal fulfillment and success as a learner.

Caring for Others – Guided by the principles of friendship, we educate young citizens and awaken a strong local and global consciousness, a commitment to peace, and an ability to understand and contribute meaningfully and substantively to our diverse changing world.

Connected Community – We cultivate a joyful, involved, and inclusive community devoted to kindness, respect, and establishing trust and accountability.  Together, we invest in the success and the well-being of each child, family, and one another. 

Stewards of Our World – We engage community members in service work and teach the importance and responsibility of environmental sustainability.  We believe it is essential to connect, collaborate, and make a positive impact on our world for present and future generations.

Spirituality and Wellness – We embrace the quality of our spiritual community and strive to ensure the physical, social, and emotional health of each person.  Our intention is to encourage self-awareness, mindfulness, confidence, empathy, and compassion.  We understand that a sustained, balanced approach is vital to being a healthy and productive individual and member of society.