The Stanley Story

  • The British Primary educational philosophy is a unique instructional approach created in 1972 under the direction and leadership of founding head, Carolyn Hambidge. 

    Today, Stanley British Primary School is a singular independent school serving children from transitional kindergarten through 8th grade. At Stanley, a child's education goes well beyond academics - our teachers and our instruction principles give children the opportunity to reach their full potential academically, creatively, socially, emotionally and physically.

     

    • A History of Innovation

      Stanley was founded in 1972 by founding head Carolyn Hambidge and Colorado's former first lady Bea Romer. They both saw a vital need for a school with a different non-traditional educational framework, with teachers who could inspire a love of learning and embrace the belief that every child can succeed if taught well.

      Carolyn Hambidge's views as an educator were dramatically influenced by the principles of Friedrich Froebel, a German educator known for his progressive views of early education. Carolyn was educated at The Froebel Institute, now a college within the London University system. As our founding head of school, Carolyn established Stanley's educational philosophy based on many of Froebel's principles, which likened education to a garden where children can grow and flourish rather than be molded.

      Distinct Philosophy

      The school's first classroom was a laboratory model of the British Primary approach to education and was run as a parent co-operative with parents taking on major roles in the class. The phrase "British Primary" in our name is reflective of our school's distinctive education philosophy -- an approach built upon and evolved from the British Primary educational methods first utilized in British classrooms post-World War II, which then gained global educational recognition in the 1970s.

      Amazing Growth

      Since 1972, this concept has been so appealing and effective that the school has grown continually and steadily from one classroom with 30 children to what is now 16 classrooms with over 460 children. To accommodate parent-driven growth, the school has moved from its original location at Montview Preschool in Park Hill to the historic red brick schoolhouse at the corner of 13th Avenue and Quebec Street (now Paddington Station Preschool) to its current location on the former Lowry Air Force Base.

      Three Divisions

      The school has three educational divisions: the lower school of Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First and Second Grades (TK-K-1-2); the upper elementary division of Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades (3-4-5); and our middle school of Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades (6-7-8).

       

    • woman

      Stanley's founder, Carolyn Hambidge, was educated at The Froebel Institute, now a college within the London University system. She and her young family settled in Denver in the early 1970s; soon after, Carolyn and a team of like-minded educators opened a preschool rooted in progressive principles.

      Over a relatively short time, their enterprise developed into the Stanley School, taking its name from the historic Stanley school building they adopted on 13th Avenue & Quebec Street (now Paddington Station Preschool), and later moving to our current location, the former officer's club and barracks of the Lowry Airforce Base.