Claren Academy – Founded in 2017 with a focus on the future!

It all began in 2017…Kathryn Sykes wanted a different kind of school for her own kids and other families in Vancouver. Previously a social worker and a stay-at-home Mom, Kathryn will tell you that founding Claren Academy has been a steep learning curve, but a very worthwhile endeavour. Now her children are in their teenage years and no longer students at Claren Academy. Kathryn continues to love being a Mom and providing a strong and special education to other children in Vancouver.

We had the opportunity to speak with Kathryn to learn more about her vision and the outcome of building Claren Academy, a top private school in Vancouver.

1. What sets Claren Academy apart from other independent schools in Vancouver?

Claren Academy was founded by parents who felt a real urgency to prepare their own kids, and other Vancouver kids, for their actual future. With the rate of change in jobs, valued skills, and technology, they felt compelled to start right at kindergarten, focusing on “things that robots can’t do.” They also committed to be nimble, and continue to change with the times, and that has resulted in priorities such as integration of AI, focus on caring connections and mental fortitude, and the ever growing Claren Market. It’s also resulted in a close, like-minded community of parents and teachers who find a joyful, welcoming home at Claren Academy. A regular comment from visitors is that “there’s just a good vibe” and that’s a real source of pride! 

2. What is the school’s educational philosophy, and how does it prepare students for the future?

Claren Academy was built on the pillars of creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship. Since our opening in 2017 that has become more nuanced, with creativity meaning critical thinking and brave efforts, technology being mindful, even skeptical use of programs and machines, and entrepreneurship growing into the Claren Market, which is a huge school wide effort in prototyping, manufacturing, pitching, refining, marketing, and selling. We have developed the Claren Learner Profile, and always work backwards with the goal of turning out graduates who are creative, kind, self-reliant individuals, with the skills and motivation to thrive, help, and be happy in their changing future. We believe that Claren kids are going to be leaders, and we are so proud of the young people we have sent out into high school already. 

3. Can you share how technology and creativity are integrated into everyday learning?

We believe that technology should be seen as just another tool for making and helping. We want our students to feel confident and adept with technology, but not bound to it for stimulation and all information. We teach our kids that if something is free on the internet it means your attention is the product, and to question sources and motivations. All of our kids learn to program and to use creative tools such as Book Creator, Tinkercad, and Minecraft Education. They all learn to type, and problem solve with computers. Alongside that, they get a lot of traditional art, music, theatre, and physical education. These are all tools to create and solve problems! 

4. What kind of community and culture can families expect when joining Claren Academy?

They can expect a close community of active parents, teachers and leaders who are choosing to be here, and a strong focus on our values: Kindness, Belonging, Curiosity, Responsibility and Excellence. Families come to us for the small classes, academic standards, and future focused skills, but a few years in they usually tell us they most value the way we see their kids as individuals, and care for them. Our parent group is socially active with parties, coffee mornings, holiday decorating, and fantastic friendships. We hope parents will join us for the right reasons, and enrich the community, and by and large that’s what happens! 

5. How do teachers support students’ individual learning styles and needs?

One major thing that sets us apart is our leveled literacy and math. When kids come into Claren each year they are assessed to gather data on exactly where they are in those subjects, and then they are put into small groups to work at that level. That may be their grade by age, or it may be a bit different. They can be challenged and supported as needed, and met exactly where they are. Pretty well all the kids are in the same place by the intermediate grades, but in those primary years with so much spread and individual jumps in development, they benefit from focused instruction and small groups, and no one moves on without full comprehension of concepts. They come back together with the larger class for subjects like science, social students, art, and gym. In this way they are both supported and challenged, and build relationships with teachers and kids across grades. 

6. What role do arts, innovation, and entrepreneurship play in the curriculum?

These are the biggest parts of our enrichment! We’ve mentioned the Claren Market a few times. It’s a project that spans half the school year, where every student from K – 7 makes a product. They come up with an idea, present it to their teacher (including whether or not they will work in a team and why), make a sample, present the prototype to a Shark Tank panel of adults, go back to make changes as suggested, then budget, manufacture, market, and finally sell! The product needs to be original, in demand, and complimentary to the student’s abilities. Through the Claren Market they exercise skills in art, engineering, time management, writing, presenting, math, and flexibility! It’s a huge undertaking, and we’ve very proud of it. Other areas where kids are given the opportunity to innovate are in Ted Ed Talks, leadership roles, school wide performances, and the amazing every day lessons our teachers come up with. 

7. How does Claren Academy foster social-emotional learning and resilience in students?

Just like all parents and educators, we are seeing a rise in anxiety and perfectionism in kids. We combat this head on with mindfulness education and a focus on growth mindset, belonging, and having kids participate in their own report cards via our Reportfolios. With that process they reflect on their own skills, strengths, and areas for support, and learn that everyone has different things to contribute. We also meet them where they are with our leveled literacy and math, and give them a lot of opportunities to try, and fail, and try again in a safe space with the Claren Market, our physical education program, and challenging projects. Our parents are on board with our approach, and reinforce the learning at home and at school. We are committed to turning out resilient, competent learners with the emotional capacity to contribute and be happy. Part of our model is sending the kids out into the world to be challenged! We are K – 7 by design, as we believe that our students need to go out into a bigger school to test out their skills, make some choices, and introduce themselves to new friends and teachers. We think they deserve all the facilities of the excellent high schools that exist in Vancouver, and we help our kids transition into the schools of their choice, be they public, independent, or mini schools. We’re keeping track of our alumni with the oldest now in grade 10, and we are very proud of them.  

8. What opportunities do students have to engage with the broader Vancouver community?

We are right in the middle of Yaletown, so we take advantage of the city as an extension of our campus! We go to the local parks twice a day, and we take transit and walk for field trips to theatres, museums, libraries, and more. We visit our neighbours in the senior centre for holiday events, and give gifts to the young people at Covenant House as well. We rent a bus to go visit a full-size gym weekly as one part of our phys ed program, and our older students participate in outdoor adventures (including overnight camping) with the Vancouver Outdoor School. We use the Roundhouse Theatre for our yearly school-wide production, and our longest distance field trip was all the way to Victoria! This is more social and less school-based, but we also hold the Claren Games yearly at Castle Fun Park in Abbotsford, and that’s a huge community highlight. We love Vancouver and we love to be good neighbours.. 

9. Can you describe what a “day in the life” looks like for a Claren Academy student?

Claren days are busy and joyful! Our doors open at 8:30 and our day starts at 8:45. For those first 15 minutes of the day there’s a lot of chatting and socializing with parents, teachers, kids, and administrators in the halls, and it’s a great way to get started. All of our classes start with morning meetings, where they play some games, get set for the day, and share news. We have a straight K and a straight grade 7, and all of our other classes are splits. Most days start with reading groups, which everyone does at once due to the groups being across grades. After reading groups we go to the park for recess and snacks, and then come back for math groups. The students eat lunch in the classroom, and either bring lunch from home or order from our hot lunch provider. After lunch things change up depending on the class. For example, they may have socials, science, art, music, tech time, or project work. Our youngest learners have some free play choice time, because that’s where very valuable learning (and fun) happens! On special days there may be field trips, holiday activities, class visitors, or whole school activities. Our day ends at 3:20, when kids are either picked up, or stay for after school activities until 4:45. We also have before school care at the Roundhouse. 

10. What advice would you give parents who are considering Claren Academy for their child’s education?

Look around and consider all your choices! We were founded by parents who were maximum choosy, so we always encourage other parents to consider what matters to you, what your options are, and where you feel at home. Commute times matter also! Families who are happy at Claren value joy in learning, strong academics, and share our urgency for the future. We are seeking kids who are curious, friendly, and can handle a lot of transitions and time outside in shared, public spaces. It’s a busy, joyful place. We know it’s hard to imagine a warm and welcoming elementary school in an office building, so the best thing to do is come visit! Reach out any time to book a tour or a call with Kathryn, the founder and director of admissions. They’d love to meet you – come say hello! 

With a strong understanding of the Independent Schools in Vancouver, BC Parent is privileged to find a top private school like Claren Academy. They have done an amazing job in offering choice kindergarten to children of Vancouver and provide an excellent option as a top private school in Vancouver.