St. Andrew's vs. Trinity school in Austin (Andrews: home, schools)

[gg35]

Hello,

We are relocating to Austin and are considering sending our children to St. Andrew's (for lower elementary). I would like to know what the main differences are between St. Andrew's and Trinity -- which school is more progressive, does one rely more on textbooks than the other, how engaged are the children in class and is creativity/creative thinking encouraged in the classroom, etc. Is one generally more traditional and or strict? Any info would be much appreciated, thank you!

[bossh0g]

home schooling can be very progressive and is very texan.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by gg35

Hello,

We are relocating to Austin and are considering sending our children to St. Andrew's (for lower elementary). I would like to know what the main differences are between St. Andrew's and Trinity -- which school is more progressive, does one rely more on textbooks than the other, how engaged are the children in class and is creativity/creative thinking encouraged in the classroom, etc. Is one generally more traditional and or strict? Any info would be much appreciated, thank you!

Oh boy. Here we go again.


(OP, you might want to give your definition of progressive prior to folks offering opinions.)

[centralaustinite]

It is a Honda Accord, Toyota Camry sort of question. Or maybe a Lexus vs BMW question.

Trinity is a younger school, formed in part because St. Andrews couldn't meet the local demand for Episcopal education. It is a bit more traditional, a bit more moneyed. They require uniforms. They emphasize their religious identity a bit more.

SAS is (slightly) more diverse, slightly less traditional, slightly more creative. Visit both schools, have your children shadow at each. You will quickly discover which one is a better fit for you.

[blakely]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

It is a Honda Accord, Toyota Camry sort of question. Or maybe a Lexus vs BMW question.

Trinity is a younger school, formed in part because St. Andrews couldn't meet the local demand for Episcopal education. It is a bit more traditional, a bit more moneyed. They require uniforms. They emphasize their religious identity a bit more.

SAS is (slightly) more diverse, slightly less traditional, slightly more creative. Visit both schools, have your children shadow at each. You will quickly discover which one is a better fit for you.

Yes, definitely visit.

My impression was a bit different (regarding traditional/creative, etc.) But that's why you really need to visit, because "fit" is different depending on who is looking at a school and what they are looking for.

[GreenPlastic]

St. Andrew's has a new head of school and things are changing fast (for the better, IMO). Many of the opinions you may get here may reflect no longer relevant experiences with the school. I would definitely visit both schools and decide which is a better fit. By the way, St. Andrew's will have a kindergarten some time in the next two years.

[TheCardinal]

I agree with GreenPlastic. We have 2 kids at St. Andrews in the lower school and things are certainly different than in the past. I'm very much in favor of the changes; the new Head of School is educationally progressive and more willing to try different teaching approaches than in the past. They've eased out many of the "legacy" teachers and the faculty seems more energetic. I wouldn't have given an enthusiastic recommendation a year or two ago but I really like where things are going.

Trinity is also excellent, by the way. We have many friends there and it's also rigorous but maybe a bit more conservative in its overall approach.

[gg35]

Thank you everyone, this is helpful. Also good to know that positive changes are taking place at St. Andrews. GreenPlastic and TheCardinal, could you give me some examples of things that have changed recently at the school and how they differ from what was going on in the past? I understand they are moving towards a more progressive approach (which is great!) but specific examples would help me get a better picture. Finally, I saw that Trinity's website emphasizes the idea that they teach differently (understanding that each child has different strengths and learning style), and that they focus on the development of the whole child -- is it the same at St.Andrews?
Thank you very much again!

[ATX_parent]

Hi gg35, I know it's been a while since your post, was wondering what you ended up deciding and what your thoughts are, we are currently in the same predicament so I would really appreciate your insight
Thanks