What is a Quaker School? 5 Reasons Families Choose Quaker Education

Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions a family can make—and for parents exploring alternatives to public school, the variety of private and independent options can feel overwhelming.

Many families seek small class sizes, personalized instruction, and a school community that emphasizes values alongside academic rigor. Others want an education that prepares students not just for college, but for meaningful, purpose-driven lives.

Quaker schools—also called Friends schools—offer a distinctive approach rooted in rigorous academics, inquiry-based learning, and enduring Quaker values. At Friends Academy, the #1-ranked K—12 private and college-prep school in Nassau County (Niche.com), students are challenged academically while guided to live with integrity, empathy, and purpose.

What is a Quaker school?

A Quaker school is an independent school grounded in the beliefs of Quakerism, a Christian-based faith also known as the Religious Society of Friends. Often known for their focus on peace and non-violence, Quakers believe that there is “that of God”—or inherent good—within every person. This belief, referred to as the “Inner Light,” shapes how students in a Quaker school learn, collaborate, and engage with the world.

Quaker schools are among the most established and respected PK-12 schools worldwide.

In the United States alone, there are 76 Quaker schools across 21 states, serving approximately:

• 20,000 students
• 4,900 educators
• 1,160 trustees and board members
  

Read more: What is a Quaker? A Brief History of Quakerism

What Makes Quaker Education Different?

At Quaker schools, Quaker values and beliefs are woven into everyday learning, shaping academically rigorous experiences that challenge students to think deeply, act thoughtfully, and engage meaningfully with the world around them.

Students are encouraged to explore their curiosities, share ideas, and build on one another’s perspectives, fostering a deeper understanding of both academic content and the community itself. Weekly attendance at Quaker Meeting for Worship is one expression of this practice, providing students with space to develop skills in reflection, thoughtful discernment, active listening, empathy, public speaking, and critical thinking.

The curriculum at Quaker schools is largely inquiry-based. Students are encouraged to wonder, investigate, ask questions, work collaboratively, and seek out new ideas. Open-ended questions—known as queries—are a cornerstone of Quaker education, prompting students to think critically, reflect purposefully, and engage in higher-level problem-solving.

Quaker schools also emphasize connecting learning to real life. Guided by the belief that values must be practiced beyond the classroom, students learn to apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. At Friends Academy, real-world learning connects students to one another, to the campus, and to community partners—preparing them to address real-world challenges and to develop habits of mind, moral courage, and leadership that last a lifetime.

Diversity and Inclusion in Quaker Friends Schools

Diversity in education is crucial to the Quaker school experience. Students are exposed to different ideas and ways of thinking while also building respect for the voices and opinions of others. Learning in a diverse environment presents students with many opportunities to develop their whole selves:

• Leadership skill development
• Civic engagement
• Finding common ground with peers, professionals, and community members of all backgrounds
• Community building
• Open-mindedness
• Positive identity formation

Importantly, students and families do not need to be Quakers to attend Friends schools. In fact, Quakers make up a small percentage of most school communities, including Friends Academy. Quaker schools value diversity of thought and perspective and create space for all religions to engage meaningfully in a strong academic environment.

Why Should Parents Choose a Quaker School?

1. Quaker Schools Integrate Values to Elevate Everyday Learning

Quaker values—often simplified into the acronym SPICESS (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Service, Stewardship)—are woven into the curriculum at every grade level. Even the youngest learners at a Friends school can identify them.

For example, at Friends Academy:

• Three-year-old students in Play Group learn about important “peacemakers” in history, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi.
• In fourth-grade science, stewardship is intentionally tied into lessons about renewable energy resources.
• Eighth-grade history students end their unit on the Holocaust with a Meeting for Worship and an equity-focused query.
• In Upper School chemistry, students are tasked with identifying alternative substances to make common products, while considering their financial, social, health, and environmental impacts.

In today’s ever-changing world, a values-based education is more important than ever. A Quaker education at Friends Academy cultivates habits of inquiry, reflection, and ethical leadership, preparing students to let their lives speak.

2. Quaker Education Prepares Students for College and Beyond

Parents often gravitate toward private or independent schools for their academic rigor. Without the obligation to administer state-mandated standardized tests, they can dive more deeply into their curricula and offer students a more diverse and personalized course of study.

Many private and independent schools are also well known for their AP and honors programs, high-quality arts and co-curricular programs, and robust college counseling—all of which help develop well-rounded, college-ready students.

According to a 2018 NAIS Gallup survey, 85% of independent school students enroll in college immediately following high school, compared to 69% of public school students.

Quaker schools are no exception. At Friends Academy, 100 percent of graduates matriculate to college, enrolling in some of the most competitive institutions around the country and world.

3. Quaker Schools Prioritize Strong Parent-Teacher Partnerships

The Quaker belief in seeing the “Light in everyone” most certainly extends to parents and caregivers. In a Quaker school, teachers and administrators intentionally build and cultivate partnerships with parents and families through continuous dialogue.

Educators in Friends schools recognize that it does truly “take a village” to guide children as they discover their full potential. Parent-teacher partnerships are central to the warm, inclusive community that makes Friends Academy unique.

4. Quaker Schools Cultivate an Intimate Learning Environment

Another major draw of a Friends school is the inclusive, intimate classroom environment. This typically stems from two directly related priorities:

1. Small class sizes
2. Personalized instruction

By combining personalized instruction with social-emotional support, students are seen, heard, and valued—academically and personally.

5. Quaker Schools Provide an Inclusive, Welcoming Community

Community lies at the heart of Quaker education. Friends schools intentionally foster welcoming, inclusive environments where families from diverse backgrounds feel known, valued, and supported.

At Friends Academy, this includes:

• Recognition of diverse cultural and religious holidays
• Community-building events like FAmily Night, an event that celebrates each family’s unique cultural story through music, language, art, storytelling, and cuisine
• Ongoing opportunities for cross-generational learning

Because students at a Quaker Friends school are exposed to a variety of perspectives and encouraged to see the good in everyone, they graduate as thoughtful, engaged citizens ready to live principled, purposeful lives.

Looking for a Quaker School on Long Island?

As a Long Island parent, you have many options when exploring alternatives to public school. As the only N-12 Quaker school on Long Island, Friends Academy offers a rare combination of academic excellence and enduring Quaker Values.

If you’re exploring private and independent school options and wondering what sets Quaker schools apart, we invite you to explore our resources and connect with us. We look forward to helping your child to let their life speak.