History
A Dream for a Different School
On November 1, 1979, Banbury Crossroads School opened its doors in the home of founder Diane Swiatek (née Cummings), with two students and one teacher—Diane herself. At that time, there was only one other private school in Calgary. Diane had dreamed for years of offering an alternative education based on a radically different approach. She launched the school shortly after registering Banbury Crossroads School Society as a non-profit organization on October 4th, 1979.
Diane’s vision for the school was derived through a combination of her own frustrating childhood experiences in institutionalized learning, and her passionate drive to change the learning experience. She was especially inspired after reading the book Summerhill, by A.S. Neill, whose experimental English boarding school ran on the principles of student democracy, self-regulation, and independent choices in learning.
After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree, Diane decided to further her education with a Bachelor of Education and Early Childhood Education Diploma. She then pursued a career in the traditional school system, closely monitoring its impacts on both her students and herself. Additionally, Diane studied extensively on education and psychology, as well as researching other educational systems globally.
When Diane discovered the Open Classroom model in the British Infant School System, where the organization was based on a student-directed, tutorial model of instruction, rather than a teacher-paced, lecture-based method, she knew the approach felt like the right fit for the way children naturally learn.
“I loved the thought of young people being able to move, make decisions, develop meaningful relationships with teachers, collaborate as well as work independently, and experience the real world directly, all within the expectation of mutual respect. In other words, I discovered that school did not have to be the way I had experienced it. It could be otherwise. Children could be happy in school. Banbury Crossroads School has become that otherwise school to me.”
Armed with her experience and her vision, Diane sought information from Alberta Education about the formal process of starting a school, advertised for like-minded teachers to form a society, and ran open houses to gather interested parents.
She chose the name “Banbury Crossroads” based on the Mother Goose rhyme “Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross.” She had history with the rhyme, having once used fragments in a poem, but hearing it again before establishing the school, she had a “eureka moment” about its positivity about a woman focusing on the creation of music all around her. She also discovered there is a real place in England called Banbury, and that it is a pilgrimage site.
“I saw my dream school as acting in that fashion: that people would come from various directions to the school, experience the schooling in that place, and then go off again in all directions into their adulthood. For all these reasons, I decided that Banbury Crossroads would be a fine name.”
From its launch in 1979, the school slowly grew, adding a couple of students each year. Diane did everything and wore all the hats—from teacher to administrator to bookkeeper and beyond—for eight years, until she was able to slowly add staff. As the number of students grew, the school’s location changed to accommodate the increase. When student enrolment reached 12, residential accommodation was abandoned for rented classrooms in public schools. For two years, space was subleased from another private school in the old Balmoral Cottage School, and then the Bridgeland School.
The first years of operating Banbury Crossroads were a magical time of discovery and affirmation for Diane that the independent learning approach was indeed both effective and transformational.
“This was a beautiful time, being able to watch my students grow in their creativity and confidence, their time management and productivity, and their engagement. We went on so many field trips! We felt free to explore places and materials and activities. Throughout it all, we developed a social responsiveness that was warm and caring and familial. I could see that this kind of educational approach worked—the children learned voraciously and without fear or competition. They were independent learners who felt visible and lived in social peace.”
Meanwhile, discovering the inflexibility of traditional classroom spaces, Banbury Crossroads School ventured into commercial spaces, first in the Mayland Office Park, then in the Calgary Union Building. The following five years were spent in another commercial building around the corner, and just north of Rouleauville Park. After outgrowing that space, in August of 1997, the school moved into Plaza 14 on 14th Street N.W.
In the school’s 12th year, more staff was added to accommodate the burgeoning enrolment. One of the teachers hired at that time is now the current Principal, Karen Harrison. Over the past 25 years, Banbury Crossroads has expanded to employ about 10 full-time staff, and continued a pattern of having an average of 60 students.
In Fall of 2005, Banbury Crossroads acquired a location on Dieppe Avenue S.W. at Currie Barracks, a decommissioned Canadian Forces Base, which has transformed into a vibrant central hub of repurposed spaces and new community development. As the school enters its 45th year, expansion plans are in the works to grow the plucky private school that started from the seed of Diane Swiatek’s dream.
“In the years since starting Banbury Crossroads, I have seen and understood much about the connection between schooling and the way that our society exists. I have hopes that schooling students in this way can lead to more positive outcomes for individuals and the culture they live in.”
To learn more about Banbury Crossroads School’s history and enduring vision, click here to read a compelling Q&A with founder Diane Swiatek.
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