Cambridge is more than a school, we are a Family
Whether your child is just starting school or only a few years away from college, Cambridge Academy will be their home. Our small environment allows each teacher to have a personal relationship with every student and their parents.
From your family's first day on the Cambridge Academy campus, you will become a part of a Lakeland's tradition that goes back over half a century. Since Cambridge's inception, each member of our faculty and administration has striven to create an environment where your child can reach their full potential and leave Cambridge prepared for the challenges they will face in their lives.
Mission Statement
CAMBRIDGE ACADEMY PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH AN ACADEMICALLY EXCELLENT CURRICULUM, WHILE FOSTERING PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, AND SPIRITUAL WELLNESS WITHIN A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT.
Diapers to Diplomas
Cambridge Academy, at its core, is an academic community that aspires to meet your child's, as well as your family's, educational needs from a student’s first day as a Cubby until the evening their diploma is awarded. Each year, students will benefit from a curriculum that not only expands their base of knowledge but also their horizons. To that end, Cambridge Academy is divided into Four Separate Divisions: Early Childhood Learning (Cubbies (18 months - 36 months) through K4), Lower School (K5 through 5th Grade), Middle School (6th through 8th Grade), and Upper School (9th through 12th Grade). A Faculty Member leads each Division with years of expertise in their specific education division. In addition to overseeing every aspect of the student's academic experience, our division leaders also provide mentorship to our faculty.
Early Childhood Learning
Early Childhood Learning encompasses classes for 18-month-olds through K4. Our program is licensed through the South Carolina Department of Social Services, and all the teachers and assistants have been certified by DSS.
For our youngest Cougars, every day is about learning through play. In addition to a curriculum that emphasizes the alphabet, colors, shapes, and numbers, the Early Childhood Learning classes provide the opportunity for your child to learn socialization skills in a play-first environment where having a great time is always stressed.
Early Childhood Learning Curriculum
Lower School
Cambridge Academy is proud to provide a traditional educational environment for our students in grades K5 through 5th Grade. Each faculty member in the Lower School Division has a genuine call to provide our students with the building blocks that they will require for the rest of their academic careers. Several of our teachers have been a part of the Cambridge Family for many years, and several are also alums. Our newer faculty members are carefully vetted by the Head of School and Lower School Division leader and provided mentoring to help them reach their full potential.
The Lower School curriculum is designed and continually reviewed to develop, challenge, and entertain young minds. Our faculty is also empowered and encouraged to develop lesson plans that will be most beneficial to the class and the individual students. Each year, the Head of School and Division Leader establishes the standards that each grade must meet, and throughout the academic year, teachers continually consult with their colleagues in the preceding grade level to ensure that their students will be prepared for the coming year.
While many schools rely heavily on technology in the classroom, Cambridge Academy believes that students need the tactile experience of putting pencil on paper. Additionally, in second Grade, students begin learning the lost art of cursive writing. This is not to say that Cambridge is void of technology. Each Lower School Classroom is equipped with a smart board, which is controlled by the teacher, and students have access to workstations and laptop computers in the library.
In addition, Cambridge believes that education must encompass more than core subjects. Each week, our students spend time with teachers, developing their passion and skills in Spanish, art, drama, music, and physical education.
Middle School
Middle School, starting in 6th and progressing to 8th Grade, represents a period of great transition for Cambridge students. Sixth graders will begin having a different teacher for each subject, will have more responsibility placed upon them by the faculty, and have greater privileges rewarded to them. The Middle School day is divided into seven class periods, which encompass core subjects in Language Arts, Math, Science, History, and Spanish. Teachers work with each student to increase their base of knowledge and develop critical thinking skills. Students are expected to take notes in class, compose increasingly complex essays, and prepare classroom presentations in all disciplines. In 7th Grade, students will take the PSAT, and in 8th Grade, they will begin taking courses in Math, English, and Spanish for which they will receive High School Credit.
In addition to core subjects, Middle School students will have two years of robotics, participate in the Cambridge Musical, and have the option of playing on Cambridge sports teams. Each year, middle school students also choose an elective. This year, options include art, drama, and band.
Upper School
Cambridge Academy strives to create a high school curriculum that will challenge, prepare, and encourage your students for their post-graduate life. Each student's core curriculum classes are taught at an Honors level by faculty members, most of whom have decades of experience in the classroom. All classes are taught from the perspective of a college-level course, and, beginning in 11th Grade, students will receive college and high school credits for many of their courses. Our juniors and seniors also have the ability to take classes at either Lander University or Piedmont Tech.