Reviews of The Ambrose School (School)

Paul Cushing

My kids have attended for 6 years, and God willing, will continue there until they graduate. I'm constantly reminded how blessed we are to be a part of the Ambrose family. It really is a community centered on God as much as it is a school. My heart is continually encouraged and delighted by the love and support I see here all the time. As with any place containing people, there are imperfections, but any disappointments have been easily overshadowed by the hearts of the staff that truly love God and our children. I can think of many examples for my kids alone where the teacher came down to my child’s level to speak to their heart rather than blindly enforce a rule. The school and administrators also recognize that the raising of a child can’t happen at school alone. They provide many tools and opportunities to connect as parents and grandparents and improve the way we grow and communicate as families and followers of Jesus. Long story short, put God first and a full life will follow. Would I recommend The Ambrose School to a friend? Wholeheartedly YES!

Filbert Real Estate Group

All three of our sons have attended The Ambrose School for a majority of their scholastic lives (approximately 8 years). Our oldest son graduated in 2015 and could not have been better prepared for adulthood. As he has ventured into the adult world and come into contact with young adults from every corner of the country, he consistently stands head and shoulders above his peers in every aspect including intellect, poise, altruism, servitude, professionalism, logical reasoning, problem solving, communication, and Christian values. The school, staff, and administrators are all dedicated professionals who strive to foster a wonderful and supportive learning environment for students and parents alike. I highly recommend The Ambrose School to parents who desire the best education for their children.

Wyatt Barbour

Great School!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Definitely recommend it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David Martin

The Ambrose School is a classical Christian school that has been blessed with some excellent leadership, teaching staff, and family support. It's among the best classical Christian schools in the country. Academic depth in all areas serves to deepen the student's ability to think critically with an eye towards ultimate and important things found in a Christian worldview. It is unaffiliated with any particular denomination, and a wide variety of Christian churches are represented. This school first and foremost should attract those families who place a high importance on a Christian faith that indwells itself in all areas of life.

E B

I am a former Ambrose School student. The following is an essay regarding my experience as a student there. "After battling depression, anxiety, and suicidal fantasies for years, I am finally starting to heal from the wounds The Ambrose School left. Ambrose is a school where a grade on a test is also a measurement of your value before God. It is a school where God and academia are one. It is a school that uses spiritual fear and manipulation to instill intrinsic obedience and discipline. It is a school where wearing the wrong socks or shirt on Formal day is an issue of the heart, not of dirty laundry. It is a school where issues of adolescence are regarded as issues of the soul, not of hormones or naivete'. It is a school that sows fear, not Christ. It is a school that vilifies the outside world, portraying it's citizens as souls to save, and beliefs to correct. It is a school where perfection and obedience are the highest of virtues and anything less is considered a "heart issue". It is a school that constantly reminds you, every day, of how appallingly imperfect you are. I write this for myself, but also for others. I used to think I was the exception---that I was one of few that was damaged so deeply by the values of The Ambrose School. However, after hearing story after story, I have come to believe that I am not the exception. I am the rule. Even if I help just one person, or inspire another to share their heart in search of closure, my pain has been made whole."

Reagan Good

Been going to this school since kindergarten- now a senior and attending the Air Force Academy. Incredible experience! 10/10!

S S

I am in high school here, but I can’t wait to get out of this oppressive institution at the end of the school year. I will be transferring to BK because only private schools will take my credits. I would have to start over in order to attend Rocky Mountain or other public school. I was also informed I would need to take extra classes in order to catch up, because they know the kids from Ambrose are always behind. I am very frustrated as my parents and I were not told any of this, and in fact we were told “this is one of the best schools”. That is NOT TRUE! I feel like I wasted my time here. Several of my friends have already left, in the middle of the year, and they feel FREE and are very happy to be out. If you are thinking of sending your kids here in order to “protect” them from the outside world, let me save you from that lie. Just like ANY other school, there is drinking, sex, drug use, pornography use, sexting, everything any public school would have, it’s here too. So many of my friends are dying to leave the school but their parents refuse, so they are using some of these things in order to cope with massive stress. If you don’t have the latest cell phone and if you are not on snap chat constantly, then you aren’t considered “cool” and you will be ignored and left out. The teachers act more like peers than they do adults, and some of them have very odd beliefs and if you try to state your belief you will be shot down quickly and embarrassed. One teacher here is an extreme feminist liberal. I say “teacher” but really no one has a teaching degree or any training or experience in education. We are consistently taught that Catholics aren't Christians , and are in fact going to hell. What the?? We had to listen to a one hour monologue a couple weeks ago, on how "great" the ambrose school is, and why we all should stay here. Total waste of class time! Shouldn't we be learning instead of being "sold" ? The bottom line is, my parents wasted a lot of money for a sub-par education, and it didn’t protect me at all from bad influences, and now I am behind. This is a small minded school, on a dirt lot in a small town in Idaho, it's FAR from being the "best" school, let alone even an acceptable one. Please save your kids from the garbage taught here.

Will Sandberg

This school is racist towards my black children.

Bradford Thrall

I have recently pulled my last Child out of The Ambrose School after nine years there. I am a Christian with a firm belief in the classical method of education, so when I sent my children to what was then Foundations Academy, I expected a firmness in expectations for behavior and demanding educational expectations with a basis of Christian love. I believe that true christian principles can raise anyone to a higher place, to greater happiness and a greater love for others. I also believe classical education can raise anyone, rich, poor; dumb, smart; motivated, lazy to a higher place through a greater understanding of themselves and those around them because it teaches one how to think, analyze and express themselves. Not what to think and how to regurgitate information. I think most people at Ambrose would agree with my statements, but the application of these principles has become very twisted. The Ambrose School has failed most of us as Christians and as Classical educators. It seems to me that the only children welcome at this school are the ones who can teach themselves. I see no interest on the school's part in raising up all the children in their care. A child who requires any amount of extra effort by a teacher will met with indifference and likely anger as well. Anger seems to be the primary emotion at this school, they will certainly put on a smile and act the christian part, the headmaster will wow you with his big smile and kind gestures but after many years I see the darkness underneath. I have seen bright-faced, happy teachers turn dark and miserable over the course of years at this institution. This school is so focused on their image and how high the students score on national tests that many fall by the wayside, as evidenced by the tiny number of upper-class students. I remember a great article written by the former Headmaster of the school about achievement, I thought I agreed with the article but I did not then understand that achievement ment exclusion, and even disdain, of those who do not keep up. I am pained to see that the Foundations Academy I loved, and had so many hopes for, is long dead. It seems the bottom line is that the school has the right to run the curriculum as they see fit, but you reading this need to know what you are getting into and think carefully what having a Christian attitude means to you and what price you are willing to pay for high test scores.

Hannah Young

I attended Ambrose K-12. This is a great place to send your children. While not perfect, I think the school has some exceptional qualities. You can get a classical education at other places but what sets Ambrose apart are the teachers. The teachers are like parents, you can go in and talk to them about anything; from grades to social problems the teachers here will genuinely listen and offer godly advice. I still feel comfortable enough to just pop in and spend an hour or more with my former teachers now friends.

Steve Dunne

My wife and I are more impressed with Ambrose the longer we are there. It's an extremely good school, focusing on Christian character and learning, and achieving high academics along with those goals. It's not a perfect place (where is that place anyways?!?), but we have found that the staff have always been responsive when we had concerns or feedback. The vast majority of the teachers are also very good. I deeply love how they prepare their students to follow Jesus and engage with the world (at an appropriate age), and make a difference for the rest of their lives! *If you're looking at the odd disparity between the 5-star reviews and the 1-star reviews and wondering what's going on, you should be aware that several families (many of whom were close to each other) were disgruntled a year ago and left the school. An angry few have decided to post *numerous* anonymous overly-critical one-star reviews; if you look at the negative reviews, almost all of them were at this time. It's sad. I'm *not* claiming that the school is perfect or that the bad reviews are all fiction, but when someone complains that it's a school "on a dirt lot in a small town in Idaho," it sounds like they're excited to smear the school and grasping at stereotypes, since none of that is actually true (see photo below of Hogwarts...I mean Ambrose!).

annyomous annyomous

DO SEND YOUR KIDS TO THIS SCHOOL!!!! I attended the Ambrose for ten years and graduated in May 2016. Ambrose is a place full of lies and manipulation. I graduated in May and I am still working through many years of pain that Ambrose has caused me. Alot of dark things have happened in my life, but none of them are as dark and as bad as the things that Ambrose put me through. I am not the only one who feels this way. There are many current and past Ambrose students, including myself, who see a counselor weekly. There are many who have turned to alcohol and drugs just to deal with the pain that Ambrose gave them. To try deal with the fact that they are not perfect little Christians. There have been many times that I have messed up since graduating, and my first thought has been "God does not love me, He hates me because I am such a sinner." That is not true, but that has been my mindset since Ambrose, that God will only love me if I am perfect. Do not send you kids to this school, and if they are current students, pull them out before highschool.

Michael Colby

Ambrose is one of the best schools in the country, so please take with a grain of salt the anonymous reviews. I have three children in the school, and they have grown in knowledge, heart, and poise. I'm very proud of the school.

Hayden Mricon

Mrs. Francis is the worst teacher at that school, and as a result gave my child a broken relationship with God.

Amy Walker

The Ambrose School is an incredibly special place. My daughter has thrived in this environment.

Caitlan MacMahon

I spent 4th grade through 12th grade at the Ambrose school. At the time of my attendance, I did not value what the school had to offer my education like my parents did. Looking back, the school more than adequately prepared me for college and a career in nursing. I can say with confidence that the Ambrose school taught me HOW to think, not what to think and this has prepared for me LIFE, not just education (a lesson reinforced by my parents). However, the school is not a fit for everyone and I joke that I had to learn social skills in college.

Laura Danis

I would be very careful about this school. It appears to be a group of very self righteous hypocritical Christians with a very mediocre and lackluster educational background. Having attended some of the best schools in the country myself, I am not enthused at all and did not admit my children here. This is a school for those who want to feel their children are getting a good education but in reality only teaching them to be overly judgement with a very superficial education, and ultimately contributing only to the overabundance entitled youth in this country. Overall, I was very unimpressed.

truth teller

Not sure where to begin really. When my kids started Ambrose some years back, I thought we had hit the jackpot of schools. It was in line with conservative/christian values, wonderful-caring teachers, outstanding staff, high quality academics, and genuine all around. It couldn't have been better. Then steadily these priceless teachers (and some administration) started leaving and things started changing rapidly, seemingly around the time they developed the position of "Head of Vision and Advancement".They strive to model after Oxford and to become a world renowned school, constantly flaunting their "accomplishments" and have spent so much time doing so that they have lost focus on what's important. Humility has been lost. Certain families dominate the school and it is very exclusive, It's a strange environment that never felt right. Always thought it was just me. Too much pressure on High School students. My kids consistently had on average 4-6 hrs of (senseless) homework per night. I also had to seek counseling for one of my children due to this school and only this school. Needless to say they're out. They were so refreshed when they left and felt so free, unburdened and normal. Academics also took a different direction. Very liberal views have become the norm. Ambrose has lost it's beauty, charm, class, and humility. It's very sad. It was once a great place and my hope and intent was to keep them there thru 12th. I never knew about the Douglas Wilson connection, but it is quite disturbing and warrants serious attention. I pray Ambrose will find its way back but they need to seriously "clean house" first.

Davin Liimakka

I attended Ambrose from 5th grade to graduation. I feel that nothing has prepared me more for college and life than Ambrose. I really learned valuable discernment and analytical skills while there. I too often take for granted the wonderful thoughtful spirit Ambrose passed on to me.

J J

Current parents at Ambrose School, leaving at the end of the school year. We have had our kids here for the last 6 years. We are thanking God every day that through a series of events, lies and cover ups, we discovered that this school isn't at all what we thought it was. We are deeply saddened by the truth, but we are thankful we found it out, before our kids were sucked in too deep. It's part of a "movement" started by a kook named Doug Wilson. We have been warned to stay quiet, there is group out of Moscow that has a website all about Mr. Wilson and they too warned many of us that are leaving to "be very, very careful". You may wonder why most parents and students use only initials, well it's due to these stern warnings. People are scared. As with any "cult type movement" in history, there are those that are totally blind and refuse to see what is happening, for the sake of your kids, don't let that be you. No "education" is worth that.

Nikias Pheopolos

I have had several just terrible experiences with The Ambrose School. My son applied to enter into the school with prior training in Latin and Greek. They however did not accept his coursework with La Fleurs/ Wheellocks Latin course taken at an Oregon institution.If you are an out of state parent or recently moved into Boise DO NOT allow you student to attend this school. They DO NOT accept valid coursework from other states. Be cautious with this school.

Zack Wilson

5/5. Stay classical Ambrose!

F Taf

I thought I was doing the right thing sending my children to a Christian school. I wanted to shelter them from what they might be faced with in public school. I thought I would get support from Ambrose in teaching Christian values. However, what I found sorely lacking was the “grace factor” in the attitudes of much of the staff and administration. It was always a “heart” issue on the part of my children implying that they just weren’t right with God. When approaching staff, I felt like I wasn’t taken seriously, that I was just one of those “helicopter moms.” I think if I had been a man, they would have given more weight to my concerns. The school greatly crushed my daughter’s spirit. Even though she is one of the most wonderful young woman you’ll ever meet, she continues to deal with her sense of worth every day. Would I do it all over again? No….never!

S P

I am editing my review....I am very upset that other review are being deleted because The Ambrose School is having google delete them. This should tell the readers something. The school is very aware of the situation happening in the school and not doing anything about them. BEWARE!!!I am a current parent at The Ambrose School. As I am reading through these review, I agree wholeheartedly with what is being said. This school has changed and not for the better. The new administration has taken us down a path many do not agree with. Pride is running rampant through our halls and it starts at the top. The reply's are quick to come from the school because so many wonderful stable families are leaving. The school says come and talk with us, but they don't really mean it. My wife and I have been in repeatedly to talk with the Headmaster and the lower school principle. They are really great talkers and tell you what you want to hear and then do nothing about your concerns. It's very frustrating when the school doesn't care about you or your family. You are just a number because they have many kids on the waiting list to take your spot. It doesn't matter to them if you leave or stay. They say come talk us, you do, they do nothing, you leave, the school is shocked. Really?! K-3 is wonderful. The rest of it needs a lot of work. From bulling and teachers shaming the kids, to changing curriculum because a teacher feels like it and making the kids believe spiritually what the teacher does or being shamed for it. There is no oversight. If you are a kid lucky enough to have your parent work at the school you have it made, or if your a star in a sport. My family truly thought we would be here until graduation but our eyes have been opened. I am thanking God that I am going to get my kids out of here before real damage is done.

Charlotte Seidenglanz

I am currently attending Ambrose as a 10th grader and have been here since kindergarten. Ambrose has been a great environment for me and I really appreciate the school! I see in some of the comments that people have not been pleased at all with the school or with the students, teachers, parents and more, but no school is perfect. Being a Christian school does not automatically mean that all the teachers and students will be perfect. The grass may seem greener on the other side, but being a Christian we have to see our lives now as green and our eternal lives greener, Christianity is not a smooth road which we deserve to walk down, it's a bumpy road which we have to travel down to get to deserve and appreciate what Jesus Christ has done. The school will have its flaws but it doesn't mean that there aren't great things to look for in the school, I know that I have been loved in this school and will alway appreciate that. The school has not only helped me grow, but it has helped me to help others grow. Ambrose is great and so much more than just a school.

Christopher Baumann

Notice that all the negative reviews are mostly anonymous or just initials. The ones that do have names I have never heard of and have never seen the last name in any of the yearbooks in the history of the school.

Bev Chapman

The Ambrose School came to our camp facility recently for their all school retreat. We were very impressed with the quality of students and staff at Ambrose. The students were kind, respectful of one another, respectful to the staff and teachers, and were very well behaved. They went out of their way to help one another and offer to help us if we needed anything. They were a joy to host.

Carrie Bost

I have always been heavily persuaded by reviews. If a pair of shoes receives 4.7 out of 5 stars, I look at the lowest reviews and am usually convinced to move on and try a different pair. So you can imagine my surprise when my husband and I googled The Ambrose School after our site visit. We had visited the school last spring and immediately considered it as a location to send our three children. My mouth dropped as we entered the building. Each and every facet, from the beauty of the facility to the selection of the curriculum, was beyond what I thought we were going to encounter. As a former educator, I was certainly not expecting this level of detail and thoughtful approach to learning. We concluded our tour with a brief chat with several members of the adminstration and returned back to our home in Arizona. After much discussion and prayer, we really felt confident in the decision to pursue our children's education at The Ambrose School. And then, we googled the school. My mouth dropped to the floor with a different sense of shock. How is this the same place we just saw? If I was to make a decision based on my normal history of looking at reviews, we would have been crazy to think of sending our children there. Thankfully, we didn't throw in the towel and look elsewhere. We met with more of the administration on a second trip to Idaho. We asked tough questions. We were given thorough and thoughtful answers. With great anticipation, all three of our children began their educational journey at The Ambrose School in August 2017. I really could go on and on regarding what we experienced. As a parent, I have been beyond impressed with the personal attention my children have been given. Little quirks, that normally only a parent would notice, have been pinpointed by their teachers and in many ways, the teachers have adjusted their delivery or instruction to help my children. I love that there is a standard of expectation and I have loved seeing my children rise to that standard. Sure, there have been a few occasions when I have approached one of their instructors asking futher "why" or "what" questions. I took the school seriously when they said this relationship between parent and educator was a partnership. I have approached the administration to gain their perspective or ask for their assistance. The response has been almost immediate and without hesitation. During the times that our children have needed correction, that has been done with truth and love. My children have had to wrestle through choices, actions and consequences and were lovingly guided along the way. There is nothing greater than having a secondary voice speak into your children's lives. I am thankful we didn't stop at the reviews. We are blessed to be involved in this community. My children are receiving a remarkable education but beyond that, they are doing so among the body of Christ. A body that has different gifts, different strengths and different weaknesses. The Ambrose School is not a body full of perfect people with unrealistic expectations. The Ambrose School is a uniquely gifted body of people who are passionate about children, classical education, creativity, unity and grace.

Isaac Choules

The Ambrose School has been an incredible blessing to our family! We are thankful for the continued dedication of all of the teachers, administration, and staff.

Madison Good

As cliche as it is to say, Ambrose is more than just a school. My education there for 13 years was unsurprisingly, yet undeniably, a life experience that shaped me throughout my formative years. Its impact on me is almost unquantifiable. Surely, it is something far deeper than the 10 years of Latin I took, the countless Humanities classes, the literature round table discussions, the Socratic method of teaching, the six seasons of basketball I played, the years in the unique House system, the unabashedly Christian worldview. It is all of that at once and far more. My time at the Ambrose School was built on meaningful and long lasting relationships with both my small class family and my excellent and caring teachers, with some of these friendships going on for over ten years with no end in sight. It is not defined by it's beautiful Oxford inspired building, because 9 years of my education were spent in one too small, plain box community building in Garden City. The quality of the education is still some of the best in Idaho. The academics are certainly challenging, but every teacher only wants their students to succeed in it, to come away with a understanding of the immortal Great Books, the original texts that moved nations and not the claims of a textbook. I did not always come away from Plato, or Beowulf or Neitzsche with solid answers, but the time I spend struggling with ideas presented was invaluable when I was in the college classroom and had the distinct advantage of already discussing these texts. I learned ways to study, the importance of questioning and analyzing everything in something I read, the methods of reading something linguistically and thematically challenging and the value of discussion with my teachers and peers about difficult ideas, all of which were tools that aided me in college. I learned to think critically, one of life's most important skills. More than anything, Ambrose taught me a way to live based on the good, the true and the beautiful. That the education in theology, science, history, literature and even math should affect the ways in which you see the world and move you to mature with this knowledge in hand. The Ambrose School is not for everyone, a rather confusing concept for a younger me who adored the classical Christian education despite those early Garden City beginnings. But if you have the heart for wisdom and truth, and not just the hard, practical knowledge of most educations, then perhaps this method of education and this school in particular is worth your time and money. I can only recommend further research. It is because of all of this that I will always be proud to call myself an Ambrose School alumni and I am blessed beyond words by my parents' efforts to ensure this level of education for me long ago. Madison Good, Class of 2013

Jennifer Barbour

I have two children at this school. Both have been in attendance since they were in Kindergarten. Neither one of my kids are sports stars. I substitute at the school on a regular basis but I have never taught full time at Ambrose. My husband has not taught there either. He has been on the board for about a year. We are both Christians attempting to train our children up in the way they should go. Ambrose, like all institutions is run by humans. And humans Christian or otherwise are fallible. I can not speak to all the individual experiences being reflected by the negative reviews, but I can tell you mine. I know almost all the teachers at this school, either because my children have had them as teachers or because I have substituted for them. I have never come across a teacher or an administrator who would not LISTEN to my concerns. But bringing concerns to a teacher or administrator does not presuppose that the concern must be met with agreement or change in either curriculum or classroom management. This is a group dynamic and the group must be considered. What works for one child might not work for the other 20. That has to be a factor. With regard to the school's Christian ethic/spirituality/teachings, they are Biblically sound. If you have concerns about an interpretation your child has come home with then that is the kind of the thing that should be dealt with directly with the teacher who taught the subject, keeping in mind that these are children and they do have a tendency to get distracted, talk, and otherwise not pay attention, so it's possible that there was a communication breakdown. With regard to judgmentalism, this is something that Christians from all walks of life, from all kinds of churches have to deal with regularly. We are not called to judge, it is true. But we are called to discern. And in a classroom setting there are going to be times when in order to maintain order a teacher is going to have to call your kid out. My children have both been sent to the office, given yellow slips, been told to behave, etc. My children are, well, children. They misbehave. And when they do, they have to accept the responsibility and the consequences; they have to apologize and then they have to move on. I have never felt that one of my children was overly criticized for his misbehavior. There are children at this school who perhaps struggle more with the self control than others. That is also to be expected. But in those cases, it should not be more incumbent on a teacher to deal with the problem behavior than the parent. I don't think this should be expected in any school, private or public. This is a Classical Christian School. Classical education is based on the Trivium of grammar, logic and rhetoric. These tools of learning are paired with the developmental stages of childhood - in the first they are becoming aware of their surroundings and are especially good at rote memorization, in the second they start to think more critically and as those of us with teenagers know, argue. And the third stage is the point at which their communicative skills are more highly developed and their brains are more adept at applying their knowledge. Ambrose uses all of these tools, paired with the developmental stages to fully exploit the potential of children to not just learn to but to SOLVE. Most children can thrive with this model because curiosity and a desire for answers is humanly inherent. My boys have mostly gravitated to the academics at this school, which can be challenging. Not everybody's children seek the learning process like mine. But if you don't want your children to be challenged now then you are doing them a disservice for their later years. Life is challenging. I know many "non-academic" kids who thrive here. My kids don't necessarily get A's or even B's on everything. But I don't think that's the point. If you think that is the point then you and your kiddo are going to struggle all the way through.

Matthew Walsh

10/10 id do it again