It’s natural to have questions.
Here are a few answers:

What ages do you serve?
We serve children 6 to 10 years old in an elementary studio and children 11 to 13 years old in a middle school studio.
Where are you located?
We are steps away from Xinbeitou MRT Station in Beitou District of Taipei. There are beautiful parks, an award-winning public library, several art galleries and museums, as well as miles of hiking at our doorstep.
What is your tuition?
Tuition for the 2023-2024 academic year is 380,000NTD. The payments are split into 190,000NTD per semester, with two semesters per academic year.
When does each day start and end?
We start at 8:30AM and end at 3:00PM each day.
How long is your academic year?
Our academic year starts late August/early September and ends late June/early July.
Does my child need to be on a household registry to study at Acton Academy Taipei?
No, if your child is not a Taiwanese citizen, all they need is a valid ARC (Alien Resident Card).
Is Acton Taipei accredited? What is its legal entity in Taiwan?
Acton Taipei is accredited through the International Association of Learner Driven Schools, based in the United States.
We are also approved by the Department of Education, Taipei City Government as an experimental education group (愛騰共學團) and are a non-profit foundation registered in Taiwan (台灣愛騰實驗教育協會).
Can you tell me more about your campus?
Our campus can be described as a modern, one-room schoolhouse. We use flexible seating in the open-plan studios, so our students are able to work where they feel most comfortable and able to focus. You won’t find rows of nailed down desks and chairs, with a whiteboard and a lectern at the front. Instead, you’ll see carpets, bean bag chairs, tree-house nooks, standing desks, and yoga balls. We also have a fully functional kitchen, maker space, recording room, conference, and small library. People often comment that our space looks like a co-working space for children.
We also like to think of rest of the wonderful city of Taipei as an extension of our schoolhouse. We are within walking distance of Xinbeitou MRT station, public library, hiking trails, art galleries and museums, and a public playground with brand new play equipment. Our students enjoy lunch and recess at the public playground everyday, weather permitting.

How do I apply?
Email <hello@actontaipei.org> to apply or schedule a tour on this website.
The application process is as follows:
1. We will call and/or email you to set up a time to meet in person and tour our studios. We encourage parents and the child to come. This can be done virtually for families that are not yet in Taipei.
2. Following the tour, if both parties agree there could be a good fit, we ask you to fill out an online application form. As part of the application, we ask for the email address of a current teacher and we cannot proceed further without first hearing back first from the current teacher.
3. Finally, we invite the child for a one week trial. The fee for the trial week is 10,000NTD and is non-refundable. All materials or subscriptions we order for that trial week will go home with the child after the trial, regardless of outcome. The trial fee will be credited towards the first semester tuition if the child enrolls.
4. We will then make a final admissions decision no later than three working days after the trial.
Is Acton Taipei Montessori?
We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophy, but we are not a Montessori institution. In addition to Montessori methods, we use the latest interactive technologies, hands on projects and the Socratic Method for discussions.
Is Action Taipei religious?
We encourage exploration and independent learning. Children and families of all faiths are welcome at Acton Taipei.
What do you mean by a “Hero’s Journey”?
We believe each of us has a special calling in life, and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose in order to live a satisfying and fulfilled life. Our mission is to prepare your child for their own special Hero’s Journey.
This wonderful article by Lauren Quinn beautifully describes the Hero’s Journey.
Will children be grouped together by grades?
We believe children learn best when working with those younger and older than themselves, rather than split up into groups based solely on age. In addition to individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in multi-age groups.
Does Acton Taipei serve special needs children?
We strive to be an inclusive school and strongly believe high functioning students with learning differences can thrive at Acton with the right support from their family and outside therapists. We assess each child with learning differences on a case-by-case basis. Please get in touch to discuss your unique child with us.
What is an “independent learner”?
Someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems —admit that they don’t know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help — participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.
What do you mean by “every child can change the world”?
We believe each of our students will find a passion — something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. This may be by becoming a shoe-shiner who tells stories and makes people’s day just by doing his job with love and vigor; it may be by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero’s Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people’s lives.
What is a “learner driven classroom”?
Students run the studio (classroom) by agreeing together what their rules are for behavior and treatment of one another. These are called their “Studio Covenants” and “Rules of Engagement”. In the elementary studio especially, they are provided with appropriate guidance throughout this process. These rules and covenants are prominently displayed in the studio and revisited. Often, these are revised by the students as they work through challenges and discover better ways of interacting with one another.
Students also budget their time and choose their areas of focus for the day and adjust these based on their performance. We believe strongly that students achieve more when they have control of their learning.
Why a “learner driven classroom”?
We believe in learning to be and learning to do and an important part of this is encouraging kids to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. When something isn’t working, we want our students to work together to solve the problem, not look for an adult to solve it for them. This creates a sense of independence and confidence that will serve them well in all areas of life.
What is a “running partner”?
Running Partners are peers who meet together regularly to set goals and hold each other accountable for meeting those goals. Running Partners encourage and inspire each other by asking good questions, listening and providing affirmation.
How do you use technology in the classroom without students having too much screen time?
We believe in the power of balance. Using the incredible self-paced and adaptive online tools now available, we are able to provide the rigor needed for learning math, vocabulary, spelling and grammar in about 90 minutes each day, while freeing up the rest of the day for engaging, project-based learning. The two are highly complementary.
See the extraordinary work of Sugata Mitra to find out more.
Will Acton Taipei prepare my child for college?
Our aim is to prepare students well for any selective university, where they can score high enough on a standardized test to gain admittance. For more of our thoughts on pursuing higher education, check out this post we wrote on our blog. Once your student gets over the test taking barrier at the university of their choice, their portfolio and critical thinking skills will stand out as a differentiator during the application and interviewing process. Most importantly, students be well prepared to shine in the real world, whether they choose to go to college full-time, part-time or not at all.