Mastery of the academic arts of essay writing and oral presenting, alongside acquisition of deep and valuable knowledge, equips students for the highest scholastic possibilities globally. The permeation of these core values through each successive level of SALA’s areas of learning prepares and enables students to bring thoughtful engagement and meaningful contribution to the classroom, and to the world.

Inspired by the most ancient definition of the artes liberalis, SALA embraces intellectual pursuit in any subject for its own sake - an arena for intelligent learning beyond the common interpretation which conflates liberal arts with the humanities. The word ‘sala’ in several European languages means a room or meeting place, and is the etymon of ‘salon’ – a term which originated during The Enlightenment to describe an intellectual gathering, the ethos of which SALA epitomizes.

SALA provides an academic sphere and an intellectual sphere in which young adults’ potential can be realized through the study of subjects as fascinating and diverse as ancient history, mathematics, anthropology, science and literature, all of which are explored at a depth generally reserved for university education. The courses are cross-disciplinary, promoting students’ learning in mind-expanding and transformative ways for a life-enhancing educational experience. Through rigorous engagement with advanced subjects, taught by gifted educators who are experts in their field, students explore the richness of the world and the human experience through the eyes of great thinkers and great writers.

Profound and enriching content within a framework of advanced and exploratory learning is at the heart of this transformational process. From the age of 11, students are supported to think deeply across a wide range of knowledge, and develop enhanced oral presentation and essay writing skills which demonstrate cogent discriminative thought and advanced critical evaluation. To see young adults capably engaging with complex materials and ideas in SALA programs, displaying a level of sophistication and maturity beyond their years, is deeply inspiring.

All SALA classes feature roundtable arrangements with small group sizes of no more than nine per class, which support enhanced learning in the liberal arts for young academics. In each SALA course, students will be expected to write several essays per semester – both a first draft, which is corrected and commented on by their teacher, and a second draft which is saved in their portfolio of written work – and to prepare for and deliver an end of semester oral presentation, which will serve as the summation of their learning for that half-year. In class time throughout the semester, students are expected to take part in close-reading of very challenging texts and to engage and join in with group discussion on the topics being studied. The focus on essay writing, close reading, deep thinking, discussion, and oral presenting, ensures students’ full and joyful engagement with the rich and meaningful content of the courses, facilitating their learning and development.

Explore our SALA courses below and ask about upcoming online and in-person opportunities.