Acton Academy Taipei

The school uses a learner-driven, student-centered model with no homework. It currently serves grades 1 to 9 and plans to launch a high school in Fall 2026. Students set goals, manage their time, and work at their own pace on core subjects while engaging in hands-on projects in science, art, and technology. The learning framework centers on Learn to Do, Learn to Learn, and Learn to BE, with Socratic discussions and Servant Leader Badges guiding character and leadership.

Creating centers on hands-on making and projects that yield tangible results. Students design and fabricate with their hands and work on projects that emphasize process over perfection. Real-world creative projects include film work—writing a screenplay, shooting video, adding special effects, and submitting to a film festival—and architecture-related design tasks. These activities are integrated with Learn to BE to develop communication and critical thinking in creative contexts.

Collaboration is a core element; students work in multi-age groups and across ages, developing social and emotional skills. Students budget their time, choose focus areas, and run their studio under covenants and rules of engagement developed by the students themselves. Running Partners meet regularly to set goals and hold each other accountable, reinforcing teamwork and peer-to-peer feedback. Socratic Discussions support communication and critical thinking in a group context.

Character development includes Servant Leader Badges that recognize milestones from Elementary to High School. The school emphasizes solving big problems and making an impact, encouraging students to pursue meaningful issues and changes in their communities. Students engage in leadership and service-oriented activities as part of their Hero's Journey and collaborative projects. The learning culture stresses collaboration, responsibility, and a sense of shared purpose to serve others.

Leadership development is embedded in the program through Servant Leader Badges, recognizing character milestones across Elementary to High School. Students run the studio by agreeing on behavior rules (Studio Covenants, Rules of Engagement) and by budgeting their time, selecting their focus areas, and making decisions with guidance from mentors. Projects and quests include real-world entrepreneurship and public-speaking experiences—such as delivering speeches in the role of Winston Churchill and launching startup-inspired ventures. The curriculum emphasizes teamwork, problem solving, and the ability to lead and collaborate in authentic projects.

Elementary day starts at 8:30 AM and ends at 3:00 PM. The campus is a modern, one-room schoolhouse with flexible seating in open-plan studios, including carpets, bean bag chairs, tree-house nooks, standing desks, yoga balls, a kitchen, maker space, recording room, conference area, and a small library. Students eat lunch and recess at a nearby public playground most days, weather permitting. The school balances screen time with project-based learning, using self-paced, adaptive tools for math and language practice for about 90 minutes each day.