West Newton English and Classical School

West Newton English and Classical School, also known as the Allen School, was a model school in West Newton, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1854 by Nathaniel Topliff Allen, with encouragement by Horace Mann.[1]

Nathaniel Topliff Allen Homestead, where the West Newton English and Classical School was located beginning 1854.

It was unique in that it had a diverse student body that included students of mixed races, and both boys and girls. It offered pure kindergarten, using Froebel's Kindergarten System, and had gymnastics as part of its curriculum, both of which were education firsts in the country.[1] Coursework included reading, spelling, arithmetic, geography, geology, and bookkeeping. Daily journals kept by students were critiqued every two weeks.[1] The school also taught art, music, dancing and ethics. Students attended lectures by Theodore Parker, William Lloyd Garrison, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and others.[2] Many relatives, who taught at the school and provided lodging in their homes for students, included uncles, brothers, cousins, nieces, and his three daughters.[2]

Over the course of its 50 years, more than 5,000 students attended the school.[2] Students came from the United States, Hawaii, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Graduates, both men and women, had careers in medicine, law, government, and education.[1]