Schools

A Contemporary Girls’ School
Founded in 1995 by three mothers in search of the ideal school for their daughters, Archer’s arrival on the L.A.educational scene provided families an alternative that didn’t previously exist. Combining the latest research on how girls learn best with a 21st-century approach to pedagogy, technology, and social issues, Archer provides more than a traditional, girl-centric learning environment. The school equally prepares young women for leadership in our ever-emerging global world.

A National Historic Landmark
Archer occupies the former Eastern Star Home for women, a 1931 Spanish Colonial Revival building on Sunset Boulevard in Brentwood. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, the structure provides Archer girls with a one-of-a-kind learning environment complete with dark wood beams, colorful mosaic fountains, and intricate architectural details around every corner. True to its origins, the building feels more like a “home” than a school, and girls quickly grow attached to its unique charm.

Creative, Dedicated Teachers
Teachers choose Archer for specific reasons. They’re passionate about teaching girls, passionate about their subject matter, and dedicated to continual professional development that keeps them on the cusp of emerging best practices in the classroom. You won’t find rote lectures or passive learning at Archer; rather, in each classroom, you see teachers learning shoulder-to-shoulder with students, engaging their minds in the type of active learning that’s as effective as it is memorable.

An Energetic, Supportive Sisterhood
Archer girls believe that excelling at school shouldn’t come at the expense of their classmates. And they put that belief into practice each day, sharing with one another their emerging interests, their newfound curiosities, and their opinions on topics ranging from genetic engineering to national politics. And if an Archer girl happens to be going through an adolescent rough patch, she has hundreds of sisters right beside her to support her, cheer her up, and see her through it.

Across the Curriculum
Research shows that adolescent girls’ brains exhibit high levels of communication between the left and right hemispheres, which means girls naturally make connections between different subject matters, different cultural milieus, different time periods. . . the list goes on. At Archer, we teach to that strength by engaging girls in cross-curricular projects and by widening the scope of assignments to cover not just the subject matter, but also to embrace the relationships to other disciplines that emerge during discussion.

Finding Her Best-fit College
Archer’s college counseling program has a clear aphorism: College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won. And Archer girls take that message to heart. Each year they collectively gain acceptance into the finest colleges and universities in the country, and also wisely and responsibly select the colleges that are right for them, as individuals. That means you can find Archer girls just about anywhere, from Ivies to art schools, regional liberal arts havens to national research universities.

A Life Full of Possibilities
Because an Archer education instills an abiding love for learning in girls, it’s an experience that shapes graduates for the rest of their lives. Each Archer girl emerges as a stunningly confident young woman, fully prepared for her next endeavor and equipped with Archer’s lifelong gift: the belief in a life full of possibility, the capability to achieve in most any circumstance, and the unquenchable desire to keep learning every day.