The Post Oak School

Post Oak is authorised by the International Baccalaureate to offer the Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12, and this sits on top of a full American high school course of study. Grades 9 and 10 form the Lower Level, where each subject area is taught as a deep dive combining classroom work with off-campus practicum experiences; Grades 11 and 12 form the Upper Level and lead to the IB Diploma. High school students take SAT and ACT examinations and are supported by a college counselling programme, and the school publishes its college acceptances. Alongside the academic programme, multi-year student internships in Houston's Museum District and the nearby Texas Medical Center are a defining feature of the upper years. The whole school is built on AMI Montessori principles, from the Young Children's Community to the high school.

The school runs a continuous Montessori path from toddlerhood to university entrance. The Young Children's Community takes children from 14 months to three years old, in half-day or full-day options. The Primary programme covers ages three to six. Elementary is split into Lower Elementary (Grades 1 to 3) and Upper Elementary (Grades 4 to 6). These sections are all based at the Bissonnet Campus in Bellaire. The Middle School (Grades 7 and 8) and the High School (Grades 9 to 12) are based at the Museum District Campus in Houston, where Grades 9 and 10 form the Lower Level and Grades 11 and 12 the Upper Level, leading to the IB Diploma Programme. Students in Grades 7 to 12 are eligible for the Bearkats teams.

Post Oak describes itself as a diverse and welcoming Montessori community that honours and guides lifelong learners as they create their own pathways in leading purposeful lives. Its vision is to empower students to show compassion, independence and a lifelong love of learning, and to establish the school as a model of innovative education grounded in Montessori principles. The school says it emphasises reading, mathematics and science because they open doors into the world; independence, self-direction and choice because they let young people decide which doors to walk through; and collaboration, cooperation and peace because no one walks alone. Learning is intended to be active rather than passive, with exploration, hands-on experience and creativity as the main tools, and the school explicitly sets out to challenge the norm.

The school works across two campuses. The Bissonnet Campus in Bellaire sits on 3.44 acres and offers roughly 55,000 square feet of indoor space: 17 classrooms, a library, a music room, an art studio, a theatre and performance space, a gym that is home to the Bearkats teams, dedicated before- and after-school spaces for Primary and Elementary children, playgrounds and gardens. Every classroom has exterior windows or skylights and a full set of AMI-approved Montessori materials with custom furniture sized for the age group, and many classrooms open directly onto their own garden. The outdoor environment and playground were renovated in 2008 and the building itself was remodelled in phases, the last in 2016. The Museum District Campus houses the Middle School and the High School, with a high school building constructed in 2016, at the corner of Montrose Boulevard and Autrey Street in central Houston. The school also states that it is invested in being environmentally responsible.

A school nurse reviews medical waivers and oversees health matters. Extended-day care is available: Before-Care from 7:30 a.m. and After-Care until 5:30 p.m. for Young Children's Community, Primary and Elementary students, priced separately from tuition. Families choosing both are placed on expanded-year contracts that also cover Spring Break and Conference Day care. The Board of Trustees sets aside funds each year for need-based financial assistance so that families from varying economic backgrounds can join and current families can stay if their circumstances change. There is an active Parent Association, and the school runs community events such as Family Movie Night and Family Fun Day. Offices are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Bissonnet Campus and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Museum District Campus.

Post Oak's interscholastic teams are the Bearkats, which compete against other schools in the Houston area with separate boys' and girls' sides at Middle School and High School level. The seasons run cross-country, flag football and volleyball in the autumn, basketball in winter, soccer and track and field in spring, and golf all year. The school says it aims to give every player time on the field and rates fitness, skills, sportsmanship and teamwork above winning. Beyond sport, students take part in clubs and organisations, community service and after-school programmes, and travel widely: local trips in Texas, a week-long sixth-grade trip to Williamsburg, and international field schools and cultural exchanges including Spanish immersion courses in Spain and Panama and a study trip to Singapore. Students also attend Montessori Model United Nations conferences. A summer school programme runs themed weeks for Elementary children covering subjects such as theatre, baking, embroidery, sports, coding and printmaking.