School Lane Charter School is a K-12 tuition-free public school of choice located in Bensalem, PA. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, we offer the IB Middle Years Program for Grades 7-10 and the IB Diploma Program for Grades 11-12.   

Who We Are
School Lane Charter School brings together teachers, parents, and students as active participants in a safe environment that nurtures children and prepares them for lifelong success.

We offer a unique public school alternative for families who demand high expectations for all students and support for each student as an individual with specific gifts and needs.

Guided by our school vision, we have created an educational sanctuary, where students feel more than just physically safe.  We work every day to ensure that students are physically, emotionally and intellectually safe., Students are encouraged to ask deep and thought-provoking questions and explore all sides of the information presented to them. They challenge philosophies and norms in order to better understand the world around them and learn to respect outside or differing opinions, cultures and ideas.

Our disciplinary programs focus on creating a safe judegement-free environment and taking the time to help each student developed their emotional self as they grow and mature. All students are held accountable for their own actions and know that negative actions result in unpleasant consequences designed to teach students to think before they act. 

Socioemotional development in upper grades is guided by the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile. The Elementary Campus has adapted its own Core Values based on the same IB Learner Profile to develop the skills children need to successfully interact with one another and the world around them. The aim of all IB programs is to develop internationally-minded citizens who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. We have created a community of learners where all voices are heard and respected, diversity is honored and high achievement is expected of every student.

School Lane is an inclusive community of educators and families from varied backgrounds, melding together a unique learning environment that broadens students' perspectives, preparing them to succeed in our ever-changing world.

• Most of our students reside in Bensalem. Others live elsewhere in Bucks County and the Greater Philadelphia area.

• Our student body is ethnically diverse.

• We share a firm belief that schools succeed when teachers, parents and students have more choices and opportunities, coupled with greater personal responsibility and accountability.

How We Teach
School Lane empowers teachers to differentiate instruction through methods that correspond best with the learning styles of individual students. We believe that all children are gifted in their own unique way and employ a variety of methods to ensure that our students are succeeding in and out of the classroom. Our students have an established record of high academic standards and achievement.

• Inquiry Based Learning: Teachers tailor their classroom approach to education with inquiry-based learning techniques. Students are motivated to learn when they are interested in a topic.  To spark that interest teachers tailor lessons that have students explore a topic based on questions the students generate from their own curiosity.  Students use background knowledge or connections to what they already know to develop those questions.  Students drive the direction for their own learning and teachers fill in the missing parts that meet the state standards.  Through inquiry based learning, students are directing their own learning and learning how to be life-long learners. Curiosity, questions, and exploration are motivation to learn and the intrinsic value of learning is built and rewarded when the student is successful.

• Differentiation: Instruction is always adapted to fit the different ways children learn. Some children are visual learners, others read and absorb, and others must get up and move to fully grasp a concept. Teachers determine which modalities suit each child and adapt lessons for the classroom accordingly. Using these methods our classrooms are vibrant and engaging learning spaces where children can ask questions and express themselves. Learning support teachers push into classrooms (instead of pulling students out) and work directly with students who need additional assistance during lessons so that no instructional time is missed.

• Small Class Sizes: The average classroom has 25 students and every elementary and most middle school classroom includes a second teacher who provides extra support for part of every day. Small class sizes and added teachers allow our staff to individualize lessons, and ensure each child receives the attention he or she needs to excel.

• Extended Learning Opportunities: Our school day is longer than the local school district and our school year includes additional teaching days. This leads to deeper mastery of academics along with greater exposure to enrichment activities. From Kindergarten through high school, our teachers empower and motivate students to believe they can be whatever they want to be and encourage them to become lifelong learners.

What We Teach
School Lane provides everything parents expect from a high-quality public education, with distinct additional programs.

• International Baccalaureate Programs:

  • School Lane is Bucks County’s first public school designated to offer the IB Middle Years Program and Diploma Programs that encourage both personal and academic achievement, challenging students to excel in their studies and in their personal development. International Baccalaureate programs are recognized and respected by the world’s leading universities and institutes of higher education.

  • As an IB World School, SLCS is included in a global network of schools; students benefit from an internationally renowned curriculum framework and system of assessment, and our faculty receives the support of proven programs of professional development. All SLCS programs are aligned with the PA Core Standards.

  • The Middle Years Program curriculum is designed for grades 7-10, and connects traditional subjects with the real world and prepares students for the rigor of the Diploma Program (DP).  All students in grades 7-10 are MYP students.  SLCS believes in individual rigor and setting academic achievement goals that produce the opportunity for productive struggle which create resilience and grit, two important characteristics in the fast paced modern world.

  • The Diploma Program is designed for grades 11-12, preparing them for the expectations of college or university studies or professional journey beyond high school. All SLCS students in grades 11-12 take DP Language & Literature and History of the Americas making SLCS one of the few DP for All school in the IB network.  Like AP courses, DP courses can lead to college credits depending upon student scores and college/university policies.

• Elementary Programs (Kindergarten – Grade 6) 

  • School Lane Charter School’s Elementary academic program boasts a rigorous curriculum that aligns with the PA Core Standards of Learning. Students focus on writing, reading, math, humanities, science, Spanish, STEM, and the arts to discover and develop their unique abilities, master core subjects, and prepare for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program.

  • SLCS academics are frequently cross curricular – meaning a skill that is explored in one subject is reinforced in a different way when studying another subject. As an example, 5th grade reads the Universal Declaration of Human Rights coupled with novels where children face human rights issues. In writing, they meet with representatives from Amnesty International before developing a persuasive letter to a foreign government to request a political prisoner be freed. And in math they use their knowledge of place value and data to analyze statistics across different countries in order to decide which one is best place to live.

  • Every classroom has 25 students and has multiple teachers providing extra support throughout the school day. Small class sizes and added teaching support ensures each child receives the individual attention he or she needs to excel. Teachers use small group instruction to differentiate lessons for students of all levels in each classroom.

  • The inquiry-based learning model is modeled after the IB principles that students will continue to learn once they enter the IB Program. At every grade level students experience hands on and engaging project based learning that help them answer essential questions about the world around them.

Join us!
Interested in choosing School Lane for your child? We invite you to visit and see the difference a well-rounded public charter school can make!