About Us

Designed by East Oakland parents and public school educators, EnCompass Academy opened in the fall of 2004. Originally located in portable classrooms on the overcrowded campus of Webster Academy, in 2005, our school moved to our brand-new campus located on 81st Avenue. With rolling lawns and pathways lined with native plants, beautiful play structures, garden beds, an outdoor amphitheater, and a state-of-the-art multipurpose room, our campus is truly an oasis for children to learn and develop. 

The largest branch of the Oakland Public Library opened on our campus in 2011, which our school uses as the school library shared with the community.

At EnCompass Academy, we believe that education "Starts with Self, is Guided by Families, Engaged in Community, and Rooted in Ancestors." We strive to reach the whole child, and as a result, our students thrive through a culturally responsive, empowering, and caring school culture with deep relationships, personal attention, data-driven and standards-based learning, family/school partnerships, music, visual arts, gardening, fitness, technology, and "looping" with the same class for 2 years as much as possible. Our rigorous, standards-based academics focus on building an academic language in speaking and writing across subjects. Students use computers frequently to work on programs that target their exact level of need in reading and math. 

Close alignment of general and special education staff helps students in the Resource, Inclusion, and Autistic Spectrum programs to accelerate learning. Partnerships bring graduate student teachers and counseling interns, middle school mentors, and coaches in ELA, Science, and technology to enhance the work of our highly skilled teachers. A student-centered staff ethos makes this a special place for children.