Campus

Historic campus in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge neighborhood

Aurora School is nestled in the quiet residential neighborhood of Upper Rockridge in Oakland. Located in a charming 1931 building on the Holy Names High School property, Aurora School has been seismically upgraded to meet today’s building codes. Our spacious classrooms are filled with beautiful natural light thanks to large windows that provide views of treetops and the city of Oakland.

Learning in the natural world

One of the many unique features of the Aurora campus are our garden beds, located both in front and in back of our building. Our students spend time reading, writing, drawing, creating art, and playing in the gardens and magical “forest” on our campus.

Outdoor play is a priority

Aurora’s well-equipped school yard has something for everyone; a large play structure, sandbox, basketball court, play areas, and eating area. Kids of all ages utilize our school yard to socialize and interact alongside each other throughout the day.

One of the largest book collections in the East Bay

Although Aurora is a small school, our library is one of the largest in East Bay independent schools with over 10,000 books for children to borrow every week. For many students, the love of books and the joy of reading is sparked with weekly library exploration and lessons.

To explore Aurora’s current holdings, please visit our Online Library Catalog. 

Read more about Why Our Future Depends on Libraries.

Exploring the vibrant Bay Area

In addition to everything our campus offers, we utilize the entire Bay Area as our classroom. Aurora School is just a short walk from Lake Temescal, where our community holds class picnics, field day, and other learning explorations.

Our students, teachers, and parents also participate in several field trips each year that are directly connected to our curriculum. Every spring our 4/5 students travel to Walker Creek Ranch in west Marin for an extended overnight trip. This week-long excursion offers students the opportunity to hike and explore the local wildlife habitat while building collaborative skills and bonds with their peers, teachers, and parent chaperones.

Visit Aurora, and experience the beauty of our historic, landmark campus first-hand!