Both of my kids were interested in remaining in state and only one applied and was accepted. The…read morefocus for this review is their oldest building on campus that's is now having a major overhaul. Reconstruction of the Wren Building on the campus of William & Mary began Fall 2025. The Sir Christopher Wren Building at William & Mary is the oldest college building still standing in the United States and the oldest of the restored public buildings in Williamsburg. It was constructed between 1695 and 1700, before Williamsburg was founded, when the capital of the colony of Virginia was still located at Jamestown, and the tract of land between the James and York rivers which was to become Williamsburg was populated by crude timber buildings and known as "Middle Plantation." The Wren Building has been gutted by fire three times -- in 1705, 1859 and 1862. Each time the interior of the structure was rebuilt, and for more than three centuries, it has been "the soul of the College." In the building, generations of William & Mary students have attended classes and lectures, enjoyed meals and attended classes. The most honored tradition however of graduation exercises takes place here. The reconstruction is not expected to be complete until the 2026-2027 school year.

I visited part of the W&M campus in mid-October 2023. It's lovely to walk through the grounds and…read moreview the historic buildings. The colonial architecture from England is a prominent theme throughout the campus. The Wren Building (perhaps the oldest college building in the United States) appears similar in design to the Royal Hospital of Chelsea (in London). The Sadler Center is a modern hub for student activities and socializing. It's a great building to visit if students are on campus as it can give you a sense of the campus vibe. The undergraduate students appear to outnumber graduate students (the law school is on a separate campus). I noticed one possible downside. While the campus is lovely, it does appear to be a "bubble" since it is physically isolated from a traditional community of local residents. Being physically next to Colonial Williamsburg - a mecca for tourists and Virginia middle school tour groups - may seem appealing at first. But it could grow old after a year or two.

What a neat place! CA&J Farm is a small, sustainable herb farm, where the owners hold classes,…read moresell much of what they grow, and are happy to share their vast knowledge of living holistically! My friend and I stopped by, as we heard they were "open" today. Even though it was drizzling and chilly, we had a great tour of the farm. If you're looking for a way to live closer to the land, the owners are happy to help you along your journey, whether it be how to grow, herbs for health, or even just for talk and a drum class.

My son is a currently a sophomore, class of 2028, at Christchurch School (CCS).  He entered the…read moreschool as a new student and toured the school the summer before his sophomore year.  Upon arriving at the campus and walking around, he told his father that he liked the hilltop setting and how it overlooked the Rappahannock River, and that the sailing program intrigued him. So as a new sophomore, he took a "leap of faith" and decided to participate in the "learn to sail" program.  Coach Deane and the sailing staff welcomed him into the fold and within a short period of time, he was a sailor.  He sailed in his first regatta and truly fell in love with sailing and plans to continue with the sailing program in the spring.  Currently, he's playing JV basketball, and the coaches have been excellent.  They encourage and develop their players.  Basketball games are well attended, and there is plenty of spirit from other students and staff in the bleachers.  I had the opportunity to witness this for myself when I attended one of their home games and saw the stands full of cheering CCS fans.  My husband had the same experience during a home football game.  He said the excitement was electric and came away with the acknowledgment that the school has done a great job at getting students to support each other.  Another unique element to CCS is their weekly chapel service, where you see young men and women nicely dressed in their blue blazers and orange and navy striped ties.  It's a great way to build a sense of community, while also offering a spiritual component and fostering pride and respect in one's appearance.  When I see the pictures from chapel days, it always puts a smile on my face. Regarding classes, our son has had positive feedback about his teachers and advisor, Mr. Chafey.  Many staff on campus are alums, and they are there because of their passion for the school.  There are a wide offering of classes and some unique opportunities like his "Design and Technology" class.  Our son really enjoys this offering because he appreciates the "hands on" and "thinking outside the box" learning.  In reference to the school's future, the Head of School, Billy Coyle, has done an excellent job putting CCS in a strong financial position and has really made a difference since his arrival in July 2022 with his detail and determination.  It's a special place, and you can truly see that when students are walking around campus.  They are smiling and interacting with other students and faculty, and that is what makes a small boarding school so special and intimate.  In addition, we have had a positive experience with our son's dorm parents as well.  JP and Esther Stitt are the perfect combination of parental oversight and "safe space" communication.  They welcome students in a way that seems open and understanding, all while being mindful of the entire group of students.  We trust that they have every student's best interest at heart.   Lastly, the school has done well bringing in new students with Billy Burlee spearheading Admissions.  Billy exudes CCS pride and makes prospective students interested with his calm demeanor and clear communication.  My son really enjoyed touring the school with Billy because he didn't try to "sell the school" but instead let the school sell itself and was more than happy to answer any questions.  The school is currently around 260 students and bustling.  All the sports programs are gaining more and more success, and we appreciated how the school is open to having students consider a sport they may not have played before.  They encourage students who play soccer to try basketball or try sailing if they've never sailed before.  It's a supportive environment where being a part of something is the priority, and although winning is a highly desirable goal, it's not the school's end all, be all.  That said, this coming May, CCS will host the National Sailing Championship, and that's a big accomplishment.  We are looking forward to having many guests on campus and showing off our beautiful facilities, amazing students, and talented staff.  I highly recommend considering Christchurch School if you are looking for a special boarding school experience for your son or daughter.  The friendships made at boarding school are unique and last a lifetime, and at CCS you can certainly see why this is true.

Our son Liam joined Christ Church School as a reclassed junior after attending public school his…read moreentire life, and our experience has been exceptional. While he has always earned solid grades, he never truly enjoyed school--until now. Since coming to CCS, he genuinely loves learning, speaks positively about all of his teachers, and looks forward to returning when he's home. The academic program is rigorous yet manageable, with strong supports in place. Learning feels purposeful, and Liam has grown tremendously in confidence, independence, and preparation for college. What truly sets CCS apart is the community. The students are kind and welcoming, and Liam feels seen, supported, and valued by faculty and staff. That sense of belonging has made all the difference. As parents--and educators--we are deeply grateful for the care, leadership, and commitment that define Christ Church School.

My child has been k-5 here and it has been a pleasure all the way. Teachers and staff are awesome…read moreand so nice. They all have genuine concern and care for our most precious resource ... our children !

I recommend this Buckle up Butter Cup they were amazing,…read moresupportive and always patient with my son learning to drive I cant say enough about their professional expertise

My daughter attended a 3 night/3.5 days aquatics sleep away camp there and absolutely loved it! It…read morewas her first camp of the sort. This was focused on water sports, so she spent a lot of time on the James River stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and swimming (in the pool). They even did archery, campfires, sang songs, learned to make bracelets, play games and much more! My daughter even loved the food. It was great that they even allowed her to bring green juices + probiotics (that needed refrigeration), so she could consume daily! This is part of her daily healthy regimen and I am so glad they were thoughtful enough to allow this. She came home with a lot of stories + journal entries! I was excited to read and listen to all of the camp experiences! Of course she's already excited for the opportunity to attend next year!

Amazing place! Lots to do! Great staff great food. Would definitley book my event here!read more

HIGHLY recommend this school! We just wrapped up Goddard's pre-K graduation complete with a gown…read moreand cap and our daughter is going to really, really miss all of the wonderful staff and teachers. Where to begin? First, before we moved to the area, the staff was super kind and helpful. The owner was willing to do a virtual tour to help us make feel comfortable with the school. Since attending, our daughter learned sign language, practiced yoga, learned Spanish, and made a ton of friends/attended multiple birthday parties. She loved her teachers, the school is very secure, and is in a wonderful location nestled near some woods, but still in a convenient Yorktown location. My daughter even came home one day with tomatoes from their garden! We got tadpole updates daily with photos (LOVE that as a working mom) and the school communicated super well during COVID spikes. I have extremely high standards for the people who care for my children and Goddard exceeded all of them!

My daughter attended the Goddard school from the time she was 2 until she was ready to start…read morekindergarten. Your experience will depend entirely on the teacher. Out of all of her teachers, there's maybe 2 that were good. The rest lacked the training and developmental understanding of young children. I expected more from The Goddard school. My daughter was well behaved but has ADHD. At the time she was too young to be diagnosed. My daughter had been screened for autism and she did not have it. One of her teachers who was not trained in child development nor mental health took it upon herself to hand write me a rude note and leave it in her bag telling me she thought she had autism. It was unprofessional, and frankly offensive. The staff claimed they addressed it, but the teacher never apologized. My daughter was treated like an outcast by some of teachers (not all.) She had 2 really great teachers. I wish she could've just stayed with them instead of moving forward. A lot of the teachers lacked compassion and seem overwhelmed. I can very honestly say that instead of trying to support my child they deemed her as not good enough. She wasn't ill behaved. She didn't hit or kick other children. She simply struggled with not sitting still and focusing. They made me feel like my daughter was defective. Goddard didn't help my daughter the way I expected. It was a disappointing and pricey experience. Now that she's in public school her teachers love her and she's at the top of her class. That's not because of Goddard. That's because she's in a better environment. One more thing, you will be charged during the holidays when they are closed. Get ready to pay even more for additional childcare during that time.

I have been involved at Summit in some capacity since 1999. From 1999-2005 I attended Summit from…read more7th-12th grade. Since graduating from William and Mary, I have served as a teacher, an administrator, and a board member. One area Summit excels at is student-teacher relationships. Year after year, our graduates leave our doors with extreme gratefulness for the relationships they've established with both their peers and their teachers. I strongly believe Classical Education is the best model around and I am so grateful for the solid education I received at Summit.

The teachers are great but leadership is not. Our daughter was repeatedly groped by a male student…read more The school did not do anything correct the situation. Our daughter did not give us all the details until three years later when it came out in counseling. However, she had gone to the principal repeatedly. We initially left because she was having panic attacks, we have since learned the panic attacks were happening because of how unsafe she felt. I have heard that the male student was finally kicked out after two classes of girls came forward refusing to attend Prom with this young man. Only then did the school respond but it was too late for our daughter. We really loved this school but now realize they are not prepared to handle the larger issues in modern days that will continue to come their way. Ignoring problems only hurts people and does irreversible damage.