I spent only my freshman year in upper school here, as a day student. My family has sent a lot of…read morerelatives to 'Town, back to Hannah Hunt, 1799 (a founding student). My dad didn't want me joining the cool group at public school, ripped me away from my friends, & plopped me at W-town! It was framed as a punishment, which did not set me up for success. AT THE TIME I WAS THERE, this is how it was (may be different now, years later): - Very diverse student body, all over the world, all over the country, all religions (or lack thereof), several diplomats' kids - No prom b/c it's tacky - Good college advisor program - 600-acre campus is breathtaking! - Lots of tradition, joining a community, sense of continuity through many years - Boarding was mandatory for Juniors & Seniors, but not Freshmen & Sophomores (busses from local school dists transport day students for free) - Mandatory Meeting for Worship every Wed (mandatory on Sun, as well, for boarders) - Mandatory Quakerism classes - Academics taught like college courses (at a small liberal arts school, at least) - Westtown is not brash & obnoxious like many Main Line private schools. It is ranked well nationally, but it's for down-to-earth people, not snobs. It's not very Quakerly to be a snob. - Students have mandatory community service. They have outreach programs, from which you can choose, but it's part of your education to learn how to give to your community. - There were monthly assemblies with various messages, & speakers. Westtown is very politically & socially liberal, so this will always be the tone of their morals & missions. It was definitely preparatory for college with the lectures & talks we got. - Field Trips & outings are more sophisticated, like college - Sports mandatory all year b/c they do not have gym class. Underclassmen had to play 2 team sports out of the 3 seasons, +1 club sport, IF you got in before all the spaces filled up, otherwise, it was 3 team sports. - No football b/c a student had died from it before use of helmets - Stealing among boarders? Yes - Drug culture? Yes - Sneaking to co-ed's dorm for sex? Yes - Bullying? Yes PERSONAL REFLECTIONS Where Westtown benefited me: It is mandatory to have UNPAID campus jobs. Yup, Mom & Dad will pay tens of thou for you to go be a janitor. At the time I went, these jobs included everything from vacuuming classrooms, to doing dishes in the dining room. Humility is part of being a well-rounded, decent human being. W-town will teach it to you. I had a classmate who tried to pay off our advisor to get himself out of his work job. Guess what that got him? The crappiest job available. I had a hard time donning the bright yellow gloves & a rubber apron, & I whined & "ewwwww"-ed my way through it, but the kids who took it in stride, & did a good job, were the ones everyone liked. You learned a lot about how to grow the heck up, & take care of yourself & others at this school. I had a drama class, that made a huge impression on me. My art class introduced me to acid etching when I was a mere 14 years old! We did some amazing projects, with equipment I never would have had access to at public school. Going deeper... I met a lot of really cool people here. The international students were AMAZING people, for the most part. I was fascinated by their worldliness & chutzpah. My two close freshman friends by the end of the year were from Manhattan & Tanzania. I also really related to upperclassmen tennis teammates from China & VA. A great mix of kids! I was exposed to diversity & culture (literature & arts) that I would not have been at public school (although my AP ps education was exceptional), & I am forever grateful. I was on a step squad, & I sucked, but I still know my routine! Where W-town failed me: - Faculty brats in my class were mean & entitled. The daily putdowns (making fun of me for being a priss), were ironic/hypocritical at Quaker school, & a HUGE factor in making me not return. - A number of kids there were expelled from other schools, & had a lot of problems, which some of them took out on others. I had a really bad incident with one of these kids, which was a trauma I had to deal with in years of therapy. - Faculty was hit or miss. Some teachers did not have teaching certs, just majored in that subject. For example, my history teacher was so awesome, I still remember his lectures, but my French teacher was TERRIBLE & had no teaching skills or certs! Also, I could not take two languages in my schedule (but did at ps with no prob). The kids who'd been there a while knew which teachers to request, & got them, while others suffered. ------- In the end, the bad apple faculty & students spoiled things for me, & the trauma event I endured (which I did NOT report to the school), sent my OCD out of control. I returned to ps, for better & worse, but dealt with it. FUN FACT: Famous alums? Bob Marley's daughter attended (you can look up all the famous alums on Wiki).

Beautiful campus, especially in the fall!…read more Sports fields are large and spread out, but no netting so balls get lost into the woods and/or roll down the hill - away from the hill.

The Philadelphia area has an incredible variety of great schools--both public and private--so it…read moreoften comes down to "fit"--for your child/children and for your family. My husband and I toured and researched many schools in the area when our kids were first starting school and in the end, we decided Shipley was the perfect fit for us and for our children. I'll also add that as they have grown & evolved as learners (and they are very different kids), the fit still feels right for both. We were looking for a strong academic program, but our family believes that education is not just about test scores. Preparing our children for success in life is about values, self-confidence, friendships, and respect ....as well as excellent academics. We found that educational mission at Shipley. Also, as our kids have gotten older (now in middle & high school), I appreciate the "positive peer culture" that exists at Shipley. As they begin to look more to their classmates & teammates for cues about how to behave and what choices to make, I am grateful that their circles of friends take school seriously and care about the community they are part of. It is truly the teachers and coaches and other adults in the community that make Shipley so special. Yes, there are great facilities (as there are at most of the schools in this area) but it is the faculty that sets Shipley apart. They truly know my kids--their strengths, their weaknesses, ways to motivate them, where to support them, and when to push them outside of their comfort zone... They also embrace and celebrate the many different ways children learn. The teachers are just fabulous--they are proactive and engaged in student life and they respond to each child's needs--at whatever point they are in their academic and social development. The curriculum is responsive to the needs of the students while the academic vision is always pushing the envelope. Shipley does not have one model of a "successful graduate" that they are teaching towards - rather the teachers strive to find each student's unique gifts and talents and then help them become the best versions of themselves, in a holistic way. I really like that about Shipley, and I see my kids (who are so different from each other) developing along their own tracks and finding success and confidence in doing so.

I graduated from The Shipley School in 2013 and my four years there as a student were the most…read morememorable and growth stimulating years of my life. When people think of Shipley they have assumptions of the demographics of the community. I admit I did. I myself come from the inner-city and a middle class income, and was nervous entering. Nevertheless, I never felt different. Shipley is a welcoming community, one that accepts everyone, that grants chances to those chances aren't usually given, Shipley is a community here to help prepare its students for the future. There is support beyond measure from the teachers, administration, students, families, everyone, because we are one. Before Shipley I didn't know what it meant to be selfless, however once put into the community I learned the meaning and I begin to embody it in everyday life. Growing up in the city and going to school there it was like a being a crab in the barrel, no matter how close you were to the top, someone pulled you down. I was never taught to uplift others. Instead I focused on myself and my own success. Shipley showed me to be successful I need a team and to uplift others because their success is just as important as mine. As I finish college and begin to truly embark on this journey of life I am nothing but grateful for Shipley building the foundation of the young woman I am today. I have defied statistics and because of the risks they encouraged me to take. I have gained a confidence that can never be broken. I will never again think of myself as a crab in the barrel. I am an individual who matters. Most importantly I know I am never alone in this world and I will forever use the teams I build over time to create success of everyone involved.

My kid goes to the elementary school here and its pretty nice. My 20k in school taxes have funded a…read moreton here lol! I have met a few teachers and they are all very nice, no issues there. They are very attentive from what I can tell. My wife deals with more day to day stuff than I do. But they do a good job of keeping us informed of the goings on there. Classrooms are very nice and clean and kept clean. The rest of the staff is nice as well. No major issues! If you have to send your kids here, its pretty good!

What a beautiful setting. This would be a dream to send my future grandchildren here. Hope for…read morescholarships I have never seen a more clean beautiful and well organized middle school

This is a great establishment creating Greta young men and women. It challenges but also nurtures…read morethem into growing to their full potential. Whether it is through athletics or academics it not only allows but helps them succeed:

The nature trail here is amazing. My favorite local place to walk the pup. People are generally…read morevery friendly on the trail, as are the security guards and students I've interacted with. I like that you can take the long route all around the campus or cut through campus and keep it shorter. The duck pond is always photogenic and they have some great trees which they tag and label. Definitely a treat for the pups, lucky to have this in walking distance from home.

Free concert ! There was an incredible Japanese performing group in town from Tokyo. The free…read moreperformance which was great aside, this venue was incredible for music and dance. Great acoustics. Parking tip: Its an oldtime college campus so parking is not near anything. Plot your location out beforehand and park accordingly by viewing the campus map online. . Be prepared to walk as much as 1/3 of a mile to any performances here on campus. Well worth the effort.

Back to work on a Tuesday. Not much is happening. Still thankful to have an opportunity to be…read moreworking at this school. Staff is great, kids are animated, and you will always get a chance to laugh at some point if the day.

I live in the neighborhood and have kids myself. This school produces the most disrespectful, rude…read moreand now unintelligent kids for our city. They are the 3rd worse in SPP scores out of ALL Philadelphia Charter Schools. From constant trouble makers when they leave school, gathering on small streets and harassing people as they walk by to the profanity laced general conversation which is daily in front of their schools when it lets out to now police activity having to control their behavior in the subway. The fact that in and out of school they are at the bottom of the barrel should be a walk up call to the city and state and they should close this school down. Clearly it is not doing what a Charter School is supposed to do and that is be better then the public school.

Great environment, students are wonderful!!! This is a very eco friendly school, teaching students…read moremore than just a general education. Thumbs up!!

I tried posting something earlier but did not work here is what I have to say…read more this school though I do not want to speak ill of this place, but it lacks education structure and clean environment in both mental and physical ways. The kids talk daily about harming themselves or others. The education is so bad I think you lose more information than you gain. They try to be a good school. I understand, never the less this school is only for certain people and for kids who truly need emotional support.

If you're investing in private school purely as a vehicle to get your kid into Harvard, then…read moreCrefeld is not the right place for you. Not that Crefeld graduates don't go onto excellent schools; on the contrary, Crefeld's students are extremely bright. What Crefeld does best is to educate its students in a safe and warm environment to become socially-conscious self-advocates ready to take on the challenge of college. They give their kids roots and then gives them wings. As a parent of a 10th grader finishing up his fourth year at Crefeld, I have never doubted for a moment that the staff at Crefeld has my son's best interests at heart. They hold him accountable for his actions and celebrate his successes. They educate him while providing him with all the academic and emotional support that he needs to succeed. No school is right for every student, but for the right kid, Crefeld is a gem.