Turn to the Light, of Westtown School. Hands-down, best school culture anywhere.read more

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).

SSPJ is a great school. The teachers are amazing and the community is so welcoming. My 3 kids…read more(PK, 1st and 4th) are thriving and enjoy going to school everyday. We have truly found our "family" here. Test scores consistently validate a top education. They say it takes a village and I wouldn't want any other village for my kids!

From the owner: Saints Philip and James School provides a dynamic and challenging 21st century education within a…read morefaith-based caring community. As a Catholic school within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the formation of the whole child includes instruction in all academic areas and the arts, technology, STEM, and religious instruction.

What a relief to have an establishment committed to following a standard that teaches today's youth…read moreto focus on lifting one another up and working together. Attention to detail in reading , writing and math without desensitization of iPads. I am pleased this school still values fundamental building blocks that no longer are exercised in public school settings. A gifted education for sure with the ability to move at a faster pace, with attention to detail, in a smaller setting. Daria E.

Our family has had an excellent experience over the past five years! This school truly helps young…read morechildren grow in God's word and thrive in the Lord's glory. The teachers are loving, dedicated, and truly prepare students for real life. With band, choir, sports, and so many wonderful activities, it offers everything children need to grow in faith, knowledge, and character. We are so grateful and highly recommend this school!

Horrible school. My son routinely comes home injured and the staff refuses to program…read moreappropriately. Do not let your LEA send your child here.

Absolutely horrible administration! The Principal and the Administration team were well aware that…read moremy son was getting bullied and assaulted at the school. I plead and begged them the entire school year to please move him to another classroom. It took until the end of the school year and my son having a mental break down and having to admitted into a hospital for them to take it more seriously! Once he was discharged from the hospital, they finally listen to me and placed him another classroom, where he can be safe and happy coming to school. Moreover, this most recent school, I thought that things had improved. But unfortunately I found out that my son had water bottles thrown at his head and water dumped on him. He was also punched in the face with a visible mark and absolutely no one informed me that my son had been assaulted! They then even retaliated and sent me an email how my son was punching a teddy bear the week prior. It was highly unsettling that instead of acknowledging that they have failed him in this regard and instead of them coming up with a plan to stop the bullying, they decide to flip it on us instead. I'm sorry, but I would much rather my son take his frustration out on a teddy bear, rather then punching anyone in the face. This school is disgraceful. They have taught my child absolutely nothing in the 4 years he has been there. Do not send your child here if you want them to get an actual education. This is more of a wearhouse for children then an actual education all setting. Your child is not safe here and will not learn anything.I'm

Went here for 11 years. The school was amazing. They even gave all of us a chance to speak at…read moregraduation. Out of my 363 kids, I was chosen. Palcs Makes it Possible!

The communication with the administration is non-existent; they never respond back to you. The…read moreteachers give way too much work for the students to watch via video and then complete. They refuse to modify any of the coursework, that is all regular work, for Special Needs population that are placed in regular classrooms. They accept IEP's, but don't follow them, because they don't have proper supports nor graduate on IEP goals. They don't listen to the parent's concerns, they just want to do what they want to move the child forward to their standards in their biased views. This is not an acceptable school for any Special Needs child, no support from teachers or administration.

I will start off saying that some of the teachers are AMAZING and really care about the children in…read moretheir classes. The leadership is accommodating with schedule changes and friendly. The facility is large and well maintained. However, we had concerns regarding the state mandated ratios that were not being met. Whenever we addressed these ratios, we were told the head of school would call us and he did not. We ended up pulling our child due to even more concerning events that were hidden/covered up by leadership. I would strongly reconsider sending your child to Chesterbrook.

We joined CBA preschool two years ago and our experience has grown better and better as the time…read morehas gone by. There was definitely some bumps in the road in the last year or so with the abrupt dismissal of the principal and a large turnover of staff, but those that have remained and have recently come on board have been fantastic. They have really impressed me with their dedication and involvement in my child's development, happiness, and well-being. My daughter is currently in their pre-K-A class and we have had such a great year so far. She's learning a lot, gaining more independence, and we can see how much she likes being there. Sometimes not wanting to leave because she's having too much fun. At the request of many, they finally updated and improved the outdoor playground last summer. Loving not having to pick mulch out of my child's clothes and hair anymore Haha. They offer lots of special events and programs for your child to engage in. Music, Martial arts, soccer, art, gym class, sensory play, teacher for a day, field trips to the elementary school, Valentine's Day Music Concert, and so much more. Shout out to some of my favorite teachers and staff that have become friends: Miss Tina, Miss Colleen, Miss Ally, Miss Sao, And Miss Jamie. Thank you all for loving and taking such great care of my girl! :) We will miss our CBA Preschool next year, as we will be moving up to the CBA Elementary School in September. Thank you all for a great experience :)

Beautiful school! I'm here coaching with USA Football and working with Malvern Prep head football…read morecoach, Coach Brady, along with many other great coaches and assistants! What an amazing experience and fine school to train at!

My two boys have received very good educations here. Top notch academics, athletics, and arts…read moreprograms have really made them well rounded individuals. The school lets "boys be boys" while still maintaining a rigorous and academically challenging approach for the more advanced classes, and there is a great sense of community here. The jury is still out for me on the new "21st century learning" techniques. It is good to see some innovation in education and I like that and the new scheduling. I do think there needs to be a balance though with some more traditional education. Chapel services weekly and the focus on service really help round out everything. Costs have gone up significantly, so that lowers them a star, but the boys have really developed a sense of community, supportive classmates, and brotherhood that builds on diversity and strengths of each individual's talents. That is such a positive that these boys will take with them for life.

The Good: My toddler is actually learning at this school. Every day is something new. In addition,…read morehe is also having fun and looks forward to going to school every morning. They even send us daily photos and a written update on what the children are doing. This is an excellent practice because it allows us to talk to him about specific things he did and learned. Finally, I feel good knowing that he is safe while away from homThe owner is hands-on and the staff is competent and friendly. The Bad: I am unable to think of anything outside of the cost. But, you get what you pay for here. Overall, I would recommend this school to anyone who cares about their child being safe and being in an environment that encourages learning and having fun. This gets 5 stars. Enjoy!

Our 3.5 year old son transitioned to this Goddard School from another major chain in West Chester,…read morePA. Our reasons for reevaluating his situation were many, including the birth of our second son. We sought a better opportunity enrich our sons lives at this critical stage with experiences and learning opportunities at a place that felt more structured, safe, clean, and genuinely had the best interest of the children/students in everything they did. Jennifer (the owner) is involved, detail oriented, attentive and communicative. The teachers and staff are friendly, present, and clearly care. The use of email and general technology (e.g. Tadpole) to amplify the communication is effective and keeps things transparent. The activities and interactions our son has had in just the first few weeks have opened up new windows for his curiosity and intellect. The shift in our older son's demeanor was immediately evident. We wholeheartedly recommend this school.