We adore the Prince William Academy in Woodbridge, Virginia. From the teachers to the students to the challenging educational modules. The school curriculum has created an extensive and well-organized Academic program. It fosters sound leadership skills while learning in a creative and structured environment of kindness, and responsibility. Good efforts by all Prince William Academy Leadership, Teachers, and Staff. We are very happy with our child attending the Prince William Academy in Woodbridge, Virginia. read more

The middle school failed my child this school year. There's a notorious group of students that systematically bully new kids or someone outside their circle and the worst part, these students are favored among teachers. Multiple complains to the principal resulted in NOTHING! Only a check mark talk with the offenders and the vicious cycle goes on. It's a disgrace that teachers only promote their favorites to win competitions like Science fair. The middle school drastically lacked any fun or engaging events, fundraisers or activities that encouraged team work and inclusion of parents. There was only one field trip throughout the year and no promised end of year concert that even public schools have. The end of year award ceremony was unfairly selective. Throughout the year we got Zero photos from any teacher showing a school day, so it feels like this year just fell out equation with no memories to look back to. There's no graduation ceremony for 5th graders either, which they truly deserve. Since the new owner took over, the school environment (especially in upped grades) is rapidly deteriorating. And it's not surprising, the owner lives outside the country and rarely shows up. My gut feeling was right when I checked the school website before we enrolled and it was generic. And that's how this year felt, generic! A generic website with no teacher names, stock photos of students, there's nothing there that shows actual student life or curriculum or shows any photos of the teachers. This place is about squeezing every dollar they can from paying parents, while failing on delivering the fair support and equal opportunities every student deserves. read more

This year has been a joke for my daughter. She said she's had the worst year since she started school. She complained about daily bullying, degrading or disrespectful comments from some kids in upper grades, because apparently, teachers combined 5th, 6th and 7th grades in the same classroom. School administration is not properly addressing the bullying issue either and I heard the new owner is missing in action, never present and it shows. We as parents were never invited to any classroom event, where we could engage with students, teachers and other parents. There's also no student counselor on site, which upper grades really need. This school needs to step up with its upper grades policies, so every student feels appreciated and having the support the need. read more

Unequivocally, my husband and I made the right choice when we selected Prince William Academy. They challenged our boys minds and nurture their hearts. The teachers go the extra mile to ensure that we were kept updated with their progress. Even using Classdojo and HiMama app. That came in very handy when my husband was away for work for several months. Our 3 yr old is counting in Spanish and singing in Chinese! We recently moved cross country and our 5 yr old was placed in 1st Grade. I credit the strong curriculum at PWA. They offer many afterschool activities. Our eldest played chess and Tennis. Our younger was in Dance. Just to name a few of the programs offered. Please stop by and check this school out. Speak to the families and you will hear great things. We miss this school very much. read more

My review is to rebuttal the, what seems to be a gang up on PWA by a past employee. I mean Stevie Wonder can see that. PWA is a great school. We have some of the best teachers I've ever seen. We do NOT do fast food, I bust my butt every day putting out homemade, healthy, well balanced meals. (Yes I am the chef). Of course, life happens and I might become ill and call out, but then and only then will PWA need to get something "fast". I personally take umbrage in what was written by "Martha J & A.J". These two are obviously out to trash PWA, and I say that it's a former employee because, there was information written that only the staff would know. They'd best be careful...untruths, and putting peoples last names our there is NOT cool. My experience at PWA for 5 years and counting is great. The staff work harder than ever to keep this place at the top out our game. All students here excel and none are bullied by staff. NONE, that's an out and out lie! I plan on being here until retire. Administration always has time to listen and fix any situation that arises. They expect us to go above and beyond, and I say, why not? Let's set a higher standard for education. All this being said, I am here defending the establishment that I have grown to love working for, and I appreciate them employing me! read more

Prince William Academy (PWA) is an excellent school!! They are ahead of public schools. My son attended Pre-K (with Ms. Gray) and Kindergarten (with Ms. Saira). A month ago my son took a placement test at another school, he passed 1st grade test with a perfect score (150 questions) and also passed the 2nd grade placement test (not with perfect score, but he still passed) and he is only 5 yrs old! My husband and I have decided to enroll all three of our children at PWA this year (1st grade, 6th grade & 7th grade). I have no doubt that PWA is the best school in Prince William County. !!!Thank you PWA!!! read more

Prince William Academy has an awesome learning environment. They have small classes and teachers that really care about their students. They were able to advance my child's math and reading abilities beyond grade level. I experienced good communication with their teacher and my son loved going to school. read more

On my son's 1st day of 1st grade (08/2014)and as a new student at the school, it was utter choas. No organization, no welcome back to school signs or balloons, nothing. We have always taught or son to say good morning to the teachers on his way to class every day, put on a good attitude, smile and start your day positive...and he does. We must have passed a half dozen teachers on the way to his classroom and not one of them said good morning back to him. I was livid. This place was going to charge us $960 per month and that was how his school year was starting. That didn't work for my husband and I. We had expectations of a much happier and organized environment filled with educators who wanted to be there. There were other clues that I should have given more attention to, but none of them jumped out until after dropping him off on that memorable first & LAST day at Prince William Academy. For example, why such a high staff turnover? Why advertise the students may take French when there is no French teacher? And, just because verbal communication is so very important, I have to share (without naming names) that it really bothered me that a staff member had to seek assistance with answering a question I had. For $960 a month, I expect all staff to know how to say, "I'll ask for you". I do not expect to hear"I'll AXE." Needless to say, we pulled him out the same day. ..after stopping to see if another private school in the area had a 1st grade spot. They had just one. Maybe it was divine intervention. Who knows? But, I do know they say the Pledge of Allegiance, give thanks before meals and still have time and desire to speak to the kids - all the while giving a good education. Oh, and the school supply list? ?? Insane. It had about 20+ items on it and among the multiples of all items on the list ...a LAPTOP. But, only one laptop. Don't forget the overpriced uniforms. They kept our deposit, the prorated tuition for August and all of September's tuition. Expensive, but a small price (in the long run) to pay for a happy and well-rounded child who won't have bad memories from Prince William Academy. read more

First and foremost, I'm very surprised to see this school has low rating! People are more likely to write reviews about negative experiences compared to positive ones. I feel obligated to write about my positive experience with PWA. Education is a big deal to my husband and me. We both work in education and believe that the right childhood education program sets a strong foundation for their future. My child attended the Jr-K program here and it was one of the best experiences he's had (he attended Creme de la Creme prior to PWA). The education at PWA is rigorous yet reasonable. I personally loved the small intimate setting. The staff felt like family. They also have great extracurricular programs, our child really enjoyed the robotics class. The school was working on bringing in more STEM activities which is a big bonus! My child also learned phrases in Spanish, another bonus! I believe they teach not one, but TWO foreign languages, including Arabic and Mandarin! It's rare to find Arabic and Mandarin teachers. We decided to move to an area that has a public school rating of 10/10 and he now attends a school that is in the top 100 public school rating in VA but it is still nothing compared to PWA. In fact, he always tells me that he wants to go back to PWA. __________________________ Benefits: Accredited school, foreign language (including category V languages: Arabic and Mandarin), small class sizes, caring staff, STEM extracurricular activities, diversity, tuition. Cons: I wish they had a school counselor, speech pathologist, reading specialist, school nurse on site. Overall: The benefits outweigh the cons. Every child is different, what worked for mine may not work for yours but at least don't overlook them because of the low rating. PWA is the best kept secret in that area. read more

We came to PWA from a Catholic school and were amazed at how great this school is! Teachers are so passionate, resources are plentiful! My daughter is in kindergarten currently in Mrs. Becca class and I can't even describe how grateful I am! My daughter is progressing and maturing on an everyday basis! She loves the school and her school friends. The teacher even goes to kids birthdays!!! Yay! I am so happy we gave PWA a shot! read more

My daughter has been attending PWA for the past 2 1/2 years and has loved it. The most recent experience has been with the Director, Dr. Harris worked with my daughter for 1 month when she was experiencing severe parental attachment issues. Every day she screamed her head off, even though she had been at the school for 2 years and loved her teachers. Dr. Harris was persistent in working with her every morning. Now she smiles and waves at everyone. Not only this, but she isn't even 4 and is doing basic addition as well as writing. My son will begin attending next year and quality of the education and staff are worth every penny! read more

This child care, preschool is a hidden gem. They are owned by the same people that run Prince WIlliam Academy. I have met the owner and her nieces and they truly have the childrens best interest at heart. The teachers are angels and love the children. They are caring and nurturing and the my daughter loves her teacher! The staff greets me and my daughter every morning, and my daughter enjoys going to school everyday. The schools curriculum has high standards of achievement with a Library, art room, garden and beautiful gym. My daughter loves playing in the gym with the older children & the older children are very caring as if they are big brothers and sisters. I love the environment and look forward to the her education at Prince William academy. This is a hidden gem!! You will be both surprised and impressed with them. read more

Caveat, I have not had children enrolled in the school since around the time I wrote my last stellar review of the school in 2011. The new vice-principal/head of curriculum left the school not too long after I wrote that review, which is a shame, b/c she was the best part of the school. There are a few teachers who are fantastic (mostly in pre-K level), but the administration seems to run the school more like a for-profit school than a true school of learning (the bottom line over best practices). It's very sad. Just wanted to update my review to reflect the changes that have occurred since then. read more

I had my children enrolled in this school. My 3 yr old daughter for 3 months and 6yr old for 1.5yrs. The worst school ever. The teachers are aggressive. You can even title them as bullies. They tell children "shut your mouths." Scream at children "get out of my room." When children need extra help children are told "no"! When you opt to complain to the owner of the school/principal nothing is done:(, because they all back each other up and make the parent and child at fault. A very expensive school that offers no amenities. Yes, Fridays your children can wear their own clothes but YOU must pay $1...REALLLY? SCHOOL SUPPLIES at the beginning of the year will run close to $300-350. YOU PAY FOR EVERYTHING! Think about it! read more

Disclaimer; My review is based on my personal experience only I know many parents are happy with PWA. Those parents happiest at PWA seem to be those that have had children in the school since pre-k or kindergarten. My daughter attended PWA for 1st grade and the first 3 months of 2nd grade. I had hoped 2nd grade would be better than 1st. In hindsight I should have paid attention to the number of teachers that were fired or left the school with no notice. If your child begins PWA in Pre-K they will do fine. Unfortunately my daughter started in 1st grade after attending a public school for kindergarten where she did great. The curriculum at PWA keeps students 1 year ahead of public schools and by the end of 1st grade the kids were doing double digit multiplication. My daughter was only able to do the work with tutoring, and constant drilling of numbers, Tiger Mom I am not, her stress level towards the end of the year from trying to keep up was frightening. I realized after talking to her teacher that they were giving them standardized tests in 1st grade. While the belief was the kids didn't know they were testing when asked they knew and thought they had to pass the test or stay in 1st grade. We found our options at that time limited to ones that were not right for us at the time. We began the 2nd grade cautiously optimistic. The first week the students went from classes of 7 and 8 with separate teachers to 1 class of 15; moving from separate classrooms upstairs to 1 combined classroom downstairs. Less than 2 weeks later the kids were moved back upstairs to adjoining classrooms and a co-teaching method with 2 teachers. A week or 2 later one of the 2nd grade teachers quit with no notice, based on what I had seen I did not blame the teacher. One teacher was now in charge of 15 2nd grade students. While this number seems small in comparison to public schools it didn't work. A substitute, former 3rd grade teacher, now retired, and a great teacher from what I had known was brought in to fill the gap with the students until they could hire someone. During this period candidates were interviewed and would teach a lesson in the classroom. On more than one occasion my daughter thought they had hired someone and she wasn't the only 2nd grader who misunderstood the process. On November 22 the remaining second grade teacher was let go, with no notice. Parents were notified via email the Friday night before Thanksgiving at 5:30 p.m.. At that time I realized I had to find a more stable environment for my daughter to complete the school year. We removed her at Thanksgiving break 3-days later. I realized after we left that the report card we were provided had comments from someone else in the school and not the teacher that had spent all but the last 3-days in the classroom with her. I confirmed with the teacher that she did not write the comments. I contacted her after I looked at the comments and knew it was not her handwriting from previous comments written on my daughters homework. The comments were good, but the fact that I wasn't told about someone else writing the comments or who wrote them didn't sit well with me at all. The comments were not signed, but the assumption would be her teacher would write the comments for the grading period. A long term substitute was brought in to teach until a new teacher could be hired and it is my understanding that a new teacher has since been hired and began teaching December 9. For the sake of the other students I hope she is able to stay the remainder of the school year. Parents who have had children at PWA since pre-k are happy and I completely understand. If your child begins the curriculum at 4 or 5 they will be fine; if you are willing and/or able to tutor your child or pay someone to tutor your child you will more than likely have success. If your child does not find public school challenging this would also be a good fit. This did not work for us and again this is only the experience of my family. The concept of the school is great, but at this time it is only a concept. While differentiated learning was one of the things we thought we would like about the school it is not utilized. I'm not sure it's understood. Parent's are asked to provide laptops; last year the kids did very little with the laptops aside from play games on breaks or in after care. This year it's much better and more supervision is provided while students use laptops. I struggled with posting this review and realized I should provide it so parents can make an informed decision. I certainly wouldn't base my decision on 1 comment and unfortunately more information was not available to me at the time I enrolled my daughter. The principal this year, Dr. Slade is great. If she were to have more control over the day to day operation of the school things may have worked. read more

My son is going on 2 years at PWA. He started off during the summer of 2012, with the 3 year olds. He is now going on into the PRE-K class. I absolutely love this school. I have never seen any treatment remotely close to what a reviewer below stated. When I compared my sons school supply list to my neighbors kindergartener, they were almost identical. The one major difference was that my son needs a laptop. When I went in for a tour, it looks like they use it one or two times a week. My son will be borrowing my laptop. He has learned so much. He is 4 and can write letters, knows his numbers (1-100), shows interest in things he learned during science. It's incredible how much these kids can learn. He cries on the weekends because there is no school. During the summer, they have such fun activities and all this is year round! I love that he loves it and I am very grateful for the school. Improvements I would make: any extra activities (soccer, dance, etc) should ALL be afterschool vs during school. And prices are a bit high... read more

I have to agree with some of the negative reviews. There are a lot of happy people at PWA, otherwise they wouldn't be in business, but I don't know how much of that business has left... I would hazard to guess... A LOT! PWA failed my expectations. I enrolled my three year old for the 2013-2014 school year. My son spent most of his three previous years in a home care environment and had not really interacted with children his own age, so this was his first experience in an entirely new environment, which was one of the reasons I elected to keep him there for so long. The teacher he was assigned to has her college degree in a completely unrelated major to childhood education and really doesn't understand basic educational jargon, such as, gross and fine motor skills (just found this info out!). I recently discovered in his summer camp classes that my son still has trouble relating to his peers but was never notified by PWA about any behavioral issues within the classroom. In my opinion, PWA at the 3's level is really just a glorified "daycare" and not a school. My son didn't really learn much of anything throughout the school year, and mostly retained what he already knew from his homecare school. He did learn a song in Mandarin, though. He also received an incomplete in his Spanish assessment, which is a bit laughable considering he spoke Spanish before he spoke English. Sadly, I am really sorry to have to give such a poor review of the school, as I started with such high hopes that steadily declined throughout the school year. While there are so many "little" instances of failure, the culminating event was -- bring your favorite monster and monster book to school day. My child was so excited to finally be able to bring one of his toys to school, and was then told to put it away and admonished for bringing it to school. Apparently no one told the substitute about the event and the other children didn't participate. No one told me about the substitute (for a week!) and I got a crying, sad boy when I picked him up from school. Again... just one of the many, many stories I collected over the year. Now, I decided to move my child at the beginning of the summer to a summer program, but continue to pay the fees of the "current school year" which do not end until August 31 per my contract. The school is over-priced and not worth the money. There are much better alternatives in Prince William County. One gem I found... Ms. Vicky at Chinn Recreational Center! Two words for this bad decision on my part... EPIC FAIL. read more

This is my oldest daughter's second year at PWA and my baby's first year. We have been nothing but blown away by the kindness shown our family by this school. From Lindsay at the front to the amazing staff members, our children are welcomed by name and the staff shows a genuine interest in our lives. As an educator myself, I am impressed by the level of rigor presented by the PWA curriculum. My Kindergartner is already able to add and subtract. She can read more sight words than her peers in other schools. She loves school and is excited to arrive each day. The ladies in the Infant room treat my youngest like their own, giving her personal attention and care. As a parent, I would recommend it 100%. As an educator, I would also recommend it 100%. read more

My son started at Prince William Academy 2 weeks before beginning Kindergarten (Aug 2015). It was a great idea suggested by the staff and other parents. The suggestion wasn't for 2 weeks specifically, but I thought that it was a good enough head start for him to get familiar with his new school before starting the Kindergarten program. Formerly, he attended Little Lambs, Inc. in Woodbridge for preschool, which did a great job preparing him for the elementary level. I'm so happy with our experience with Prince William Academy. The staff, parents and students are great and they strive for a high standard of excellence. I'm in constant contact with his teacher through email and in person, and the school's administration is always reachable in person, by phone and email. Both Kindergarten teachers are amazing. My son broke his arm during labor day weekend at the beginning of the school year and my husband and I were so concerned with him falling behind, but they made sure that he didn't miss a beat. The kept him engaged while caring for his safety during his intense healing process. The parents association really tries to get parents involved in all aspects of the school. It's an environment that makes you want to get involved and volunteer (even though we are all super busy working parents). Academically, my son is learning at a 1st and 2nd grade level with reading, math and language arts. He is learning computer technology, art, science, and additional languages like Spanish (which he started back at Little Lambs, Inc.) and Mandarin. I love the standard that his teacher sets for the classroom. She is pleasant, kind, caring, patient and effective with her teaching methods. She recognizes each of the special gifts that the students bring to the class and tries to cultivate and enhance their confidence. This allows the students to want to learn and try new things. He also attends the after care program that is mostly administered by the actual teachers and they help him with his homework. Of course, the cost of the tuition was a factor that my family had to consider with everything else we have going on, but I'm writing this to say that we made a great choice with Prince William Academy. You have to try it for yourself. Stop by for a visit... the parents and staff are always there to welcome you and address your questions. From: A parent with no regrets with choosing Prince William Academy Private school. read more

So I started off a as first time mother and entrusted my then two year old into the care of PWA. Today I now have two children at the school because I was soooo impressed with the staff, my both my daughters learning. Funny enough, I've done random drop bys and if they're not napping are fully engaged in some learning activity. My 3 year old comes home speaking Mandarin (English is our native tongue and I feel the knowledge gap between us already widening in a positive way) and I hear my 1 year old counting from one to ten in English and Spanish. Love the diversity of the school from the staff all the way down to it's students. read more

I have 2 kids at Prince William Academy for the past 3 years. They are now in Kindergarten and first grade. They both started at Prince William Academy when they were 2 and 3 years old. I have been extremely happy with the school. My kids had been learning a lot. My Kindergartner can read at a second grade level and he dose multiplications. My first grader is reading at a 3rd grade level and is doing mathematics at the level of the 3rd grade as well. The teachers at Prince William Academy are very kind, trustworthy and you can see that they love your kids so much. The education level at Prince William Academy is above and beyond what you can imagine. Given the small classrooms kids get very individual attention and work with their teachers at their level. School my not have a very strong sport program but since my kids are in different sport activities outside the school I did not have a problem with it. The tuition is a lot less compare to other private schools like Brown Academy. In other words if you want your kids to go to school to Learn and become successful in life this is the place to be. read more

I have two children attending Prince William Academy. I do not normally write reviews. However, after reading some of the reviews here I knew I had to. My son started at the Academy early (2 yrs old) and I think I took for granted how good the school really was. It was not until my daughter started for Pre-K that I really understood. When she began, even though I felt I had done my best to prepare her, I felt she was pretty far behind some of the other children who had been attending previously. Not to mention she was one of the youngest in her class so I was nervous she would feel frustrated. I was shocked how fast she caught up and how much patience and success her teacher (Ms. Lacasse) had with her so quickly. My children have thrived at the school. Not all the teachers take the same approach. Some seem to be more stern and some more "loving." However, with each teacher they excel and my children really bond. Is the school and EVERY moment been perfect? No, but what school is? What I can say is every teacher my children have had have been caring, patient, in control of their class, and took my children to levels I am 100% sure they would not be at outside of this school. With any issue I have had, it has been taken very seriously and I have felt in control and supported. I thought about switching schools once or twice for financial reasons. However, after touring other schools and talking with Mother's whose children attend other schools, we as a family decided to give our children what we felt was the best education in Prince William County. We are not rich but financially it is worth it to us! read more

We started at the school based on a recommendation. They do have some wonderful teachers which is the best part. Everything else is sub-par. They do not know how to deal with children that are curious. They do not know how to interact with parents. They have the worst business and financial management. You have janitors cleaning classrooms one day and teaching your children the next. The majority of their teachers are not certified to teach at any level (they don't share that with you when they give the grand tour). Most of the teachers barely speak English let alone can teach our children. The director is flat out mean and has been seen many times yelling at staff. "Teachers", and I use that term lightly, are hired based on need and recommendation rather than knowledge. Some use threats to our children to keep them in line which is never a good idea. I would not recommend this school to anyone. They need to be investigated by all those organizations that blindly accredited them without further inspection. Show up for a surprise inspection (as you should) and you will find that all those things that you were told and saw during your "scheduled" inspection are no longer in place. read more