Love it. It's great to see a school that actually prepares the students for college life. It's a…read morelittle more laid back and forces the kids to figure it out for themselves, but the extra freedom surely pays off. Great classes, great programs, and the best support system you can get.

hi. recent alum here. my best friend and i attended this school. the teachers and education were…read morepretty good, but the bullying and exclusion of my best friend and i was not helped at all. i remember students were called homophobic slurs here and i had many racial microaggresions directed at me, but every time i tried to bring this up to the head of school there, i was promptly dismissed and it felt like nothing changed at all. i take note of this because a student there was so easily expelled when a white student complained about her sending a death threat, but when my queer friend and i complained to the school multiple times about the bullying we experienced, there was little to no punishment to the bullies. i also should mention there was no school counselor for a majority of the time i was there. skip forward to my eighth grade year, my best friend committed suicide. while i do admit there were probably other factors contributing to this awful event, bullying was one of the main issues as they had told me before their tragic passing. the bullying was mainly due to the fact that they were queer. orchard house never really brought their attention to this obvious discrimination in their school. after their passing, i had to leave for a week or two for my mental health, and the head of school there told my class the details of what happened with me without my or my family's permission. this school is okay if your child is white and cishet, but otherwise, please save your money.

OHS has been an incredible environment for my middle schooler. It's such a tight knit and…read moresupportive community that values each child's individuality and encourages them to share their voice. There is very little social issues/conflicts at Orchard House, and faculty still makes a point to discuss social issues and make it known that the school is a safe place, and a sisterhood. My daughter asked me to add this: "I can't imagine how painful it'll be to leave next year."

Can't say enough positive things about the Visual Arts Center (VAC) of Richmond!…read more One, they have free parking in the back for patrons! I could end the review there but I will continue. My partner and I checked out the VAC for one of their Second Friday Art Classes. They offer $15 dollar art classes on the second friday of each month making strides in making art accessible. We ended up doing an air dry clay workshop which was extremely fun (you can see our amazing creations in the photos). Our instructor was kind and taught us some really amazing tips. While we waited for our class to start we roamed around and checked out their exhibits. This is a stunning place to view some art work, so many talented artists pieces are on display, you won't get bored here. We even got to learn about our next date night by examining the community board. The VAC of Richmond is an amazing example of community, learning and wonder. Can't wait to return for my next art class adventure!

Lauri Jenkins teaches sewing and I cannot recommend her enough. She has taken something…read moreintimidating and made it fun. The lessons are scaffolded so you build on your skills with each project, adding a new skill while incorporating what you have learned so far. She is encouraging and will tell you "nice job!" making you feel like a pro when you're not....but you'll be a whole lot closer under her tutelage. She is awesome. Everyone I talked to at the center is super nice and they offer a wealth of classes, many with various levels so you can build on your skills or just a one day class to do something fun and bring a project home. I like to learn and I like to meet new people and I so much enjoy being here. I just hate the parking since I am not a city dweller (lol!) and there is always someone waiting to lay in on their horn if you don't move fast enough. Oh well. There is some parking available in a lot if you get there early enough. I am sooooo wanting to take every class here!! You should too.

Relocated to Richmond and toured a handful of preschools before landing here, glad we did the…read morelegwork. We came from a Montessori school out of state, so we were specifically looking for a child-led philosophy that prioritizes social-emotional development over early academic pressure. No rote memorization, no rushing kids into worksheets. Our son is a mover, and this school gives him real space and time for physical play every day. It's the biggest line item in our monthly budget by far, and honestly one of the easiest ones to justify. Grateful to be part of this community.

My daughter is in her second year at the Richmond Waldorf School. We have had nothing but extremely…read morepositive experiences with the school and the school community. What drew me to RWS was their philosophy around educating the whole child. The skills that children learn in a Waldorf program are designed to build a healthy, educated whole individual. You can teach a child very specific skills at any school. Waldorf is helping to develop and nurture children's natural curiosity which is something that can't be found in a textbook. A curious child that is nurtured becomes a life long learner. Not everyone is familiar with the Waldorf education and it's fundamentals. CNN did a nice overview here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LgA3jX8VPwc