My oldest child entered the Attic for her 4th grade year in 2020. Our youngest child is now entering the middle school program for the 25/26 school year. The time we have spent at the Attic has been incredible for both our kids' academic and social emotional development. I could write a book about the things I love about this school, but some of the most important are: 1) That each child is seen and valued by every adult in the building; 2) A multi-age environment where a presentation by a 5 year-old on cupcake baking receives exactly the same respect and engagement as a well researched presentation on nuclear energy by a high school junior (a real life example); 3) Extensive time spend outdoors including longer than typical lunch and recess for all ages; 4) Measuring academic progress by the extent to which each learner grows through discomfort and disequilibrium into new skills and deep understanding; 5) Kids learn at the Attic because it is safe to make mistakes; 6) Community, community, community. Learners at the Attic do not produce large quantities of "work product." Parents that want to see a lot of worksheets completed and graded on a weekly basis may feel anxious about what their child is learning. The Attic is a "right-fit" school for parents who trust their kids to grow into curious life-long learners over long periods of time, know that progress is not always even, and value process over product. read more

One of the most incredible aspects of The Attic is how deeply connected learners become to their environment. The students regularly explore the fields, forests, and streams surrounding the school, fostering a sense of curiosity and a profound appreciation for nature. Teachers know every student well--from the youngest kindergartners to the high school seniors. This personalized approach means that teachers can quickly identify areas of strength and growth, offering targeted support and challenge in equal measure. Community is at the heart of The Attic. Students of all ages not only know each other--they play, write, and share their projects with one another. This multi-age interaction fosters friendships and mentorships that feel entirely natural. The annual events where learners showcase their writing, math, and research skills are a testament to the school's dedication to celebrating student growth and passion. I love it here. read more

The school is terrible. The Attic is like a daycare, and these 5 star reviews are lies. Please don't head to the Attic you will regret it. Its also very expensive and is raising Prices every year. read more

When it was time to choose a school for our son (now age 7) we researched carefully and visited many private and independent schools. In the end, it was so clear that the Attic truly lives and honors their mission to celebrate childhood, encourage an independent growth mindset, help children feel seen, known, and cared for, and provides a joyful environment for learning. Two years in, we could not be happier with our choice or more grateful for our son to be at a school he rushes out the door to get to. read more

The hunt for a school isn't so much about finding perfection so much as it's finding the right fit for your specific child--no matter what school we are talking about. The Attic is no different--it's perfect for some kids and wrong for others. The trick is knowing exactly who your child is and what you want for them. I think what sets this school apart is that it places all of its focus and resources on each and every brilliantly individual child. Your kid is into Harry Potter? Great, they'll teach them to read via Harry Potter. Your kid is a grade ahead in math and a grade behind in literacy? No problem, the scheduling blocks they use are perfect for that. Your kid is doing fine academically but is struggling socially or is emotionally immature? This is your place, they coach socio-emotional skills in every facet of the day, using real events and feelings as tools, and have a keen eye on the support your child needs. Your kid can't stay in their seat? Cool, I'm not sure anyone at the Attic does. Chairs and tables are there, of course, but my own child prefers to do math lying belly down on the floor and teachers simply join her there. Your kid wants to wear pajamas and a bathrobe to school everyday for six weeks straight? No one will bat an eye. Your kid has been traumatized by school for any reason? This place is designed to be healing. No rewards or punishments means all pressure is taken off, allowing honest motivation to grow organically in its place, and the rules they do have keep children feeling safe. Bullying is taken very seriously, and kids are supervised even out during recess. Unique self-expression and body positivity are assumed and joyful. In short, if you want your child to truly been seen and loved and nurtured, this is your place. Who the Attic is not suitable for: anyone who is looking for rigidity. Structure is fluid at the Attic, so if strict dependable routine is necessary for your child I think you should look elsewhere. If you want to know precisely how your child is doing all the time, I think you should look for a place that engages in testing and grades. Teachers always know where kids are academically and socially and parental check-ins are always encouraged but precise measurements are not used. Freedom is cherished at the Attic so if seeing children let loose so to speak would be uncomfortable to you it's not the right fit either. There are definitely rules here (for example 'no pretend weapons') and all things safety related are particularly well policed, but any rule considered superfluous is abandoned. If your child has copious special needs perhaps ask a lot of questions about what the Attic can and cannot provide before signing up...So there are definitely people, probably more than this list, that the Attic is ill suited for, but I can tell you that what they do do, they do incredibly well. A last note about diversity. Other people have mentioned the white-washed nature of the place. This is extremely concerning to me too. The Attic is incredibly open to community feedback and what I have come to understand is that the lack of diversity is accidental. As with many other institutions, the model the Attic used for many years has not functioned properly since the pandemic, and they are both aware of this and actively working to fix it. Change simply takes time. My hope is to see incremental improvement year by year--the things that they are changing this year give me hope. If I don't see the change I want in 3-5 years I may return and write a different review here, but as of right now I believe them when they say they are working on it. Every aspect of individuality is so cherished here, of course they are. read more

We love this school and what this community provides for our son and for our family. Our son started in the Field and Forest preschool and now is entering 5th grade. The teachers and all the staff know him. I don't just mean know his name, but they really see him and knows what makes him tick. They encourage him to try new things, even when it's hard. He has a love for learning because they invite him and meet him where he's at... but encourage him to take those next steps. The teachers and staff really love and care about each one of the kids. One, of many, beautiful and unique things the Attic does is to have multi age classrooms, but also have many opportunities for all the kids (K-12) play, create, and build relationships with each other. The younger kids love that the older kids pay attention to them, and the older kids have an opportunity to learn what it is to be a leader/mentor. It's amazing to watch the older kids during recess play frisbee with 5yr olds. read more

Absolutely a gem of a educational opportunity and unlike any other place I have ever experienced. Without wearing rose colored glasses I can genuinely say that The Attic feels like home and is academic without being rigid. So many schools claim to be "holistic" and they are just the same stuff in a different looking package. But The Attic really is the best of all worlds - the kids are safe and happy here AND learning and developing at a beautiful pace. read more

Really love the concept of honoring individual growth and creativity, which is their mission statement. But sadly this school is very white washed and lacking color and cultural diversity. For a person of color, I would feel very out of place attending a nearly all-white school. Bummer because the way they seem to view education is cool. read more

I echo what 'Kirkland N.' wrote. Both of my kids went to the Attic from age 7-17/18 respectively. Each of my kids were seen, loved, nurtured for exactly who they are. Their sense of self is far beyond most of their peers who attended public school. They were also accepted into all of the colleges they applied to because colleges and universities could see that these kids, from this small learning community in Woodinville, know and see themselves as lifelong learners, as kids who think critically, advocate for themselves and truly know themselves. As parents we were also seen and heard. The relationship with the teachers, Executive Director, etc..was that of a partnership. Honestly, Pat Orrell made me a better mother and I'm eternally grateful to her. I was part of an amazing community of other parents which was so incredibly important because parenting is not always easy. So so very grateful for our time with the Attic. read more

The Attic Learning Community has a fantastic mission and many dedicated and empathic teachers. Unfortunately it is not the best choice for many children and it's a bit difficult to see upfront because they market it as an open, fresh way of supporting young learners. We went into our time at the Attic full of hopes and dreams for our boys. A place to be nurtured. Yay! A place where they could feel safe and express themselves. Even better! But when these constructs were operationalized it was a huge miss and my boys left feeling ostracized and unimportant. Be cautious and really observe the complex social structure and understand the hierarchy and where you and your children will fit before making the leap. It's taken us a bit of time and effort to heal from the wounds sustained while squeezing round pegs into square holes. read more

this is my daughter's eighth year in the attic and wow. I can't imagine any other school.

My son graduated from the Attic in 2020 and got into all the colleges he applied to and received a significant scholarship. This was the experience of all of his peers, as well. My daughter remains in their middle school program and we absolutely LOVE the Attic. It's the perfect blend of guidance but fostering independence and small enough to be a true community. It's not the right fit for everyone and having our family be a good fit is as important as having our kids fit. The Attic has been an amazing experience for both our kids and our family :) read more

We are in our second year at The Attic after trying both traditional private and public schools, and we couldn't be happier. Our two kids are very different in their academic and social/emotional needs, and The Attic is able to reach each of them right at their personal, developmentally appropriate level. I am fortunate enough to spend time at the school as a volunteer and seeing the joy of the teachers and the respect they have for each student is incredible. The adults truly know and care about each of the students. The best part is that my kids love going to school; it's so fun as a parent to send them off in the morning excited to learn. read more

When my husband and I started looking for a school for our children, we stumbled across The Attic. At first, we weren't sure what to think because The Attic is so different from our previously held notions of what is a school. We attended the open house and observed the school in action on visiting day, and we were blown away by what we saw: poised children who loved school, were independent thinkers, and who had a strong sense of self and confidence. Our children attend The Attic, and we feel so lucky to have found The Attic. My children love school, interact with kids of all ages (the school is K-12), and are allowed to learn and explore at their own pace. Condensed, my favorite aspects of The Attic are: emotional and social coaching and support for individuals and the community, dedicated teachers who know each child well and who support the child wherever the child's learning is at currently, multi-age interaction (teenagers playing with young children is common!), and the celebration of childhood and learning. The Attic is an enthusiastic, happy place where children learn and follow their interests and leave prepared to take on whatever is next for them. read more