If I had known when I sent my daughter to Villa what I know now, I would never have made the…read moredecision. There are better options available for girls looking for either a private or parochial Catholic education. It is simply not worth the money for a variety of reasons. Academically, there is little to no accountability in the middle school. The science program has been deficient for a number of years, with students needing to self-teach based on YouTube videos. Languages last year moved to students teaching themselves with Rosetta Stone. The level of academic rigor for many of the other subjects is simply not there compared to other available options, including many of the parochial schools that surround Villa, and the girls are simply not being prepared for the rigor and accountability of high school. There are no end of year academic awards, so there is really no reason for the girls to try hard to achieve in the classroom. Athletically, the school has gone downhill from where it was years ago. Parent coaches with no oversight or training who use it as a forum to showcase their own daughters and friends rather than try to develop the girls and create winning programs are the norm. The school also does not allow any players to participate in diocesan all-star games where the truly talented girls can be exposed to a better level of competition. Partnerships with the local boys' schools like Malvern and Devon do not exist for things like the plays and service projects. It has been made very clear for the girls participating in Malvern plays that it is not considered a Villa-sponsored activity and there is no acknowledgement of it. Again, this was not always the case but appears to be something new in the past few years. Achievement at Villa is neither encouraged nor rewarded - a missed opportunity to create an environment where girls build each other up and celebrate each other's talents and strengths. The exact opposite environment exists at Villa. We were close to pulling our daughter last year but decided to let her finish her time and focus on high school selection rather than transfer her to another school. It is a pity because I've heard that, at one time, people thought very highly of this school, but in speaking with current parents, there is a definite sense of unhappiness and negativity rather than community within these walls.

From the owner: Educating: co-ed Preschool (three and four years), all-girls grades Kindergarten through Eight…read more For more than 166 years, Villa Maria Academy has been at the forefront of education, empowering a community of young women to assume leadership and service roles. We welcome you and your daughter as a part of our storied tradition. Villa Maria Academy's strong academic curriculum, with its emphasis on twenty-first century learning, is unrivaled. We offer a myriad of opportunities for girls to develop and share their gifts and leadership potential. With our fine arts, athletics, student activities, and outreach programs, Villa Maria Academy is a place for girls to discover their passions and prepare for a lifetime of learning and leading. We understand your desire to place your daughter in an environment where she will develop and flourish to become the confident and competent young woman God has created her to be. We are here to assist you, in any way we can, as you make this critical deci

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.

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!

This was probably the best school that I've ever gone to. I will say that the staff and teachers…read moreget strict sometimes. Thanks Vanguard school

This is an update to my November review, after I've had an independent review of the school's…read moreevaluation/programming and after my son's one completed year at the placement. He is now elsewhere. I think this school may be a reasonable fit for a narrow group of children, those whose primary disability genuinely is emotional and behavioral regulation, where the behavior itself is the core need rather than a symptom of something else. For a child like that, a program built around behavior and emotional support with modest academic demands is appropriately matched, because there is no underlying learning disability being missed and no cause-and-effect being inverted. Where it falls short is with a different kind of child, one whose behavior is the signal of an unaddressed learning disability rather than the disability itself. A bright, verbal child can have a significant learning disability in reading and writing, hit a wall on all-day academic demands they can't access, and become dysregulated as a result. A program that reads the dysregulation as the primary problem, and builds around managing behavior while leaving the academic disability unidentified and untaught, attempts to treat the symptom and misses the cause. This can result in inappropriately deferring the learning question until "frustration tolerance" improves. But the frustration is being produced by the unmet learning need; the disability is driving the behavior, not the reverse. What concerned me most was the evaluation itself. A full reevaluation can produce the very scores that show a clear reading and writing disability (very low decoding and written-expression results, difficulty blending simple words) and still decline to identify it, attributing the low performance to behavior instead. From a parent's perspective, that reads as an outcome shaped to fit what the program is equipped to handle, with the inconvenient data set aside. When a complete evaluation has the evidence in hand, reads past it, and lands on the conclusion that happens to match the program rather than the child, the practical result is a child whose real needs go unaddressed and whose difficulties get worse rather than better. For families whose children fit that second profile, I'd urge you to read your own evaluation data closely and get an independent set of eyes on it.

I attended this school during high school. I enjoyed it while I was enrolled. They have fun and…read moreeducational field trips. They are willing to work with late in the school year transfer students and provide all necessary school materials. I.E. text books, work books, art supplies for art classes, and a computer. The only bad ish thing I have to say about this place is that if a parent isn't home to help the student stay on track with their work it might not be the right school choice depending on the student because there is (or at least wasn't) mandatory log in times for discussions. You were required to log in daily but do not necessarily have to post any assignments while logged on.

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!

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 :)

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.

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.

Took my seven year old grandson here last week. Worth every penny! He walked the plank, flew down…read morethe zip lines and lived all of the different tree houses. The only thing I would say negatively; I don't believe the axe throwing station should be available to anyone under at least twelve and with better supervision. There were two young boys just chopping at the target and they could not throw the axes safely. A potential accident waiting to happen. Otherwise it was an amazing day for both of us.

I am not sure if Treehouse World is better during the summer with more staff, but I was less than…read morethrilled about our recent visit. One employee was manning the front office. Very nice, but was taking forever to check in. We waited almost 20 minutes to check in and I had pre-purchase tickets. Then we had to wait at the harness station. Another 15 minutes because only 1 employee. A second arrived, but that's when we were at the front of the line. The treehouses themselves are pretty cool. Sadly, more than one had trash left by people. So sad. Staff was nice, but they were short staffed. Multiple things weren't manned so we couldn't Partake in them. We walked to the farther zipline to find no one there to run it. The tomahawk throw didn't have staff. The bungee bounce had one worker so two pads weren't used. Forced us to wait 15-20 minutes for a turn. Then 1 minute later, the staff rotated and the new person ended my child's turn, not realizing they just got on the trampoline. The other issue was lack of parenting. A birthday party of boys was happening and the boys weren't being supervised. They were not following rules and the staff was too young to take control. When adults didn't follow the rules, I had to remove my child from the activity out of safety. The cost was then no longer worth it as time and again, we weren't able to do the activity. We left and won't return at full cost. It's a shame because it could be great.