The Philadelphia area has an incredible variety of great schools--both public and private--so it…read moreoften comes down to "fit"--for your child/children and for your family. My husband and I toured and researched many schools in the area when our kids were first starting school and in the end, we decided Shipley was the perfect fit for us and for our children. I'll also add that as they have grown & evolved as learners (and they are very different kids), the fit still feels right for both. We were looking for a strong academic program, but our family believes that education is not just about test scores. Preparing our children for success in life is about values, self-confidence, friendships, and respect ....as well as excellent academics. We found that educational mission at Shipley. Also, as our kids have gotten older (now in middle & high school), I appreciate the "positive peer culture" that exists at Shipley. As they begin to look more to their classmates & teammates for cues about how to behave and what choices to make, I am grateful that their circles of friends take school seriously and care about the community they are part of. It is truly the teachers and coaches and other adults in the community that make Shipley so special. Yes, there are great facilities (as there are at most of the schools in this area) but it is the faculty that sets Shipley apart. They truly know my kids--their strengths, their weaknesses, ways to motivate them, where to support them, and when to push them outside of their comfort zone... They also embrace and celebrate the many different ways children learn. The teachers are just fabulous--they are proactive and engaged in student life and they respond to each child's needs--at whatever point they are in their academic and social development. The curriculum is responsive to the needs of the students while the academic vision is always pushing the envelope. Shipley does not have one model of a "successful graduate" that they are teaching towards - rather the teachers strive to find each student's unique gifts and talents and then help them become the best versions of themselves, in a holistic way. I really like that about Shipley, and I see my kids (who are so different from each other) developing along their own tracks and finding success and confidence in doing so.

I graduated from The Shipley School in 2013 and my four years there as a student were the most…read morememorable and growth stimulating years of my life. When people think of Shipley they have assumptions of the demographics of the community. I admit I did. I myself come from the inner-city and a middle class income, and was nervous entering. Nevertheless, I never felt different. Shipley is a welcoming community, one that accepts everyone, that grants chances to those chances aren't usually given, Shipley is a community here to help prepare its students for the future. There is support beyond measure from the teachers, administration, students, families, everyone, because we are one. Before Shipley I didn't know what it meant to be selfless, however once put into the community I learned the meaning and I begin to embody it in everyday life. Growing up in the city and going to school there it was like a being a crab in the barrel, no matter how close you were to the top, someone pulled you down. I was never taught to uplift others. Instead I focused on myself and my own success. Shipley showed me to be successful I need a team and to uplift others because their success is just as important as mine. As I finish college and begin to truly embark on this journey of life I am nothing but grateful for Shipley building the foundation of the young woman I am today. I have defied statistics and because of the risks they encouraged me to take. I have gained a confidence that can never be broken. I will never again think of myself as a crab in the barrel. I am an individual who matters. Most importantly I know I am never alone in this world and I will forever use the teams I build over time to create success of everyone involved.

Out of all of the excellent area schools, both private and public, we chose Friends School…read moreHaverford (FSH). Initially, we were drawn to the play-centered learning approach for the younger children, however, there was so much more from which to benefit. The teachers and staff consider the whole child, their social, emotional, and intellectual development. Guided by Quaker principles, the community is at the heart of its mission. The children are taught to discover and appreciate the uniqueness of themselves and others. I always feel informed with weekly updates, class newsletters, and monthly breakfast meetings with the principal. Lower student-teacher ratios increase children's engagement and allow for individual needs to be more easily met at FSH. Hearing my child say he loves school is the way it should be for all kids!

We have been apart of the Friends School Haverford Community since 2018. Our son joined FSH in the…read more2nd grade. Over the last four years we have witnessed his growth both academically and socially. The relationships that he has developed with the teachers, staff and his classmates has help to mold him into a kind, intelligent funny kid. As parents we too have developed long standing friendships with the parents of FSH. FSH not only poured into our sons life but ours as well. The Griers

Very happy with this school, it has a culture of hard work, excellent academics, and emphasizes…read moremorals and values. We have 2 children here and love it. Kids are treated as little adults and respected by teachers and staff. This school grows intellectual, grounded, worldly and kind children. bykNyt-herboc-2kacgy

The best school in Philadelphia, hands down -- and one of the top 20 schools in the country. This…read moreschool is the sister school to Sidwell Friends in Washington, DC, where our president sends his kids -- the schools are pretty much identical in terms of mission, curriculum, and the amazing kids and teachers. I moved to Philly from NYC in 2004 and now my daughter is going there -- and I thank God that we no longer have to send her to some below average snooty private school in Brooklyn or Manhattan. This is the best school I've ever encountered. My daughter was very nervous when she first started, and now she's doing very, very well. My friends who are still in NYC lament the private schools where their children are going... places where all the millionaires and famous people send their kids. Germantown Friends blows them all off the map.

Families are looking to find schools that their child think it's best for them and for their safety…read moretoo. Parents should definitely do what's best for their children by attending them to one of the best schools in the state, not only is Lower Merion High School one of the best, but also the best at welcoming new students who move or transferred from a different school. Here at Lower Merion High school, kids and teens should be welcomed and not come in nervous or feeling like they don't belong here at all. Lower Merion High School is not all about that, but to make your children feel like they belong here and that they should have the confidence to waking up knowing it's going to be a great day at their new school!

I've called the high school several times this year just to find out information for my current 8th…read moregrader soon going into high school for 2022. No one at the school had any real customer service demeanor. The front desk lady never said her name, nor was she inviting or nice. I was then transferred to the guidance counselor and she had no customer service either. I understand that people have a bad day, but as a customer service person, you have to put those things aside and treat people accordingly. I really have to consider whether Lower Merion High School will be my son's choice of school.

I tried posting something earlier but did not work here is what I have to say…read more this school though I do not want to speak ill of this place, but it lacks education structure and clean environment in both mental and physical ways. The kids talk daily about harming themselves or others. The education is so bad I think you lose more information than you gain. They try to be a good school. I understand, never the less this school is only for certain people and for kids who truly need emotional support.

This school accepts students who are not succeeding in the public education setting, and are funded…read moreby the districts, therefore most of the students have some sort of issue. If you have to pay privately, spend your money elsewhere. The administration will support the students who are coming from the districts, since thats where the bulk of the money is coming from. When my son went there, the structure was minimal and the students were unsupervised during free periods, and often the students with behavior problems ran amok. I have heard reports of students having sex on campus, drugs, and things being stolen. With such a small number of students, that's quite a bit of disruptive behavior.

Really sad how run down this school is becoming. The building engineers do a really great job…read moretrying to keep up with it with their poor budgets but the school needs severe help. There is no air conditioning in the summer making it unsafe some days for students to go to school. With the rapid changing staff in the school system and the poorly funded improvement budgets it's very sad to see a school like this in the beautiful neighborhood of Roxborough. If the community wasn't around helping beautify the area around it and helping paint and chip in on the inside when they can like the church that meets there on Sundays this place would be completely run down and no care given to it. Our district representatives office's front window is almost in view of the school. I can't believe she doesn't want to help her it cleaned up and funded better?!

I went here from K-2. I don't remember anything EXCEPT for all of the bullying that I endured…read more Teachers can be unhelpful at times, especially with comprehension. From the perspective of an autistic student, their help mostly consisted of repeating themselves over and over. If I didn't understand something, then womp womp. Some of the crap they told me carried on into middle school. If your kid has a choice between here and another school, pick the other school.

I attended Gladwyne Elementary and found it to be exemplary. The teachers were excellent and gave…read morepersonal attention to each student. The academically advanced curriculum is diverse and creative in nature. Young students are well prepared to attend the finest secondary schools and colleges.

This is my second favorite middle school because it is in the Lower Merion School District!…read moreEven though I go to Welsh Valley, I still respect BC

I'm actually a student here, unlike the other two reviewers. It's an okay school. Most of the…read moreteachers are nice, but the kids really aren't. They are spoiled and always get what they want. They are constantly mean to one another, and I've witnessed a LOT of fights, both verbal and physical. Has a great library, and the food in the cafeteria is okay. It's a large school, so it's easy to get lost when you first start attending, but you'll get used to it. The school has a lot of sports programs and clubs. The school itself is okay, but the students are awful.

The Haverford School is one of the premier educational organizations anywhere, providing its…read morestudents with a top notch education and emphasizing the importance of being a strong writer.

Class of '95 here…read more What can I say about this place? A decade plus removed from it, I don't keep in touch with many of the people, though not for their own fault or mine. I value the education I got here tremendously - from Mr Duffany's excruciating but valuable sentence diagram the the late Señor Laserna's Spanish, which lasts with me still. I loved rowing crew and Doc Kinney's art class/introspective therapy sessions, could have done without some of the cookie-cutter jackasses and senses of entitlement. But all in all it was a good school for the area, one I think of with mostly fond memories, and I wish only the best for this place.