We enrolled our daughter at Virginia Beach Friends School for her 6th grade year, drawn in by the…read morepromise of small class sizes, individualized attention, and a school culture built on kindness. Sadly, our experience fell far short of those promises, and we made the difficult decision to withdraw her mid-year. Small Class Size Individualized Attention Our daughter's class had only six students -- something we believed would mean more personalized instruction and closer teacher-student relationships. In practice, that was not the case. Teachers were not proactively communicating with us about our daughter's academic performance or classroom participation, despite the fact that there were only five other students in her entire grade. A Serious Bullying Situation That Was Never Communicated to Us: The only other girl in our daughter's class made daily threats -- including saying she wanted to break our daughter's spine and throw her out of a window. This same peer also openly discussed self-harm in the classroom. These are not minor social conflicts. They are serious, ongoing threats that any school should be obligated to communicate to parents immediately. Our daughter started the year strong, finishing Q1 with all A's and B's. As the bullying continued, her grades began to slip in Q2. It wasn't until we proactively reached out that a meeting was arranged with the head of school, the educational director and the admissions director. During that two-hour meeting, we learned that the school had already been aware of this student's behavior, had met with her family, and had issued consequences such as silent lunch -- multiple times. We were well into late January and had never received a single call, email, or notification about any of this. That meeting produced a clear action plan: teachers would make a greater effort to connect with our daughter, and the educational director would meet with her individually each week to help get her academics back on track. Neither of these commitments was ever followed through on by the school. In the weeks after that meeting -- and after we informed the school we would not be re-enrolling for the following year -- our daughter began receiving write-ups for minor infractions: breaking a pencil, tearing up a piece of paper, not asking for help. We also received her Q2 report card, which included a D in PE. Not once had her PE teacher reached out to share any concerns about her performance or participation. In a class of six children, there is simply no excuse for that lack of communication. The pattern of events that followed our meeting, combined with our decision not to re-enroll, felt deeply retaliatory rather than supportive. We ultimately pulled our daughter from Virginia Beach Friends School mid-week and transitioned her to a public school to complete the remaining 2.5 months of the school year. It was not a decision we made lightly, but it was the right one for her wellbeing. TLDR: Virginia Beach Friends School markets itself as a place where children feel safe being uniquely themselves, and where kindness is the school's number one value. Based on our family's experience, those values did not translate into action. Our daughter did not feel supported, seen, or protected for a single day she attended. If you are considering this school for your child, we strongly encourage you to ask hard questions about how they handle bullying, how they communicate with parents, and how they follow through on commitments -- before you make your commitment.

We're in the middle of our second year at VBFS. Our daughter is thriving! She loves going to school…read moreevery morning, and is sad to leave each afternoon. The teachers and staff are all fully engaged and committed, and it shows. The teacher/student ratio is fantastic, with lots of individual attention. The only drawback for us is that there is no dedicated drama teacher or yoga this year. Our daughter loved the plays last year, and the yoga instruction, and misses both this year. But she has LOVES music, art, technology, P.E., square dancing, and Spanish, as well as her regular academics. We look forward to continuing at Friends School.

I have zero complaints about this school. Ms. Amanda is my son's teacher, she is wonderful. My…read moreson has attended this school for almost two years. It's very clean and they seem very good about communicating in general.

MAV was a great experience for our daughter's first year in a school setting. We are so proud of…read moreher and how much she's learned since joining MAV. We are so happy we chose them. We love the Montessori approach and feel that it helps children develop very comfortably at their own pace. All of the teachers, TA's, and administrative staff have been easy to communicate with and helped us with any concerns over the year. Being that it was her first year, I admit that I did have a lot of questions, but the staff was understanding and as the weeks went on, I felt more and more comfortable that she was safe and well taken care of and she became very comfortable with her teachers, as well as her peers. I saw how much she learned just after two months. The schedules work and have helped her thrive academically and socially. I can see her problem-solving skills have really developed, as well as her thinking. The monthly newsletters kept us informed throughout the year. The school programs are all fun to attend and see the children work together, and also see their individual personalities shine. I feel that the facility is very clean and that she's picked up some good habits over the year. She's also made some good friends with her peers and learned good manners. We love hearing about her day, her lessons, and activities when we pick her up. The pick-up and drop-off system works fairly quickly. We also love that they do STEM, art projects to bring home, gym, outdoor activities, and trips to the farm. It's a great facility and we do love the diverse staff, who are all friendly and helpful. We have enrolled her next year and can't wait to see how much more she learns and grows over the next few years with MAV.

Amazing school, wonderful staff with so much heart and caring mindset. It's wonderful seeing our…read moreson get excited about going here. The teachers really make an effort to engage the kids and develop them in a very individualised way. The management is really committed to providing a safe, fun, and loving environment and we're very thankful to Lauren Sisson and the whole team at Bayside Baptist school. All the teachers are awesome. My kid started attending last year and we couldn't be happier with our daycare choice . The before care and after care are outstanding and my son really enjoys the all different club he attends. The school is very clean with great staff and very welcoming.

Wonderful wonderful school. Small setting and lots of hands on.. They go above and beyond for the…read morelittle ones . We will miss this school very much, and I actually wish my little one had started here at an earlier age Highly recommend.

Love this school! We've been here for 7 school years now. My kids are thriving. They are in the…read moreElementary and Middle School at the moment. It feels like a family. They do a huge event for grandparents day each year. The teachers really love the students. We'll be there through graduation for sure.

I'm a student here, and this school is so good! The teachers incorporate Christ into everything,…read moreand are sooo nice! They try not to give tons of homework, but it is still a very rigorous education. They have tons of sports and extracurricular activities. LOVE MY SCHOOL

As a student here, it's a good school. Teachers are really nice, and good education…read more I'm about to go to 5th grade, and I am honestly excited. I never see bullies. Spacious. Great teachers! Would recommend.

This school is ranked very high in the Virginia Beach School District. We have a child attending…read morefirst grade this year. So far, the staff in the office and in the classroom has been friendly and helpful. It is an older school in need of upgrades, but overall it seems to be a very nice elementary school. My only complaint would be that my 1st grader eats lunch at 10:40am and then does not get snack in the afternoon. That is too early for lunch. So he goes 4 hours with no food and he is starved by the time I pick him up in the afternoon. I would love to see them change this.

We have been part of the Great Bridge Christian Academy family for several years and are so…read morethankful for the wonderful experience our boys have had. All of the teachers and staff are kind, caring, and truly wonderful. It gives us such peace of mind knowing our boys are loved and well cared for every day. We are so grateful for GBCA!

The Infant-K4 program is really good with loving staff and teachers. They are deeply about all the…read morechildren as well as their families. I would highly recommend the Early Education Department at GBCA to any family that is looking for childcare.

Excellent school with a good faculty to help build our children. Teachers are always willing to…read morehelp out through some of the rough patches in our children's growth. Also great physical activities and sports available !!! WRESTLING !!!!

This is my daughter's first year here. The teachers have been great. They communicate regularly…read moreand answer emails quickly. There are numerous extracurricular activities: student council, debate club, sports, etc. She has P.E. and an elective every day. She chose band, but other choices include orchestra, chorus, etc. Foreign language is offered starting in 7th grade. The school is safe and clean. There are student activities on a regular basis. We recently attended a student talent show.

Frank W Cox is an excellent high school on N Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach. My son is a…read moregraduate of the school, which excels in academics & sports. My connection to the school goes beyond my son's education. During the time period my stepdaughter attended, I served as PTA President. The Falcons were a perennial State Field Hockey Champion during that time period. Golf was also a sport in which Cox excelled. During recent years the football team has done quite well. The Cox Falcons can claim over 50 State Championships. Some of my close friends were teachers at the school. Most have now retired. I first met one of my lineage society friends during an Open House when my son was taking one of her classes. We've been delighted in the years since that our friendship began with her having taught my son at Cox. I'll never forget the time our family was dining at a Shore Drive restaurant. I didn't know that the bar was the Cox teachers after school hangout. My stepdaughter was shocked. I remember her horrified statement "Teachers!!" I guess she expected teachers to disappear into the sunset when school ended for the day. :) The administration has always been excellent. I had a wonderful relationship with the principal Emily Tilley during the time I was PTA President. The Assistant Principals were promoted to their own Principal positions. I love the building and its layout. I'm hoping that it doesn't fall prey to the School Boards current "tear down & replace with a Taj Mahal" practice. Traditions & memories are important. My son attended Cox in the morning for academics & the Governors School for the Arts in the afternoon. One story tells everything about their academic excellence. Governor's School students were still expected to complete the same homework as full day students even though they had classes & rehearsals at Governors School well into the evening. My son particularly would complain about the difficulty of homework required in Advanced Placement English Comp. When we attended orientation at University of Cincinnati they conducted testing for all incoming freshman to see if they tested out of Freshman English. Because of my son's extensive classwork at Cox he told me "Please, please don't let me test into a higher level course." Of course he did test out of freshman English. Later in the semester I remembered to ask him about the higher level English class. He said it was easy. So Cox's college prep courses were phenomenal for college success. I love to tell this story to my Cox teacher friends. They should be praised for academic excellence. In recent years I was saddened when the School Board rezoned Thoroughgood from Cox to Princess Ann High School. Although I no longer had a student in school it was sad to see the history of neighborhood connection lost. It was an easier drive to Cox. The neighborhood behind us still goes to Cox. In fact, since my house backs up to that neighborhood, my GPS from the back side of my house thinks I am in Church Point. I'm certain the current generation of young parents are happy with their school, having not experienced Cox. I can't help feeling sad since I have no connection to the new neighborhood school. Even worse, the main proponent of the zoning change was a School Board Member who was a member of my Thoroughgood Elementary PTA Board when her oldest child was in kindergarten. Her children were zoned for Bayside High School. Was it a jealousy rezoning? I'll never be convinced of anything else. Go Falcons! You will always hold a special place in my heart.

Cox High School has a reputation for academics and athletics, The student body excels at both. Many…read moreconsider it as one of the top H.S in Virginia Beach. The school is home to the Falcons and they are only one of two city schools that do not have an academy. My daughter now attends as a Freshman. Located just off Great Neck Rd. its one of the more accessible schools to get in and out. The building looks pretty blah industrial and boring brick. I think it was built in the early 80's. The campus out front is pretty with hundreds of tall trees. The interior is noticeably dated in the auditorium seating. Everything appeared well maintained. I attended a recent orientation at the school and found the faculty to be overall caring. However, it's the administration with Dr. Kelly's leadership as principal that impressed me the most. On the academic side they are always considered a top school. In the last few years their ranking has slipped a bit. Do your own research. Dr. Kelly did tout they had the highest math scores in the city which is huge! On the sports side Cox holds over 50 state championships. In the past they dominated football and swim. Overall they are good at everything and strike on championships at every sport. They recently were moved down to 5A which will help them better compete. Although Cox is my home zone school my daughter had a choice through the academy system. I'm delighted she chose to attend Cox is already plugged in several activities.