SAES: Two Questions
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Anonymous
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1. How is the workload in upper school? How many hours of homework per night for an average/good student to do well?
2. Are they able to provide accommodations that can make the workload more manageable for kids who are visual learners or have attention issues? Things like extended time, separate testing space, and audiobooks for textbooks. |
Anonymous
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I can’t answer that second question. You should address that directly with the school.
In terms of homework, it varies day to day and even semester to semester. It can be as little as 30 minutes one night to as much as a few hours. They do have study hall so if you use your time wisely you can get some done at school. |
Anonymous
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Yes, they incorporated our kid's public school 504 plan and allowed extra time if needed. Kid didn't take advantage of it but had it.
Homework didn't seem excessive and mostly got done at school from what I could tell - this is for HS. Taking APs probably adds in addl homework. Our kid only took a few. Some kids pile them on. |
Anonymous
| Can’t speak to accommodations, but homework will vary greatly depending on number of AP/honors classes your student is taking. There is a big difference in work volume between a “regular” and honors/AP class. DS opted to take an additional class so didn’t have study hall in the rotation last year and that meant significantly more HW. They have a rotating schedule so you don’t have all classes every day and that has helped with HW management. One of the things we’ve liked about SAES is that teachers seem to be thoughtful about what they assign for work outside of class. |
Anonymous
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My junior does extracurriculars and sports immediately after school, is home by 6:40 pm, starts homework at 8 PM and finishes at midnight. But it's junior year and APs, so there's that. At St Andrew's, your child can go for the full rigor thing, or you can dial it down. There's a good cohort either way, which makes the environment less stressful.
Yes, there's extra test time for kids with diagnosed learning challenges, but not any other school-provided support. I've never heard of separate testing space or audiobooks. In fact, I've heard it said there that the idea of "visual learners" is a myth. If your child needs that kind of extra support in Upper School, you might want to look at Mclean instead. |
Anonymous
There are dyslexic students at every school, and they don't all need to go to McLean. Even the so-called "big 3" schools provide audiobooks (and your computer has a built in screen reader for pdfs). If a student gets extra time, they almost definitely need a separate place to take the test since they can't stay in the classroom when the class period is over. Again, a standard accommodation even at the most rigorous schools. |
Anonymous
| My kid is in SAES and has a lot of homework each night and after sports it makes for a very long night. We live 45 minutes away so that adds up. Minimum 2 hours a night 3x a week. Friends report the same. It is not a light homework school. |
Anonymous
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The school is pretty clear that it is not a school targeting special needs students. It seeks neurotypical kids and has a college prep curriculum.
Sycamore School in VA or McLean School in Potomac might be better options for a special needs child. Only OP can figure out if their child is special needs. |
Anonymous
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We've had 3 kids go through the upper school at SAES. As many have said - if they take AP or honors class - they will have a lot more homework. The rotating schedules and study halls definitely help but my kids easily spend 2-4 hours/night with homework (two have taken all AP/honors and the other has a mix of rigor).
They do offer the usual accommodations - extended time (tests just need to be completed in the same day - so either in a study hall or after school). I haven't heard of a separate test location or audio books but I'm sure if you reach out to the school with specific questions - they can help you. Good luck! |
Anonymous
I think it used to have a reputation for being a good school for kids with mild learning differences but that no longer seems to be the case. My hypothesis is that once a school has that reputation, it starts to attract more students with that profile than it can support. |
Anonymous
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I have two kids in the US at SAES, and I agree that the workload depends greatly on the classes they are taking, but it is manageable.
As for accommodations, they can give things like extra time, alternate testing space, notes provided by teacher, etc. I think they offer audiobooks too. However, you must provide a report for a neuropsych or psycho-ed testing. Also, if your child needs tutoring/coaching/1-1 support, you will need to pay for your own tutor. Also, if you have further questions, reach out to the learning specialist for the US. |
Anonymous
| Agree with posters above that the homework load seems to really depend on the type of classes, with Honors/AP being much more work. For extra time, I think often this must be done at the end of the day or during a study hall- just something to think about as the need for extra time in the day can also be a pain with sports, take up study hall time, etc. |