British School of Washington

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know anything about this school, either positive or negative? Also wondering how far in advance one would need to apply for a Year 1/Kindergarten spot. I have an August 21 child and not sure how that would also work with their September 1 cutoff (do they follow strictly or do they recommend waiting a year when the child is that close).

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

1. Deadlines: An August birthday would meet the deadline. They've been known to be a bit flexible, even letting in kids who miss the deadline by a few weeks and have September birthdays (so turning 5 a few weeks after starting Year 1, for example).

2. Applications: No firm deadlines, and they're trying to grow, so probably no rush. I'd guess applying in spring would be fine for fall admission--but you might even get a spot if you apply in summer or fall.

3. Ask about the realities of their class size--last year the web site said maximum class size of 20. In fact, they went to 24 or so for the 4-year-old (reception) class before splitting into two groups with an additional teacher. They did have two aides in the larger class, but still only one teacher. (Now the web site says average class size of 20.)

4. They're moving soon, in a few weeks, so definitely do a tour sometime after that to check out the facilities, if possible. Ask about outdoor play space for the youngest kids, since that was limited at the old location and still a bit up in the air at the new location.

5. The head of school is leaving at the end of the year, so that position is up in the air.

6. The school population is quite diverse--a mix of American and international. Nice people and very interesting backgrounds. One small point: Many of the international kids seem to have their tuition paid by their parents' employers. Therefore, it may seem as though those parents not paying the tuition themselves are less critical of the school than the parents paying for the tuition out-of-pocket. Not sure if having a somewhat-captive population changes the way the school is managed.

7. Specifics of the school fit probably depend on the child. Feel free to post more.

[Anonymous]

Bump