British School of Washington

[Anonymous]

What is your opinion of this school? I went on a tour months ago and have not seen the new campus.

[Anonymous]

My kids have been there for years, and the new campus is much better than the old. They've really shelled out (tour on the website, I think). The fact is, though, that it's an urban school and does not have the rolling hills that some older schools are lucky enough to have! That said, they have done an extraordinary, personal and thoughtful job educating my kids
.

[Anonymous]

My child is there, and I don't appreciate getting 40 minutes of warning for an early pick-up today for a non-emergency.

They warned us yesterday that they might need to close the school because of over-active heaters that they were trying to fix. They opened this morning at 8:30, only to call with an automated message at 10:50 to say that the school was closing at 11:30. Kids were sent out with their teachers to wait in the 50 degree weather for parents to come. I'm just glad that I could be there on time...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is there, and I don't appreciate getting 40 minutes of warning for an early pick-up today for a non-emergency.

They warned us yesterday that they might need to close the school because of over-active heaters that they were trying to fix. They opened this morning at 8:30, only to call with an automated message at 10:50 to say that the school was closing at 11:30. Kids were sent out with their teachers to wait in the 50 degree weather for parents to come. I'm just glad that I could be there on time...

Do you have any other comments about the school? Is it a nice place? Good teachers? Nice kids? Etc.?

[Anonymous]

I took the tour a couple of months ago and when I found out that there is only one teach per class and the other "assitant" might be a parent or basically anyone else with zero experience or qualification in teaching (or have no qualifications for that matter), i.e. just someone who wants to earn some money - I was not impressed and removed it from my list..

[Anonymous]

I went on the tour too, and I was told that they are doubling the size of their nursery program next year to 40. They will have two full-time teachers and two assistant teachers.

Which leads me to my bigger question: What ARE the qualifications for private preschool teachers and assistant teachers? I would assume very little...and does it vary from preschool to preschool?

I have to confess I haven't been paying much attention to teacher qualifications on the tours...!

Thanks for any insight.

[Anonymous]

Teachers are great - education is solid. The COO and the Head, however, are very difficult to deal with. There have been a lot of issues over the past number of years. Parents have had to band together in the face of unreasonable choices made by the COO and Head. Over 125 parents signed a petition of protest this December that was sent to the corporation in London. When confronted with parental concerns, COO told a couple parents that if parents were unhappy they should just go elsewhere. The school leadership did not plan to have a playground for the children at the new school. When parents found out about it in the spring of 2007 they formed a committee and protested strongly until the leadership agreed to provide a grassy space (no playground equipment). Now the parents have been told that the "playground" is only temporary (through the end of this school year). There may not be an outdoor playground for children over 5 next year. Finally, the tuition has gone up by approximately $6000 from 5 years ago. If you have young children and you are looking at other schools that are more established, you may want to consider them first. Again, teachers are fantastic but the COO and Head are very difficult . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Finally, the tuition has gone up by approximately $6000 from 5 years ago.

British School of Washington is a for-profit independent school. Most of the schools in the area are not-for-profits. But even at these schools, tuition increases about 7% each year. So $6K over 5 years is definitely with the range of "normal" around here. Not saying I'm happy about the increases at our school, but it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

That's interesting about the playground. I was looking at this school for nursery, and I noticed that the playground was under construction.

Are they seriously not going to put any equipment at all on the playground? Why would that be???

It's so strange. And where do the older kids do PE classes?

And is this the only real problem or is this indicative of larger problems?

And lastly, isn't the head of school leaving this year?

[Anonymous]

the playground next to the building is for nursery/reception. there is an open space by the loading dock that they are using as a play yard for children 5+ - that is the space that may not be available next year - parents were told that "if we are good tenants" we may be able to use the space in the fall.

we can't speak for all parents but there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that seems to be indicative of a larger problem (management - COO/Head).

younger children take PE in the large hall at school, older children typically use jellef boys & girls club.

we have been with the school for 5 years and are pleased with the sound education but keep hoping things will improve on all other levels - a tuition increase isn't an issue if you get what you pay for - but with the cost coming close to that of more established schools - it's getting harder to overlook the miriad of behind the scenes problems that exist.

the head is leaving at the end of the school year but will still be involved with British Schools of America in DC. parents are cautiously optimistic about the new head.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. Thanks. I hope the new head improves things.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone provide information on the percentages of actual British students at the school?

[Anonymous]

Based on my child's year, I'd estimate that between 1/3 and 1/2 of children have at least one British parent. Another 1/3 or more have other international parents.

[Anonymous]

I'm interested in the British School for my child. As a product of the Washington International School, I can attest to the value of an international outlook and focus in education. But there are things that bothered me about WIS, i.e., at the time that I attended, it was very Eurocentric (not necessarily the student body, but Euro was "cool" and non-Euro was not). I'm a second-gen American of non-European parents, and I think it's important for my child to be at a school that values all cultures equally. Can anyone enlighten me on the British School's general approach to cultural diversity? Obviously, the prevailing "culture" is British, but is there a "pecking order?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm interested in the British School for my child. As a product of the Washington International School, I can attest to the value of an international outlook and focus in education. But there are things that bothered me about WIS, i.e., at the time that I attended, it was very Eurocentric (not necessarily the student body, but Euro was "cool" and non-Euro was not). I'm a second-gen American of non-European parents, and I think it's important for my child to be at a school that values all cultures equally. Can anyone enlighten me on the British School's general approach to cultural diversity? Obviously, the prevailing "culture" is British, but is there a "pecking order?"

I doubt the British School can be more broadly international than WIS...