Australian needing advice on schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reviving a 2 year old thread to plug BISW? School must be short on enrollment. Everyone knows it’s one of the worst privates in DC. No admissions standards. Everyone gets in. People leave as soon as they can for other schools.

I’m the mom who maybe woke up the beast and revived it . I’m not American and just recently discovered DC Urban Moms and Dads and so out of curiosity searched BISW and came across this thread. I have two kids going to BISW and we are the happiest. Our kids are also very happy. We tried the Catholic School system for two years but as a family never clicked. We then tried another international DC private school that is highly respected and we loved the families there very much but our kids did not like the environment. Too much bullying and meanness that we were not used to (similar to your style of comment except constant ). This is our 8th year living in DC. We’ve now been at BISW for a couple of years and could not be happier academically and personally. Wish the school had better sports facilities and teams but it is what it is.

So yes, I wanted to set the record straight as a mom of two kids at the school that there are families who are extremely happy there (or we would not be sending our kids there ).

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on BISW. We are an American family living overseas, and our 3 kids currently go to a British school that uses a mix of the English National Curriculum and IB. My kids are all in Primary still so it is primarily English National Curriculum. We couldn't be happier with our school and with the quality of the teaching, and with the curriculum itself. In our experience, particularly for early literacy and math, the ENC is far superior to any of the various American approaches we experienced ourselves or with our kids before moving overseas. You can have the best school and teachers in the world, but if the curriculum they are teaching is flawed (looking at you, Reading Wars), then you will not get good results.

The British school culture also places a really strong emphasis on developmentally appropriate practices, pastoral care, and building community and collaboration. Our experience with DC privates is that there is a pervasive and toxic level of competitiveness and individualism. Nowhere is that more evident than in the posts on this forum, where a parent saying that they are completely satisfied with their non-Big 3/5/10 school is met with disdain, ridicule, contempt, and gloating.

We will only be in DC for one year, then we will move overseas again to another British school. So for the continuity of our kids' education we are seriously considering BISW. If you can give any more insight on the school, particularly the primary level, I'd love to know.

I just moved my daughter from another DC private school to BISW and I only have good things to say about it. We moved mainly because the obsession with brands and clothes was too much and wanted a uniformed and more disciplined school. Our previous school was a lot of bells and whistles. We’ve been at BISW for only a couple of months and it’s too early to tell but so far, we are extremely happy with the quality of education, the kids, the values, the school culture and families. Hopefully, it will stay this way. I would suggest that you go to the school and ask to speak to some parents.

We’re an expat family and the fact that the school is part of a larger family of Nord Anglia schools with an impressive reputation around the world is a big bonus for us, in case we have to move.

The American school culture may work well for American families but for us, as Europeans, we found out that it is not something that we want for our children. And so move to BISW has been a positive step on many fronts for us so far.

Good luck in your search!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reviving a 2 year old thread to plug BISW? School must be short on enrollment. Everyone knows it’s one of the worst privates in DC. No admissions standards. Everyone gets in. People leave as soon as they can for other schools.

I’m the mom who maybe woke up the beast and revived it . I’m not American and just recently discovered DC Urban Moms and Dads and so out of curiosity searched BISW and came across this thread. I have two kids going to BISW and we are the happiest. Our kids are also very happy. We tried the Catholic School system for two years but as a family never clicked. We then tried another international DC private school that is highly respected and we loved the families there very much but our kids did not like the environment. Too much bullying and meanness that we were not used to (similar to your style of comment except constant ). This is our 8th year living in DC. We’ve now been at BISW for a couple of years and could not be happier academically and personally. Wish the school had better sports facilities and teams but it is what it is.

So yes, I wanted to set the record straight as a mom of two kids at the school that there are families who are extremely happy there (or we would not be sending our kids there ).

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on BISW. We are an American family living overseas, and our 3 kids currently go to a British school that uses a mix of the English National Curriculum and IB. My kids are all in Primary still so it is primarily English National Curriculum. We couldn't be happier with our school and with the quality of the teaching, and with the curriculum itself. In our experience, particularly for early literacy and math, the ENC is far superior to any of the various American approaches we experienced ourselves or with our kids before moving overseas. You can have the best school and teachers in the world, but if the curriculum they are teaching is flawed (looking at you, Reading Wars), then you will not get good results.

The British school culture also places a really strong emphasis on developmentally appropriate practices, pastoral care, and building community and collaboration. Our experience with DC privates is that there is a pervasive and toxic level of competitiveness and individualism. Nowhere is that more evident than in the posts on this forum, where a parent saying that they are completely satisfied with their non-Big 3/5/10 school is met with disdain, ridicule, contempt, and gloating.

We will only be in DC for one year, then we will move overseas again to another British school. So for the continuity of our kids' education we are seriously considering BISW. If you can give any more insight on the school, particularly the primary level, I'd love to know.

Pretty sure that these are the two qualities which made America the most admired, respected, and successful country in the world.

That is true but at the price of our kids’ mental health. We have a mental breakdown pandemic in our schools but rarely gets attention and maybe it starts from the families and parents. We need to find ways to maintain that competitiveness and edge in a healthier way for our kids. Topic for another thread but as a school counselor, I’m interested to learn people’s views.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reviving a 2 year old thread to plug BISW? School must be short on enrollment. Everyone knows it’s one of the worst privates in DC. No admissions standards. Everyone gets in. People leave as soon as they can for other schools.

I’m the mom who maybe woke up the beast and revived it . I’m not American and just recently discovered DC Urban Moms and Dads and so out of curiosity searched BISW and came across this thread. I have two kids going to BISW and we are the happiest. Our kids are also very happy. We tried the Catholic School system for two years but as a family never clicked. We then tried another international DC private school that is highly respected and we loved the families there very much but our kids did not like the environment. Too much bullying and meanness that we were not used to (similar to your style of comment except constant ). This is our 8th year living in DC. We’ve now been at BISW for a couple of years and could not be happier academically and personally. Wish the school had better sports facilities and teams but it is what it is.

So yes, I wanted to set the record straight as a mom of two kids at the school that there are families who are extremely happy there (or we would not be sending our kids there ).

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on BISW. We are an American family living overseas, and our 3 kids currently go to a British school that uses a mix of the English National Curriculum and IB. My kids are all in Primary still so it is primarily English National Curriculum. We couldn't be happier with our school and with the quality of the teaching, and with the curriculum itself. In our experience, particularly for early literacy and math, the ENC is far superior to any of the various American approaches we experienced ourselves or with our kids before moving overseas. You can have the best school and teachers in the world, but if the curriculum they are teaching is flawed (looking at you, Reading Wars), then you will not get good results.

The British school culture also places a really strong emphasis on developmentally appropriate practices, pastoral care, and building community and collaboration. Our experience with DC privates is that there is a pervasive and toxic level of competitiveness and individualism. Nowhere is that more evident than in the posts on this forum, where a parent saying that they are completely satisfied with their non-Big 3/5/10 school is met with disdain, ridicule, contempt, and gloating.

We will only be in DC for one year, then we will move overseas again to another British school. So for the continuity of our kids' education we are seriously considering BISW. If you can give any more insight on the school, particularly the primary level, I'd love to know.

Pretty sure that these are the two qualities which made America the most admired, respected, and successful country in the world.

That is true but at the price of our kids’ mental health. We have a mental breakdown pandemic in our schools but rarely gets attention and maybe it starts from the families and parents. We need to find ways to maintain that competitiveness and edge in a healthier way for our kids. Topic for another thread but as a school counselor, I’m interested to learn people’s views.

The thing is, it's not true. The idea that America is admired or respected at all is laughable. That it is the most admired, respected, and successful country in the world is just complete, unhinged delusion. I'm an American who has lived abroad in many countries and I can tell you that America is viewed with outright contempt by many, and with pity or revulsion by many others. What's not realized by many Americans is that there's a quiet brain drain happening. Smart, successful professionals are leaving the US, at higher rates than we've ever seen, for almost anywhere else in the world.

America is not competitive internationally. Our schools produce pitiful reading and math results for a country of our HDI, and the cost of living, cost of healthcare, and cost of education mean that our country is an increasingly unattractive option for skilled immigration and foreign investment.

Competitiveness and Individualism haven't given us anything except failure and fascism. As you said, our kids have paid the price with their mental health. But what have they paid it for? The Turd Reich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reviving a 2 year old thread to plug BISW? School must be short on enrollment. Everyone knows it’s one of the worst privates in DC. No admissions standards. Everyone gets in. People leave as soon as they can for other schools.

I’m the mom who maybe woke up the beast and revived it . I’m not American and just recently discovered DC Urban Moms and Dads and so out of curiosity searched BISW and came across this thread. I have two kids going to BISW and we are the happiest. Our kids are also very happy. We tried the Catholic School system for two years but as a family never clicked. We then tried another international DC private school that is highly respected and we loved the families there very much but our kids did not like the environment. Too much bullying and meanness that we were not used to (similar to your style of comment except constant ). This is our 8th year living in DC. We’ve now been at BISW for a couple of years and could not be happier academically and personally. Wish the school had better sports facilities and teams but it is what it is.

So yes, I wanted to set the record straight as a mom of two kids at the school that there are families who are extremely happy there (or we would not be sending our kids there ).

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on BISW. We are an American family living overseas, and our 3 kids currently go to a British school that uses a mix of the English National Curriculum and IB. My kids are all in Primary still so it is primarily English National Curriculum. We couldn't be happier with our school and with the quality of the teaching, and with the curriculum itself. In our experience, particularly for early literacy and math, the ENC is far superior to any of the various American approaches we experienced ourselves or with our kids before moving overseas. You can have the best school and teachers in the world, but if the curriculum they are teaching is flawed (looking at you, Reading Wars), then you will not get good results.

The British school culture also places a really strong emphasis on developmentally appropriate practices, pastoral care, and building community and collaboration. Our experience with DC privates is that there is a pervasive and toxic level of competitiveness and individualism. Nowhere is that more evident than in the posts on this forum, where a parent saying that they are completely satisfied with their non-Big 3/5/10 school is met with disdain, ridicule, contempt, and gloating.

We will only be in DC for one year, then we will move overseas again to another British school. So for the continuity of our kids' education we are seriously considering BISW. If you can give any more insight on the school, particularly the primary level, I'd love to know.

Go for it. We’re an all-American family, looking to escape the same issue a number of other people mentioned here: the toxicity in American school culture and we could not be any happier with our BISW choice. This is our fifth year. The sad part is that some kids your children become friends with leave because there are many diplomatic families but this allows our kids to experience a variety of friendships rather than being in the same clique year after year. The academics is much stronger than the curriculum I have experienced elsewhere and the school is very organized. So highly recommend it. Go for it!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the actual District of Columbia (Washington DC proper, not the broader metro area), the public schools (i.e., government-run schools) objectively rank quite poorly overall. The “DC Public Schools” have tragically low academic achievement, and widespread issues of physical safety of the students, with the very narrow exception of one or two elementary schools in NW DC.

If you live inside DC, then I would strongly urge private. Many believe WIS is better than the British School. There also some non-international strong private schools in DC worth considering, including for example the Washington Cathedral Schools (which include Beauvoir for K-3rd, St Albans for boys, & Cathedral School for girls), Sidwell Friends School, and Georgetown Day School (GDS).

If you live just north of DC in Montgomery County, then the “W” high school pyramids (e.g., Wooton, Walt Whitman, Winston Churchill) are generally good. Also, there is St Andrews Episcopal School (SAES) which some on DCUM like and others dislike, but is definitely worth a look-see.

Prince Georges County schools tragically are another mess. I could not recommend them to anyone. I am not well informed about private schools in PG County.

If you live on the Virginia side of the river, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) are a disaster, but Arlington County Public Schools (APS) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are reasonable options. Confusingly, a postal address of “Alexandria” might be in Alexandria City or might be in Fairfax County - so one needs to check into the details in that case. Privates to consider on the Virginia side include at least St Stephens/St Agnes School (SSSAS) in Alexandria, Potomac School in McLean, and Flint Hill School (which is farther west than the other two).

St. Andrew's Episcopal School is academically not as strong as National Cathedral(girls) and St. Albans(boys).

[Anonymous]

this thread is from 2023.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the actual District of Columbia (Washington DC proper, not the broader metro area), the public schools (i.e., government-run schools) objectively rank quite poorly overall. The “DC Public Schools” have tragically low academic achievement, and widespread issues of physical safety of the students, with the very narrow exception of one or two elementary schools in NW DC.

If you live inside DC, then I would strongly urge private. Many believe WIS is better than the British School. There also some non-international strong private schools in DC worth considering, including for example the Washington Cathedral Schools (which include Beauvoir for K-3rd, St Albans for boys, & Cathedral School for girls), Sidwell Friends School, and Georgetown Day School (GDS).

If you live just north of DC in Montgomery County, then the “W” high school pyramids (e.g., Wooton, Walt Whitman, Winston Churchill) are generally good. Also, there is St Andrews Episcopal School (SAES) which some on DCUM like and others dislike, but is definitely worth a look-see.

Prince Georges County schools tragically are another mess. I could not recommend them to anyone. I am not well informed about private schools in PG County.

If you live on the Virginia side of the river, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) are a disaster, but Arlington County Public Schools (APS) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are reasonable options. Confusingly, a postal address of “Alexandria” might be in Alexandria City or might be in Fairfax County - so one needs to check into the details in that case. Privates to consider on the Virginia side include at least St Stephens/St Agnes School (SSSAS) in Alexandria, Potomac School in McLean, and Flint Hill School (which is farther west than the other two).

St. Andrew's Episcopal School is academically not as strong as National Cathedral(girls) and St. Albans(boys).

I would also take a look at the WIS/BISW comparison. I live in a gated community in DC. Our two daughters are WIS-lifers but in our community, there are many families who are sending their kids to BISW and are very happy with it. I love many things about WIS but, lately, the mental health aspects have especially come to concern me and when I speak to BISW parents, their kids are not having the same types of negative experiences I’m seeing at our school, at least not to the same magnitude and intensity. I’m not sure why this is the case, but many parents attribute it to the unique school environment that BISW has due to the niche market that it serves. I hate the fact that I’m having to start thinking about alternatives and other options. But I am starting to look around.

Also, as we go further into middle and high school, WIS is not cutting it for us. We cannot afford more tutors and outside help beyond what we pas as tuition, but I’m starting to feel like my kids are not getting what they need academically.

So, the school shopping may soon officially start for me, and I am very sad by it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reviving a 2 year old thread to plug BISW? School must be short on enrollment. Everyone knows it’s one of the worst privates in DC. No admissions standards. Everyone gets in. People leave as soon as they can for other schools.

A two year thread had been revived. Here are my two cents:

American family here who decided to switch to BISW. There aren’t that many of us as a percentage of the total student body but I can see that every year, we are getting more families. My wife and I are both private school graduates and the universities we went to both was full of kids coming from private schools from around the country. Our three kids were attending another one of the recognized private school in DC. Almost all of our neighbors send their kids to private schools as well. With all this background and knowledge, we settled for BISW in the end for all our 3 kids. Our main reason was to get away from the helicopter parents who are ignorant yet highly judgmental (familiar?) and raise equally ignorant, entitled, judgmental kids who have infested many of our private schools. BISW is a much healthier environment and as some other posters have said, the British quality of education taught here is much more advanced compared to what we were getting in other schools. The kids are high achievers and competitive but the competition is healthy, bullying is far less of a problem and our kids do not suffer from the mental health problems that some of our friends and neighbors complain about at some other schools.

I personally think that (a) having school uniforms; (b) having a very diverse student body with many cultures and nationalities; and (c) having a large transient student body contribute to making this a healthier environment for the kids and families. Even if there are some bad apples and bullies, they are usually gone before you know it.

This may make making lifelong friends difficult but my high schooler is still in touch with her friends who left BISW three years ago and, in fact, last summer, we went to visit them in Romania. So, with today’s technologies and modes of communication, I’m not sure how much of an issue this is.

Bottom line, the school may not be for everyone, but for those seeking some of the things our family was looking for, it may be worth taking a second look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the actual District of Columbia (Washington DC proper, not the broader metro area), the public schools (i.e., government-run schools) objectively rank quite poorly overall. The “DC Public Schools” have tragically low academic achievement, and widespread issues of physical safety of the students, with the very narrow exception of one or two elementary schools in NW DC.

If you live inside DC, then I would strongly urge private. Many believe WIS is better than the British School. There also some non-international strong private schools in DC worth considering, including for example the Washington Cathedral Schools (which include Beauvoir for K-3rd, St Albans for boys, & Cathedral School for girls), Sidwell Friends School, and Georgetown Day School (GDS).

If you live just north of DC in Montgomery County, then the “W” high school pyramids (e.g., Wooton, Walt Whitman, Winston Churchill) are generally good. Also, there is St Andrews Episcopal School (SAES) which some on DCUM like and others dislike, but is definitely worth a look-see.

Prince Georges County schools tragically are another mess. I could not recommend them to anyone. I am not well informed about private schools in PG County.

If you live on the Virginia side of the river, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) are a disaster, but Arlington County Public Schools (APS) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are reasonable options. Confusingly, a postal address of “Alexandria” might be in Alexandria City or might be in Fairfax County - so one needs to check into the details in that case. Privates to consider on the Virginia side include at least St Stephens/St Agnes School (SSSAS) in Alexandria, Potomac School in McLean, and Flint Hill School (which is farther west than the other two).

St. Andrew's Episcopal School is academically not as strong as National Cathedral(girls) and St. Albans(boys).

I would also take a look at the WIS/BISW comparison. I live in a gated community in DC. Our two daughters are WIS-lifers but in our community, there are many families who are sending their kids to BISW and are very happy with it. I love many things about WIS but, lately, the mental health aspects have especially come to concern me and when I speak to BISW parents, their kids are not having the same types of negative experiences I’m seeing at our school, at least not to the same magnitude and intensity. I’m not sure why this is the case, but many parents attribute it to the unique school environment that BISW has due to the niche market that it serves. I hate the fact that I’m having to start thinking about alternatives and other options. But I am starting to look around.

Also, as we go further into middle and high school, WIS is not cutting it for us. We cannot afford more tutors and outside help beyond what we pas as tuition, but I’m starting to feel like my kids are not getting what they need academically.

So, the school shopping may soon officially start for me, and I am very sad by it.

Where are there gated communities in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the actual District of Columbia (Washington DC proper, not the broader metro area), the public schools (i.e., government-run schools) objectively rank quite poorly overall. The “DC Public Schools” have tragically low academic achievement, and widespread issues of physical safety of the students, with the very narrow exception of one or two elementary schools in NW DC.

If you live inside DC, then I would strongly urge private. Many believe WIS is better than the British School. There also some non-international strong private schools in DC worth considering, including for example the Washington Cathedral Schools (which include Beauvoir for K-3rd, St Albans for boys, & Cathedral School for girls), Sidwell Friends School, and Georgetown Day School (GDS).

If you live just north of DC in Montgomery County, then the “W” high school pyramids (e.g., Wooton, Walt Whitman, Winston Churchill) are generally good. Also, there is St Andrews Episcopal School (SAES) which some on DCUM like and others dislike, but is definitely worth a look-see.

Prince Georges County schools tragically are another mess. I could not recommend them to anyone. I am not well informed about private schools in PG County.

If you live on the Virginia side of the river, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) are a disaster, but Arlington County Public Schools (APS) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are reasonable options. Confusingly, a postal address of “Alexandria” might be in Alexandria City or might be in Fairfax County - so one needs to check into the details in that case. Privates to consider on the Virginia side include at least St Stephens/St Agnes School (SSSAS) in Alexandria, Potomac School in McLean, and Flint Hill School (which is farther west than the other two).

St. Andrew's Episcopal School is academically not as strong as National Cathedral(girls) and St. Albans(boys).

I would also take a look at the WIS/BISW comparison. I live in a gated community in DC. Our two daughters are WIS-lifers but in our community, there are many families who are sending their kids to BISW and are very happy with it. I love many things about WIS but, lately, the mental health aspects have especially come to concern me and when I speak to BISW parents, their kids are not having the same types of negative experiences I’m seeing at our school, at least not to the same magnitude and intensity. I’m not sure why this is the case, but many parents attribute it to the unique school environment that BISW has due to the niche market that it serves. I hate the fact that I’m having to start thinking about alternatives and other options. But I am starting to look around.

Also, as we go further into middle and high school, WIS is not cutting it for us. We cannot afford more tutors and outside help beyond what we pas as tuition, but I’m starting to feel like my kids are not getting what they need academically.

So, the school shopping may soon officially start for me, and I am very sad by it.

Where are there gated communities in DC?

DP. There are a few, like Hillandale and Bishop’s Gate.