Westminster School

3819 Gallows Road

Annandale, VA 22003

64 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 03, 2022

My son has been going to Westminster School for 2 years now and I cannot say enough great things about this school! The first thing to mention is the faculty and staff. They are all so dedicated, brilliant, passionate, knowledgeable and genuine. They take pride in doing their part every day to ensure to provide the students with the best learning environment and curriculum. Furthermore, they are always willing and ready to go the extra mile to help out in any situations. The way they adapted to the pandemic and found the way to offer an in-person leaning in a safe way when many schools were only on-line was truly impressive and really showed their commitment to the students and families. It is rare to see such work ethics in talented people these days, and to be able to interact with each other with mutual respect and curtesy, too much of which is sadly lost in today's world. Personally, I am particularly pleased to see the diversity in race, culture, religion and ethnicities at Westminster School. My husband, son and I are each of different race, religion and cultural background and we feel welcome, supported and loved. Lastly, Westminster School does not just have the high academic standards, they also have wonderful art, music and PE classes taught by teachers with remarkable qualifications. Hence you can rest assured that your child will have a well-rounded school experience. My son is not the smartest student in class, but he is learning a lot better than we expected and growing to be a happy and healthy young man. I come from a family of all elementary and middle school teachers, so I would like to think that I know a little about creating a great school. My husband and I are thoroughly impressed with Westminster School!!
Submitted by parent on March 31, 2022

World class instruction based on a challenging curriculum delivered by phenomenal teachers who care deeply about the well-being of our children. Hands down, there is no better school in the area. After extensive review of the schools located in the DC surrounding area, we choose Westminster five years ago and they have exceeded our expectations in every way since. As parents, the goal for our two boys was simple, prepare them to be productive, successful, and well-rounded citizens who are ready to meet the challenges that await them in a highly competitive and ever-changing world. Without fail, Westminister has and is doing this on par with the most prestigious schools in the US, Europe and Asia. The solid curriculum rooted in the classics is designed to build a firm academic foundation while simultaneously encouraging a love of learning. The loving atmosphere to which they receive this instruction ensure our boys receive, process and understand it far beyond the level they would receive it from other schools. They are exposed to not one, but multiple ways to solve problems and understand concepts, allowing them to problem solve on their own. Yes, the curriculum is rigorous, but so is it at the best schools, such as Ludgrove and Berkshire. The difference for us is that our boys receive this instruction from a teaching staff who love our boys as much as we do and staff who are as concerned about preparing our sons for the future as we are. With 5 years under our belt, we see how our boys have matured and grown as members of the school and community, while obtaining knowledge at an accelerated pace. We have entrusted the future of our sons to Westminister and have zero reservations about it. We know they will emerge from the school confident, intelligent, well-rounded, and prepared to face every challenge that awaits them in a highly competitive and unforgiving world. There is no doubt that Westminister will be the reason!!
Submitted by parent on July 13, 2021

This school does not know how to teach. It knows how to create robots who can stand in front of people and recite memorized lines. Everything this school does goes against what we know about good schools today. The children all are forced to stand up and recite "Good morning" to the teachers before each lesson as their appearance is critiqued. The children are also forced to read low-interest, whitewashed "classic" books, some of which are on public school banned lists. There is no value for thought, even in the highly praised "plays" are the students really getting into characters and understanding the words they are saying? Again, the focus is on memorizing lines for the plays, memorizing math formulas and facts, memorizing English quotes and memorizing vocabulary and spelling. There is no thinking happening at this school. There is no freedom to think, question, or truly understand concepts. Everything the teachers say is law that the students must agree with and memorize for the test. I sent my oldest here and regret it, because she is now timid, shy, and scared to make a mistake or get something wrong. She can say "Yes, Ma'am" with proper poise, she can copy what the teachers do on the board, she can memorize the lines she reads in books, but she cannot problem solve, create anything for herself, or have a normal teenage social life. I am so thankful that I did not send my youngest to this school.
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2021

Westminster School has done an outstanding job in dealing with the challenges from the Covid 19 pandemic. They have been in session since the first day of school in September 2020 and have a discipline program to keep students and teachers safe. They have been innovative in still giving the students innovative experience despite travel restrictions by having virtual field trips, class plays, etc.
Submitted by other on December 02, 2020

Westminster is not just a typical K-8 school — it is an experience, one that shapes a child’s foundation from an early age to be accepting, diverse, respectful, compassionate, understanding, solution-seeking, and independent. It is quite rare to find a school that not only teaches kids a strong-rooted curriculum, but also places an emphasis on developing a child’s character and integrity at such young age. Westminster does just that — and as a result, it sends well rounded individuals into the world, that become outstanding contributors to society. The thing that stands out the most in regards to Westminster is their overall attention to detail. From their staff, to their administration and leadership, every aspect of the school is so intentionally thought out for the benefit of the children. The have such an impressive and rigorous classical education program that is unparalleled and very hard to come by these days. They also have a robust arts program, giving kids the ability to express themselves through music, theatre, dance, art, literature, etc. To top it off, the community aspect at Westminster is so beautiful. It’s more than a school, it’s a family unit — a second home. I wish we had more programs and places like Westminster School in the world!
Submitted by other on August 31, 2020

Overall, felt like it laid a solid foundation for my writing skills. However, I lacked a lot of social skills when transitioning to a larger school and I do not think I was appropriately challenged to think critically or embrace my individuality. It's a little bit ridiculous to me that the education is rather Euro-centric and surrounds the "classics" while ignoring critical history of the U.S. and other populations around the globe. Even so, I suppose the theater aspect is a unique "niche" selling point; regardless, it was not for me.
Submitted by teacher on August 19, 2020

My experience at this school was delightful. I was captivated by all the talented and kindhearted children surrounding me daily. I loved watching all the impressive grade level theater performances. I felt appreciated with the warm greeting whenever I walked into a classroom. I liked giving the students academic challenges and seeing them rise to the expectations. Friends and family can't believe it when I say I was working on 4 digit addition and subtraction with regrouping with first graders, and I respond, it's the magic of Westminster School. I felt like I was truly making a difference in children's lives surrounded by a community of caring and supportive parents, teachers, and leaders.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2020

Westminster has exceeded our expectations in every way. Our daughter has blossomed and has become self-motivated and the CEO of her own education. The growth we have seen in her is truly remarkable and the quality of the teaching and the vision of the school gets a great deal of the credit. We have zero complaints. In the Covid pandemic, the school's performance has also been nearly flawless. They pivoted to distance learning seamlessly while other schools flailed and failed. They delivered a challenging and accountable distance learning product and completed the curriculum. And for 2020-21 they have thoughtfully adapted to healthy protocols for a modified in-person experience - a commitment that proves they care far more for the whole-self health of their students more than schools that shirked the challenge and merely went back online when superior in-person learning was possible. We have been totally impressed with the way Westminster's leadership has communicated in the pandemic, and their decision-making matrices to protect and educate our daughter and her classmates.
Submitted by parent on August 11, 2020

Westminster provides an advanced academic program that focuses on a traditional education -- ancient mythology, Latin, drama, and character building. Perhaps this is why Westminster families are so diverse. Additionally, in the spring of 2020, Westminster was able to provide robust online instruction. Westminster was able to quickly accommodate the COVID lock-down by providing an advanced program of online learning.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2020

My experience at Westminster School was great. The foundation that the school provided my son was superior. I highly recommend Westminster School.
Submitted by parent on August 03, 2020

I give this school 5 star rating with no reservation .
Submitted by parent on July 22, 2020

I really wanted to like this school but we pulled our kids out after a few years. There has been a mass exodus of the school because of poor leadership. The tuition is HIGH for what you get and the Board needs to get involved to change the leadership.
Submitted by other on May 20, 2020

Westminster School has done a remarkable job of adapting to distance learning under the current lock down. It has excelled when other schools (notably Fairfax County) was unable to get their programs off the ground
Submitted by parent on April 15, 2020

Excellent! I would highly recommend this school. It is a family and a tight knit community.
Submitted by other on January 19, 2020

I would rate my experience as 'Excellent'. The values that Westminster has instilled in me, whether it be compassion, team building, kindness, confidence, ability to speak out against injustice, I will cherish these values, along with the ideal work ethic required to succeed. Westminster not only emphasizes hard work, but also the value of appreciating one's self and others around.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2019

We have been beyond happy with our time at Westminster! We actively sought out a school with the classical education model, and Westminster was by far the most appropriate for us. They follow the principles of the classical education model by teaching the grammar, theory and rhetoric phases of learning. Homework and repetition are a feature of the model, not a bug; and we fully expected that going in and understand it more now. Our student is passionate about learning, and Westminster School, it's teachers and administrators have ensured her continued passion for learning. Each week our student comes home excited about learning or doing something new, whether it's the class play, Egypt day, a new book, field trips, music, or art. We continue to be impressed by the school and will send our other children to Westminster when the time comes.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2019

I regret enrolling my children in this school and took them out after just one year. Any public school is better than this school.
Submitted by other on June 02, 2019

Being a student at Westminster was not necessarily easy, but was a valuable experience that set me above the average student. The diverse curriculum paired with a multitude of extra curricular activities gives each student a one of a kind experience. Students here are exposed to many subjects and experiences that many schools dont even think to incorporate in their system. From public speaking, to the classical books, and all the way to the field trips make the Westminster experience one of a kind
Submitted by parent on May 31, 2019

I was very involved in all aspects of my sons time at this school during the 9 years he attended. I rate my personal experience a 10+. This school has been instrumental in character building of my young adult son, and all of his friends from the class of 2014. I am most impressed that my child looks forward to having his own children have the good fortune of walking through the halls of Westminster School as young students themselves.
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2019

Exceptional! Our experience with our children was just amazing. We see our children excelling and confident in high school. Very happy that a school takes the time to teach cursive and doesn't rely on electronic devices for communicating. The out of classroom learning experience is impressive, with multiple field trips used to enhance the curriculum. Just love the work ethic the school teaches.