Ha'penny Montessori School

20854 Stubble Road

Ashburn, VA 20147

18 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-K
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on June 06, 2019

General Comment - If you are looking for day care for an active kid, who loves group activities, and a play and learn environment, this is not the right school. After we moved my kid out of this school, My kid is thriving in the new school. I agree with another parent's review - For full day, I would suggest look else where. Its a waste of money as its highly priced for full day. My kid was bored in the after care. They hardly engage the kids. There are only 1 or two teachers who really enjoy and engage the kids. Rest are mostly relaxing and watching kids like babysitters. They do not give any activities to the kids in the aftercare. Just to be aware, there are Lot of weeks, the school is off, no additional care is provided. Another major thing to watch out for is the ticks problem as the playground faces woods. Please be educated about ticks and tick related diseases.
Submitted by parent on September 08, 2016

Enrolling our son at Ha'Penny is by far one of the best parenting decisions we have made. He is a very energetic, stubborn and inquisitive child that needs a go go go environment. The curriculum at Ha'Penny allows our son to advance both socially and academically in a very LOVING environment.Every teacher knows his name regardless of the age group they teach. He started there at age 3 and is now in a Primary classroom. The ability for him to interact with both younger and older children is an awesome life lesson and one that Ha'Penny encourages.Every day he comes homes happy with stories of what he learned and who he played with that day. If there are any issues we are always made aware, and in fact, the director and I have become quite close over email :)Her personal investment in every child's success is beyond clear in her everyday involvement with each class.I could go on for days! But most importantly the advances in my sons social and academic skills have excelled well beyond the rate at which I thought possible due to Ha'Penny and its amazing teachers.
Submitted by parent on September 07, 2016

Our children have been attending Ha'penny Montessori school for 6 years now. We have been through infant, toddler and primary programs with nothing but satisfaction . The cultural diversity of the employees and families is a plus. The aftercare programs are more play based and the Montessori school day ends at 3pm. Montessori has never been promised in the aftercare program, it is good care for children who's parents need a good school in the morning and a loving environment for extended care . The children are actually allowed be children and play in the aftercare program. I would have no hesitation in recommending Ha'penny to anyone looking for a quality all round education, a loving and nurturing environment and a family friendly home away from home for your kids between infant and kindergarten.
Submitted by parent on July 08, 2016

I feel a little generous giving 3 stars, but the school gets that purely because of the infant and toddler classes. I liked the teacher/student ratios in both the infant and toddler classes and felt that my child got a lot of love and attention. The teachers also keep the children engaged throughout the day, even in aftercare. In the Primary classes the ratios are not as great, but still standard I suppose. The classrooms seem very small for the number of students. If you're looking for a full-day program, I would suggest you look elsewhere because the aftercare program is a joke and simply glorified babysitting. I once heard a parent question a teacher about the lack of learning in aftercare and the response was that the Montessori education ends at noon!. The kids learn nothing and the teachers sit around. At pickup I saw teachers on there phones numerous times and on several occasions I picked up my child (other kids still present) in the hallway because the teachers had cleaned up and were ready to leave, even though it wasn't 6PM yet. I had to move my child from this school because my child was miserable in primary and it would take an extremely long review to describe how miserable. When my child started at a new school, there was an instant change and I mean from day one. We had prepared ourselves for a rough transition but what we experienced was a seamless one.The school has a high teacher turnover and while we were at the school, we noticed the English of the teachers' assistants was quite questionable. We couldn't communicate too effectively with a couple of them, but they still seemed loving. The administrator was friendly and always helpful, however I didn't trust the director and also thought she was all about the bottom line. I would give 4 stars based on infant and toddler programs (less 1 star because of the English/communication issue), however, I would only give the primary program 1 star.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2016

It's a great school. My daughter loves her teachers and looks forward to go to school everyday.
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2015

Our daughter has been at Ha'Penny since January. Even before she started, the staff was so helpful in getting her ready and helping answer our questions. From day one, everyone at the school has been so welcoming. They know us, all know our daughter by name, and truly care about her. We love that it's a small school with a community feeling, and love the Montessori approach. We are constantly astounded by what our daughter is learning and have seen great strides in her language and development since she started attending. The Montessori Compass makes communicating with the teachers and keeping up to date on her progress very easy. We feel like she has never received anything but superb care here. The environment is clean, nurturing, and very much geared towards the children learning as individuals and making progress on their own time.
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2015

This is our first year with Ha'Penny Montessori and we could not be happier. Our son is thriving both academically and socially. The teachers are all wonderful, loving and truly caring. We love the Montessori Compass that provides us with monthly progress reports and a clear explanation of the skills/content taught. We highly recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2014

We have had nothing but great experiences at Ha'Penny. They are , hands down, the most caring and nurturing school we have attended. The whole school works as a team and every employee knows every child. The director is there everyday with an open door and truly listens to parents. Our kids are confident, smart, above average children and we attribute that to their time at Ha'Penny Montessori School. We love the family spirit at the school and could not think of a better start to our children's education, they continue to Love to Learn.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2014

We had a very poor experience with the school. The teachers were laregly disengaged and let their assistants do all the work. The school cares much more about their bottom line than doing the best for the families and children. The end result is a sad mix of students entering Kindergarten, scrambling to catch up with their peers. There are better Montessori options in the area that haven't had the large number of families and teachers leaving in droves. My advice, if you are considering the school, is to keep looking.
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2014

I highly recommend Ha'penny Montessori school. My family is very blessed to be a part of this school. I am so thankful for the teachers especially in primary classroom as they continue to not only teach excellent academics, but also have a wonderful emphasis on strong character, which is so extremely important. It is a great comfort to me to know that my child is in a safe and peaceful and nourishing environment. The teachers are so kind, compassionate, and understanding. We are so blessed!
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2014

I would like readers to know my husband and I have had three children attend Ha penny Montessori School. My review is based on over five years with this school and I have first-hand experience with almost every classroom teacher currently working at Ha penny Montessori School. Contrary to other reviews, Ha penny Montessori School has provided my children with a wonderful and enriching educational experience that is second to none. The director as well as the teachers are extremely loving and very dedicated to the school and parents. I only wish that Ha penny Montessori School would extend its program through Elementary so that my older children could continue to benefit from the amazing learning environment they provide. I highly recommend that any parent who is interested in high quality early education seriously consider Ha penny Montessori School.
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2014

I have two children at HMS, one in the toddler class and another in the primary. I have been extremely happy with this school. The teachers are very well versed in the Montessori system and keep up with yearly trainings. Since enrolling, my kids have exuded a high level of confidence as well as academics. I toured a lot of schools prior to enrolling and this is the best decision I have made so far. I have had the opportunity to observe both classes while in session and I have nothing but high praise for their teachers and the individual interactions they have with all the children. The Director's number one priority is the children and this is clearly shown in how my kids as well as the other children completely light up and tell her about their day. She is welcoming and very easy to deal with on all levels. The school operates on Loudoun county school closures and openings when it snows. With the numerous snow days that we have had this year she has had so much compassion for working parents and has kept the school open even when loudoun county was closed. HMS gives me a high sense of security and academic excellence for my children.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2014

Unfortunately, our experience with Ha'Penny was sadly and hugely disappointing. I would highly recommend to anyone contemplating this school to also carefully consider other site reviews (Google, etc.), as well as certifications and class size. The school has requested referrals in its newsletters so bear that in mind as you review. We were tremendously concerned and disappointed by a teacher's and the director's interactions with our small child and our family as a whole. In addition, the primary class was not what we perceived as Montessori-like at all and instead was often noisy and appeared to us quite chaotic instead of the serene environment often found in montessori schools. Perhaps this was due to the high numbers. I don't think all classes there are that way but I can offer nothing good in regard to our experience in this particular primary classroom or at this school.
Submitted by parent on July 03, 2012

My daughter has been at Ha'penny for a year now and my husband and I feel like it's the best decision we ever made. We started her on a part-time basis but she loved it so much we quickly had to enrol her full time! She has learnt a whole lot this past year in her toddler class and we are looking forward to her primary year. Muiride and staff make us feel like family!! They are right there with you when your child is sick to when you the parent need a hug if you a bit knackered. She is always available to listen to concerns and being a mother herself, she takes the nurturing of the kids to another level! You will not regret choosing Ha'penny for your child.
Submitted by teacher on July 02, 2012

We have been nothing but pleased with the education our children have received at this school from infant through primary classes. Our daughter was far above her peers when she left Ha'Penny to attend public kindergarten and we anticipate the same for our son next fall. The administrator is fabulous and her door is always open with any questions or concerns you may have. We have always felt very safe leaving our children here and would highly recommend this school to anyone interested.
Submitted by parent on June 26, 2012

My son recently completed the toddler program and is headed into to primary. The teachers, staff and director are very warm and loving. We are so proud of where he is at academically and socially and we can thank the school for that. The director is compassionate, easy to talk to and willing to offer advice or suggestions. I can t say enough about the school and how much my son loves it!
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2011

Excellent school. Director and teachers are committed to students both academically and emotionally. Great activities and parental involvement. We have been at the school for four years.
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2011

This is an excellent school with very caring teachers and administration. My son always amazes us with what he learns each month. They have a low teacher turn-over and a family-like environment. I highly recommend this school. My son attended for 2 years and we are enrolling our daughter in their infant program in the fall.