The Pingry School

131 MARTINSVILLE RD

Bernards, NJ 07920

9 Reviews

School District
Grade

6-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 18, 2024

When I saw those pretty extreme negative comments about the school I can’t help thinking what kind of background they are coming from, what kind of background their kids were coming from, or if they ever have been part of Pingry. Not every kid fits all schools nor any school fits all kids. Would have been more helpful if they had provided more background of their interaction with Pingry and its community! I have two kids in Pingry and we have been there many years. I have seen the up-and-downs of the school and seen the change of leaderships. My overall experiences have been the faculties are a caring bunch. My kids got all the help they needed before I need to get involved. its Curriculum is very accommodating to different levels of learning ability and to the interest areas of learning. For example they would open a class for only 2 student if that’s what these two students need. My son was in a math class where there were only 4 students. They allowed my other son to take high school courses for a couple of years when he was in middle school. School dedicates even more resources to these who needs some extra help in catching up. As a parent I volunteered my time and resources when I can afford such to help school in various activities (everything but academics). I know there are plenty others who do the same. My kids are in high school now and they are well rounded young men whom I can’t say would be the same elsewhere. We are happy with Pingry. Are there things we personally don’t particularly care for? Yes. As with everywhere everything else every other institution or organization. Nobody is perfect. The current headmaster Tim Lear is a genuine and polished leader. Down to earth, approachable, sincere, capable. We expect even greater things for the future for Pingry under Tim.
Submitted by parent on October 26, 2021

You may think this is “the best” school in the state but if you dig deeper you will find they are hiding behind their fancy logo. Ask them why the Head of school is leaving after only being there for a short time. Additionally, two esteemed leaders of the high school have left suddenly and are both now at Gil St Bernard. There has been a mass exodus of leadership leaving the school and the Board is once again on the search. Why is this case?? This school has no soul. They care about money and prestige only, not your child. Beware
Submitted by other on January 24, 2018

Community memberOverall experienceThe Pingry School, while it preaches integrity, learning, and community, Really only cares about one thing: grades. Students who naturally excel in academic fields are given high praise while students who struggle are written off as lazy or lacking effort. Pingry's honor code pretends to be a system of character guidelines both in and out of school, however the Honor Code acts more like a tool to control the mentality of students to make them believe that disagreeing with the community is wrong, and students who follow the Honor Code do so not because they wish to adhere to its principles, but because the fear the consequences of disobedience. Pingry, however, is a paradise if you belong to a rich, white, suburban-based family. Pingry students from such backgrounds find that they have a much easier time with access to numerous tutors (since students are held responsible when teachers are not available for extra help), and the ability to pay your way out of trouble is always a nice perk. Overall, I would recommend The Pingry School to no family who wishes to enjoy the educational experience, where students are given equal opportunity to grow. However, if you wish to experience the average public education system with harder grading and at a cost of almost $40,000 a year, Pingry is the right place for you.
Submitted by parent on November 09, 2014

Coming from a public school background in Essex County, I can tell you first hand my daughter was not prepared for high level academics freshman year at Pingry. An "A" in public school is truly a "C+" at Pingry due to the quality of the content of each course. The school has a caring and experienced faculty. All the students at Pingry are all going in an upward direction. There are no real distractions from being the best student you can be. The student body environment underlying focus is about achieving and "doing well". Every student has a special quality which is fostered and developed. There is no class rank at Pingry primarily due to the fact that EVERY student is an "honor" student. Athletics are also fostered and there are MANY student athletes. I only wish I had sent my daughter to Pingry at the 6th grade middle school entry. It's tough to play "catch up" but still worth the journey. Your child will not "fall through the cracks" at Pingry. GREAT SCHOOL.
Submitted by other on August 23, 2013

THis school reminds me of Hogwarts....so cool. But in a exciting sort of way. Love this school!!
Submitted by parent on August 02, 2013

At the high school level, Pingry provides an excellent combination of strong academics, a supportive environment, excellent faculty and varied extracurriculars. The students are motivated high achievers and expectations are set accordingly, but the school has put in place a strong support system, including daily conference periods during which students are encouraged to meet with teachers one-to-one. While most students participate in athletics and many achieve in their sport at a high level, a wide range of extracurriculars and talents are valued by the community; it's not a sports-above-everything environment. While many students come from extremely affluent families, the school deserves credit for its efforts to create a diverse student body.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2012

Overall a great school. Dedicated teachers and staff, and wonderful student body. As many other private schools, students tend to come from wealthy, upper-middle income families. Excellent liberal arts curriculum. The school's strength is primarily in humanities, in comparison, its math and science is not as strong, however.
Submitted by teacher on July 26, 2011

I am a faculty member at Pingry. I am amazed at the student motivation and desire to learn. I find it a wonderful environment in which to teach and I feel lucky to be part of this wonderful community of learners and people continuing to better themselves (students and faculty). I also want to add that the school is motivated to create a more diverse and understanding environment through workshops, assemblies, and important group discussion. Overall, from my end, a fantastic place!!
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2011

My son went to school here after struggling at public school (because of the kids he was friends with, for the most part). He was very bright, but lacked motivation. There was no way for him not to be motivated at Pingry. The faculty are intelligent, dedicated, and, for the most part, entertaining in class. The class sizes are small, and the teachers get to know every one of their students. Because of the relatively small enrollment, nearly every student in the school is involved in sports and/or music. And the emphasis on honor and respect is unflagging. You could not find a better school--as with most schools, there will always be hurdles to overcome for every student and family, but there are very few here.