Robinson Secondary

5035 Sideburn Road

Fairfax, VA 22032

School District

Fairfax County Public Schools
Grade

7-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

School Map for Fairfax County Public Schools

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by other on October 11, 2024

This School is not good if you want to get into a good college and the administration doesn't do a good job of knowing things and accuse random student of things like starting a fight or throwing food in the cafeteria. In the bathroom there is graffiti and a lot of people smoke in the bathroom. At the football games there is very much insecurity of people and and some kids fight, they mess around and they drink. For college if you want to be an honor graduate it is very hard with teachers not really consenting to kids and the fact that are not as much AP classes unlike lake Braddock who has a lot of AP classes and is good for honor graduates and has a very good school. The school lunch is not good at all because there have been multiple reports of hair in their food and I recommend to pack your child lunch for home. If your child is very interested in sports this is not a good school unless they are interested in wrestling or tennis. Social media is a huge problem in this School and many kids have very bad mental health because of this and cellar devices. For classes there is a variety of classes but some classes not to take because of mental health and stressful are computer solutions and At Robinson Secondary School, the lackluster classes significantly contribute to student discontent. Many subjects are taught with outdated materials and uninspired methods, making it hard for students to engage with the curriculum. Classes often lack variety, focusing heavily on rote memorization rather than hands-on learning or critical thinking, which stifles creativity and curiosity.Teachers, overwhelmed by large class sizes and limited resources, struggle to provide individualized attention, leaving many students feeling neglected. This results in a monotonous classroom environment where learning feels like a chore. Ultimately, the absence of engaging education fosters a sense of apathy, leaving students feeling unprepared for their future academic and personal endeavors.
Submitted by other on December 30, 2023

I LOVE Robinson Secondary. It's one of the best high schools in Fairfax County. When we moved to NOVA we researched the top high schools in the area and I'm so glad we chose Robinson. If you are serious about your child's education, this school is for you. Sports programs are also EXCELLENT! My daughter has enjoyed Cross Country and Track. The coaches are amazing!
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2023

My daughter started attending this school in 2018 as a 7th grader. She had some struggles but I think the special education teachers and staff did a terrific job helping her. Then we were going to move abroad for my job, and I was trying to get my daughter enrolled in a private school abroad, and one of the guidance counselors told the school administration things about my daughter's mental health that was not factual, and very unnecessary, which led to my daughter having her acceptance at the school revoked, and I had to scramble for a new school.When we returned from abroad, during COVID, I believe the Robinson faculty did their best to help her during the on-line schooling, and they gave her extra support so she could complete the 9th grade. My daughter began to have greater problems with her mental health in her second year of high school, which led to self-harm. Bullying at the school by her peers did not help. My daughter went to a mental health facility twice in the fall semester and the higher level administrators told me that they might not be able to accommodate my daughter anymore because of her mental health. I thought that that was strange because Robinson is a public school. Then the counselors and the social workers told me that my daughter could not return and had to go to an alternative school in Fairfax County, of which many education and health professionals told me not to permit to attend, as the school was for "bad kids with criminal records". The Robinson staff made it sound like it was the best for my daughter and refused to let me have any other options that were available. My daughter was miserable there and was in constant fear of sexual assault by the male students at the alternative school. She begged me to remove her from the alternative school, and I was informed that the only way to remove her was to vacate her IEP. I did not want to do that but I had no other option. My daughter returned to Robinson for her junior year and she refused to go back to receiving special education services because she does not trust the counselors and social workers anymore, and fears that they will again send her to an alternative school. She has struggled in regular classes and the teachers have tried to get her to re-test for an IEP but she refuses. I must admit that I dislike Robinson for what happened with my daughter. They were not fair to her.
Submitted by other on February 11, 2022

My child is doing great at Robinson Secondary school. The Advisory Program is a wonderful way of teaching the kids to plan for academic success. The transition from elementary school the Robin's Middle School was well done. My child is on an IEP, taking honors classes, and on the honor roll, which speaks in part to the school's ability to successfully address the unique needs of the student.
Submitted by parent on March 29, 2019

Wonderful. There’s always room for improvement and no school should ever be satisfied their performance in my opinion but overall Robinson has been a great school for our children and has provided them diverse academic options to explore and excel in as well as a huge range of sports, language options, and the arts. We find that the IB and AP options are great too. Though the overall school is large and intimidating to parents whose children are entering from ES, Robinson do a great job integrating kids into middle school and making sure the children aren’t overwhelmed. The older High School kids are kept separate on another side of campus and this applies to lunch schedules as well. Each family’s experience will be unique. We’ve made many friends from being a part of the Robinson community. Volunteering is a great way to make friends and have an impact. After this year we will have successfully navigated our two children through Robinson Secondary. We feel this school will continue to have a bright future.
Submitted by parent on March 06, 2018

B-U-L-L-Y-I-N-G is a huge problem at this school. And I mean HUGE! There is a lot preached to the students about not bullying but the school administrators do not do anything to those who are the bullies. It is the students who are bullied that are either ignored, afraid to go to school staff, chose to self-harm, or if they stand up for themselves are either 1) expelled from FCPS, 2) sent to an alternative HS, 3) reassigned to another HS, or 4) long-termed suspended. NOTHING happens to the person who is harassing. So bullies continue to bully without consequences. Of the Fairfax INOVA hospital's self harm cases for HS students, 20% attend RSS. RSS, along with So County HS, and Centerville HS are the top 3 HS with bullying issues in FCPS. When reviewing the reviews, please take a look at the date. The reviews are old and the school has relatively new leadership.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2016

My daughter joined Robinson Secondary in the academic year 2015. It's been a great journey so far! I must comment on how friendly and caring the office staffs are! My daughter loves all her teachers who are always ready to lend helping hands. Mr.Woods is making a difference in teaching math to his students. "He is awesome and I never had a math teacher who makes math seems easier," are the words of my daughter. :) May God Bless this school and help it to serve the students in gaining knowledge and wisdom, always!!!Thank you, All Robinson Staffs !!!A well-wisher and a happy mommy
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2014

One of the best schools in the area, not only because of the astonishing education level, students grads and awesome teachers, but for the ability to creat the feel of belonging to the kids, the team work and the family environment ..
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2014

I have two children attending Robinson. Like many other posters, I am from outside the area and researched schools thoroughly before choosing Robinson. The size scared me, as well, but the fact that they had the IB program swayed me. I find the admin and other students to be very helpful and friendly. For my children, it was an easy transition. We had been living abroad and they hadn't attended an American school before. They were nervous, but thanks to the make up of their fellow students, they were welcomed. They did not feel like freaks with their eclectic background. The only downside has been the quality of the teaching. Perhaps we were spoiled. My children have teachers that are ok, but none are really stellar. They are not as invested in the success of their students and in a few cases, I don't believe they really know their students at all.
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2013

A private school education at a public school price! Our son class of 2013 did all 4 years at Robinson SS. What an awesome experience. Lots of military kids too. Be wary of the IB program...it is NOT well recognized by out-fo-state colleges. the IB program is great for the college resume; but only 1 of my son's IB classes actually transferred as college credit. If you want college credit...stick with the AP classes.
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2013

We are from west coast. My children felt in love with Robinson SS right after two weeks attending. Excellent support staffs, Teacher quality, and Principal leadership. Student's sport spirits are extremely high in Robinson under wonderful leadership of Coaches. IB program is excellent. We are so happy making a right move...
Submitted by parent on August 04, 2013

My daughter's name is Rayna Shrestha, she is going to 8th grade. I am planning to around that area so my daughter might go to this school. She is taking all HNs classes now. Please advise!!! Thanks Heena/Raja Shrestha
Submitted by parent on July 04, 2013

Robinson Secondary School has excellent teachers who really care about their students' well-being. I have had two sons graduate from Robinson and our third son is starting there in Fall, 2013. The IB program is excellent but very demanding. My two graduates took several IB courses but opted for the Advanced Diploma. Both won academic merit scholarships to colleges.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2012

We are a military family with our move to Fairfax being our ninth. I researched many schools and found Robinson to be the best fit. To be honest, the size scared me, but the school is set up like a bunch of mini schools. Middle schoolers are kept separate from high schoolers. The principal, administration and staff work together to run a tight ship. The principal has an open door policy not only to parents but to students as well. Bullying is dealt with harshly. Most importantly, Robinson offers AP and IB courses. My son has taken several IB courses which are very rigorous and require college-level work. They will definitely prove their worth when he starts college this fall. Robinson's teachers are the cream of the crop. Many teachers apply for jobs and only the best are hired. I know of two teachers who have doctorates one of which is from Yale. In addition, there are a lot of athletics, clubs and programs for students to be become involved. Robinson was recently ranked number 88 of the top 100 schools in the U.S. On the down side, athletics are very competitive. If you have a baseball or football player. You may want to look at smaller schools.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2012

Robinson has one of the only full IB diploma programs in the county. The quality of academics is outstanding. The drama department is first rate winning best musical at the Cappies in 2009 for the Metro DC area. It has all the opportunities of a large school, but is divided into subschools to create small learning communities.