The Willow School

1150 Pottersville Road

Peapack And Gladstone, NJ 07934

20 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 25, 2023

The Willow school is an incredible place for kids to grow up. I’m a true believer that if our children can develop confidence in their younger years, it doesn’t matter where they go in their older years, because they will be set up for success in all the right areas. Some believe that the academics should be more vigorous and while, that may be true for some kids, Willow puts first a child’s confidence growth and making sure they are seen and feel cared for. Success is more about a child’s joy and Willow has mastered this. The children are truly- full of joy.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2023

Becoming a part of The Willow School community has been one of the best experiences for our family. We appreciate the wholesome approach to learning and the focus on living a virtuous life. The teaching staff and administration take great care in getting to know their students. There is a focus on inclusivity, giving the students a feeling of safety and acceptance. The native and natural grounds, the warm and welcoming atmosphere in the classrooms, and the overall community spirit provide a nurturing environment for meaningful learning. We are looking forward to our third year at Willow.
Submitted by parent on July 27, 2023

My children love attending Willow! The campus is beautiful and everyone is friendly. Our family feels welcomed and accepted. The Willow School provides a loving and supportive environment. Choosing this school was the best decision we ever made!
Submitted by parent on July 27, 2023

Willow has provided an exceptional learning environment for our child. The faculty is nurturing and continuously find creative ways to challenge the students while keeping them engaged. The time spent outside exploring the property and interacting with each other brings the student experience to another level. The emphasis the school puts on values and community is something we appreciate. I have begun to take note of the turnover of teachers as there always seems to be a lot of movement amongst the staff positions, but it has not negatively impacted us so far. Even with that, I have not been left with the impression that any of the faculty are particularly unhappy. The majority of the families we have interacted with have been kind and welcoming, so we feel good about the school community as a whole. The school grounds are well maintained and we feel are a warm and safe environment. I do wish there was more of an athletic component to the extra curriculars.
Submitted by parent on July 24, 2023

This is a beautiful campus with a lacking program inside the walls, which is a real disappointment. Our son was accepted to Willow and we were told they had the resources to meet his educational needs, which was not true. It was a waste of money and time for our whole family. Add in the emotional and physical bullying and choosing Willow was a terrible mistake.
Submitted by parent on June 22, 2023

Our experience at Willow was disappointing. The school presents beautifully on the outside, but is quite different on the inside. Willow prides itself on it's virtue system, but does little to embody them. Our experience was laced with unprofessionalism, little compassion, and excuses. The school is under resourced- there is no guidance counselor, which no one mentioned during our tour, and teachers have no experience with social emotional learning. The school administration acts as though your loyalty is proven by not asking questions. The moment you question their methods, you are deemed an outcast, which seems quite opposite to the virtues they teach monthly to the students. We were told our child was a "problem", "disruptive", and "annoying". Little was done on their part to support our child, as we were constantly met with excuses. The trauma inflicted on our family was way worse than anything we experienced at public school. Don't waste your time or money.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2022

Not worth the high tuition. Teacher quality is lacking, academics are not rigorous enough, and most importantly the emotional needs of my kid were not met. Can't justify the cost, look elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2019

Willow has a nurturing approach and respects each child for their individuality. We are not a "wealthy family" like some other families are but that has not mattered much. The other parents/children have been kind and welcoming. You really can't tell who has what because that is not the focus. (They do provide scholarships so don't let the sticker price stop you) The teachers are dedicated to the students and truly want everyone to succeed. Areas of improvement could be increasing diversity and their sports/extracurricular program. I have personally witnessed the focus on bringing in more diversity. The school is in the middle of no where. I suspect that is more of the reason for a limited amount of minorities. It is certainly not because of lack of effort. Even with being one of the few families of color, we would still do it again. We are proud to be a part of the Willow community.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2018

Wonderful. It is full of genuine teachers, parents, and staff is great. What a super community of kids too!
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2017

We have been at the school for 8 years and have had an outstanding experience. My shy child is now a confident public speaker with a wide range of friends. They have been challenged academically and are well prepared for independent secondary school. The integrated curriculum and systems thinking has developed their critical thinking skills. They understand how to effectively collaborate on projects and have developed strong leadership skills.
Submitted by parent on November 06, 2017

Willow is leading the way for academic excellence through engaged and authentic learning. In addition to academics, Willow students are consistently challenged to think and make connections about subject material and the world around them. The expectation for kindness and character development is pervasive . My Willow graduates were well prepared for rigorous high school academics.
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2017

My children, who are quite different from each other , received an excellent education and each were championed by the faculty and staff who recognized their individual talents. Through the integrated curriculum, my daughters understand that learning and life is not one dimensional. They naturally incorporate virtues into their day to day as well as in their academics because it has been that way. On most days my children came home excited to tell me about their day. And, let's be honest, we can only be as happy as our unhappiest child. Personally, I had more happy days than not.
Submitted by other on September 30, 2017

Willow provided an excellent learning experience and environment for our daughter, who is now in high school. Her middle school years, in particular, were fabulous, and they gave her the knowledge, confidence and skills to excel in high school.
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2017

This is a truly unique school. They're top-notch in terms of academics, but it's more than the high scores on standardized tests and outstanding secondary school and university placement. They get kids truly excited about education through an integrated curriculum that ties all the subjects together, through lots of hands-on learning inside and outside the classroom (it's a beautiful campus set on multiple acres of wooded land), and by creating an environment where everybody knows everybody else and feels comfortable being themselves. They have a strong virtues and sustainability program, and a daily morning gathering that brings the whole school together to interact and learn. My kids have been their since kindergarten, and their enthusiasm and love for the school has not died down even as they are now in middle school.
Submitted by parent on August 04, 2017

Willow is committed to supporting students in celebrating their own and others' unique qualities and abilities. They consistently turn out confident, aware, thoughtful students who are comfortable in who they are. The staff are able to give individual attention to students to meet their academic goals, whether that means needing a little more support or a little more challenge. This is a school that really teaches students how to think!
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2015

This school is great at turning out young environmentalist radicals. Most of the parents own multiple homes, drive expensive cars and take expensive vacations. So to alleve their guilt they send their kids to schools like this to make them "environmentally" aware. If this sounds like you, then send your kid here. I know....I have a family member who attends this school and I have seen a dramatic change in her over the years of here attendance here.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2013

We have enrolled all three of our children in the Willow School starting with Kindergarden. In the nine plus years we've been there none of our children have ever had a bad day. At the Willow School they are treated with kindness, respect and compassion every minute of every day. They truly enjoy learning and look forward to every day of school. My (now 9th grader) is doing GREAT in high school - Willow prepared him in every way and he is easily tackling his honors classes. Although he loves his new school he still confides that he 'misses' his Willow Middle school teachers. Enrolling them at Willow is the best decision we've made yet regarding all three of our children. Even though each of them is unique and learns differently from one another they've all thrived at Willow, the school is that flexible and 'on the ball.' Highly recommend it to interested families!
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2013

The Willow School has a rigorous program for all subjects and is years ahead of it's time
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2013

The small school means very limited extra curriculum activities, near non-existence sport teams, and limited resources. Save you money. Go somewhere else. Don t go to this school.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2011

The Willow school provides an amazing mix of academics, ethics and and cultivates a respect for the world we live in. It's small size allows growth and respect of the individual.