Prince William Academy

3480 Commission Court

Lake Ridge, VA 22192

34 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 06, 2021

Hidden gem! We feel so lucky to have found Prince William Academy this year. Our kids have thrived here and we love the emphasis on excellence, community involvement, diversity, and foreign languages. Because of the small size, teachers are able to teach to the child's level, providing more review or advancing them to something more challenging. We have been impressed with the caliber of teachers and the Principal, Dr. Rebecca Nykwest, who has been wonderful during this very difficult year. The school has done a great job with enforcing COVID protocols while maintaining a semblance of normalcy for students. It is small but can accommodate additional students. We hope more families will join and keep this amazing school thriving in our community.
Submitted by parent on August 17, 2020

It’s all about the money. The school began offering tuition assistance to certain students but did not disclose to anyone that it was ever an option. They beg for money for everything, parents who pay full price are stupid because it’s being given to someone else to pay for their tuition. Sorry but our tuition should be used for items the school needs, not to pay for some else to attend that should be going to public school.Then you are asked to pay an expensive activity fee and Again for every activity that happens. The school is always struggling financially.
Submitted by parent on November 14, 2019

10 out of 10 so far! We came from Thomas Aquinas School and so far can't be any happier with the experience! Ms. Becca, the kindergarten teacher is the best teacher my daughter ever had! Everybody is so supportive and kind!
Submitted by parent on March 04, 2019

Students seem to act weird and teachers aren't allowed enough resources
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2018

More than academics matter. If the overall well-being of your child is important, I would not recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2018

Poor, while some aspects are positive there's much room for improvement. Really would not call it an "academy" experience.
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2017

The academics are great, but the daily "art" project consists of a teacher doing most of the work to make it look like your child did something amazing. Some of the teachers could use some enthusiasm. Also, the fact that they close with the same schedule as the county for children in the 1-4 year old rooms is beyond stupid. Those children are there for daycare, parents have jobs and need to be there. Calling it pre-school to make an extra $50 a day is ridiculous and completely inconsistent with other private schools.
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2017

This school was highly recommended to us, we did the tour and was impressed with the facility and the fact that they offer foreign languages. It is a private school, tuition was a bit high but we were willing to pay more for a high quality education and top notch teachers and staff. Unfortunately, when my daughter started it felt different than the tour. We transferred her from a very welcoming environment where the teacher greeted the students enthusiastically and seemed very happy to interact with the kids. At PWA, her particular teacher did not seem too eager/ enthusiastic and my daughter did not as welcomed as her other school, to be honest we felt the same way, and for weeks she said that she doesn't like the school, friends nor the teacher. I was reaching out more to them than they were to me, as a new comer, I thought they were supposed to give me some directions on first day of class. We started in the summer, they said it is different in the summer, but still, I did not get the information needed, I had to ask for it and they seem annoyed when I asked, there was no welcome letter or anything. I don't easily get annoyed so I let that go, small admin issues. My daughter happiness was a bigger issue. We did address this issue to the principal in which he kindly responded to give it more time, kids takes a while to adjust sometimes, we appreciated that he took his time during his busy schedule to talk to us. My daughter is very social and easily adjusted to her environment but after first day of school at PWA she threw a tantrum for half an hour. I chose to listen to my gut and decided to take her out of this school. In addition, the staff, especially the front desk were not that nice to us either, my husband was upset one day because she was rude to him, we really did not feel welcomed. We really tried to give PWA a chance, we wanted it to work, but it is just not a fit for our family. At the end we transferred our daughter to a different school and paid the penalty fee. Please be aware that the new contract says you need 90 days of notice if you want to take your child out, I thought that was too much, we didn't know if our child will like the school, everything is trial and error with kids, the principal was willing to work with us thankfully. Listen to your child and your instinct, PWA is not a fit for everyone. My daughter now attends a different school, which is a lot cheaper with very caring teachers and friendly staff and positive environment. She came home singing on the first day, she loves the teacher and her friends. PWA might be excellent for other kids, but it was not for us.
Submitted by principal on January 31, 2017

Whether we are looking after your infant, or your eighth grader, at PWA we strive to ensure that every child feels loved, safe, and nurtured within our walls. We offer an advanced curriculum starting in Jr. Kindergarten, and foreign languages for all our students, beginning in preschool. Our goal is to prepare our students to excel in the global environment of the future, and we believe that there is great strength in our diversity. Our school is accredited by NAEYC, the ACA, and the Virginia Independent Schools Association (VISA). We are currently undergoing the process of accreditation with the Southern Association of Independent Schools as well. We gladly hold ourselves accountable to these accrediting bodies so that parents may feel confident in the standards we maintain at all grade levels, from infancy through middle school.We offer tours for prospective families every weekday. Please call 703-491-1444 or visit our website to schedule one.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2016

The 2016-2017 school year was my child's first year at PWA and as we are heading into the second quarter we have decided to remove our child from this environment. I'll begin with the positive aspects of the school. The academics are a grade ahead which was good because it offered my child a challenge. The weekly homework packet offers about 30 minutes to an hour and a half of homework each night depending on if the child can work independently, how quickly they work, and there attention span at the end of the day after school all day. Some weeks homework packets are easier to complete than others, but family schedules and plans can also be affected or affect homework completion. With that being said academics and homework level are good . My reason for the one star rating is from our experience with some, not all of the teachers and staff, and also the students and parents of the students in my child's class. My son was constantly bullied and harassed by other students. On one occasion my child was even held down and by two students one of which told my child that their father told them to beat my child up because there was a previous incident between by child and that child. Unfortunately no staff members witnessed the attack and therefore nothing was done. I tried to convince myself that it was just children rough housing on the playground but almost every other day my child informed of the same child or other children saying mean and hurtful things. My guidance to my child was to steer clear of the mean children but unfortunately there paths seemed to cross and the other children would still harass my child when the teacher wasn't looking. Several parents are advocates for their bullying children and unfortunately those same parents make considerable donations to the school which means those children remain in the school due to their financial status despite their unruly habits. If you are looking for a school with an emphasis on providing your child a well rounded education in a safe environment free from discrimination or harassment then PWA is NOT the school for you or your child. Parent to parent, please listen to your children when they inform you of issues or injustices at school. I wish I had removed my child from this school months ago.
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2016

Prince William Academy has been a Godsend for our family! We were relocated in December 2015, with no family nearby or familiarity with schools/childcare options. We initially had our daughters in a childcare center, however after 4 weeks had to find an alternative due to lack of structure and care. I attended a preschool fair at the local library and met the PWA representatives. My daughters are now enrolled in the Jr. K and Preschool 2s classes. The curriculum is structured and very well rounded and includes gym, language arts and cultural diversity. PWA is not just a school, they are a family and part of the community. PWA offers before school starting at 6am and after school until 630pm, they do their best to offer childcare on snow days as well. Lunch can be provided at the school if desired. The pre/post school and snow day childcare options are not available anywhere else. PWA has given my husband and I peace of mind knowing our daughters are cared for in a nurturing and loving environment and being taught by very dedicated and skilled educators. The teachers truly care about each and every child. PWA keeps parents informed with weekly emails regarding school news and lesson plans. In this day and age, when both parents work (or when there is a single parent) it is a blessing to know PWA is there to help you juggle all aspects of childcare in addition to providing a top notch education experience.
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2016

Absolutely wonderful!! Love the small class sizes and close knit community. Plenty of foreign languages, extra curricular activities , loving teachers , high levels of academic achievement constitute high standards that are tough to beat by the public school system .
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2016

My son started at Prince William Academy 2 weeks before beginning Kindergarten (Aug 2015). It was a great idea suggested by the staff and other parents. The suggestion wasn't for 2 weeks specifically, but I thought that it was a good enough head start for him to get familiar with his new school before starting the Kindergarten program. Formerly, he attended Little Lambs, Inc. in Woodbridge for preschool, which did a great job preparing him for the elementary level. I'm so happy with our experience with PWA. The staff, parents and students are great and they strive for a high standard of excellence. I'm in constant contact with his teacher through email and in person, and the school's administration is always reachable in person, by phone and email. Both Kindergarten teachers are amazing. My son broke his arm during labor day weekend at the beginning of the school year and my husband and I were so concerned with him falling behind, but they made sure that he didn't miss a beat. The kept him engaged while caring for his safety during his intense healing process. The parents association really tries to get parents involved in all aspects of the school. It's an environment that makes you want to get involved and volunteer (even though we are all super busy working parents). Academically, my son is learning at a 1st and 2nd grade level with reading, math and language arts. He is learning computer technology, art, science, and additional languages like Spanish (which he started back at Little Lambs, Inc.) and Mandarin. I love the standard that his teacher sets for the classroom. She is pleasant, kind, caring, patient and effective with her teaching methods. She recognizes each of the special gifts that the students bring to the class and tries to cultivate and enhance their confidence. This allows the students to want to learn and try new things. He also attends the after care program that is mostly administered by the actual teachers and they help him with his homework. Of course, the cost of the tuition was a factor that my family had to consider with everything else we have going on, but I'm writing this to say that we made a great choice with Prince William Academy. You have to try it for yourself. Stop by for a visit. The parents and staff are always there to welcome you and address your questions. From: A parent - Chris G.
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2016

A wonderful school ! If you are looking for small class sizes, Loving staff, High standards of achievement and excellence .. Look no further . Both my sons attend this school and we are extremely pleased at the high standards of education that are maintained in a very family friendly environment. Our children are not just numbers . Their teachers cared very much about their grades, level of understanding , ensuring that concepts were very clear to them. I would recommend this school to anyone and everyone who is looking to get away from the below average don't care indifferent callous environment of the public school system .
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2015

Definitely not for us. I should have known during my visit prior to signing a contract not to send my daughter to this school. The push to sign the contract, how the yelp and other low review comments being posted were probably written by former staff that had been fired or parents that couldn't afford the tuition should have been a big red flag. Not following my initial instinct after moving to the area shortly before school began we made the decision to sign. Problems began almost immediately. It was clear the teacher we had been assigned was not up to the task. While being told repeatedly by the principal that teachers "should be following the curriculum and if they weren't it was because they weren't following the criteria for the school I realized this was just another excuse. The work that the students were getting was most of the time above what they were capable of and we, like other parent's in my child's class were spending hours each week night on homework for things they had not covered in class. From speaking to the other parents, this was the norm as the school had an aggressive schedule to stay on the right page of the text, based on the date. Snow days counted, for instance, if you missed 2 days due to snow, when our child returned they were 2 days ahead in the workbook, the pages that would have been assigned during those days were missed. This set our child as well as others up to remain behind. When we brought this to the administrations attention we were told we could "hire" a tutor at the school or seek outside assistance. I found this to be interesting since one of the initial selling points was the teachers utilized differentiated teaching and children coming in usually integrated seamlessly. While the school does provide a caring environment, most schools do, public and private.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2014

I recommend the elementary program to parents who are searching for a robust curriculum and dynamic staff. The small classes has allowed my child to learn at his own pace and to exceed in so many areas. The teachers are very responsive and the front office staff know us by our names. The administrators have an open door policy. PWA is great and my children will be attending through Elementary and Middle School.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2014

Prince William Academy has a fantastic infant program. I looked at dozens of programs and I am so happy I picked this one. They have small classes and the friendliest staff. The teachers do a great job communicating with me adhering to my child's schedule. I recommend this program to all of my expecting friends!
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2014

Due to the limitations of this site, I cannot write a complete review. Sadly, I am really sorry to have to give such a poor review of the school, as I started with such high hopes that steadily declined throughout the school year. While there are so many 'little' instances of failure, the culminating event was -- bring your favorite monster and monster book to school day. My child was so excited to finally be able to bring one of his toys to school, and was then told to put it away and admonished for bringing it to school. Apparently no one told the substitute about the event and the other children didn't participate. No one told me about the substitute (for a week!) and I got a crying, sad boy when I picked him up from school. Again... just one of the many, many stories I collected over the year. Now, I decided to move my child at the beginning of the summer to a summer program, but continue to pay the fees of the 'current school year' which do not end until August 31 per my contract. Two words for this bad decision on my part... EPIC FAIL.
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2014

Prince William Academy is the best private school in Woodbridge. This school not only has very challenging and advanced curriculum but also offers 5 languages. This is our second year at Prince William Academy and my child loves this school. The Principal and the staff are highly educated with College Degrees, very professional, very helpful and they treat students and parents with lot of respect. We feel fortunate that our child attends this school. We highly recommend this school to all the parents looking for good private school.
Submitted by parent on March 29, 2014

This school was a great surprise. Not only is it local, it is a highly advanced learning center for preschool age all the way up to middle school age! I love the world based program and the learning experience my 3 year old receives. Great teachers and Great staff, make for a great school. I recommend any parent to come and check it out for your self. Thanks.