Lansdowne Friends School

110 North Lansdowne Avenue

Lansdowne, PA 19050

8 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-6
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 25, 2022

As a two-mom, biracial household, we feel lucky that we found LFS, a school that respects and celebrates diversity. We appreciate that the teachers at LFS care about my our child's needs--both academically and socially. We love the fact that our child has the opportunity to attend a school that values the ideals of gentle teaching; a place where my child feels nurtured, respected, secure, seen and heard. Our daughter, currently in Pre-K, comes home so excited to teach us everything that she has learned. In short the school has been a great academic, social, and financial fit for our household.
Submitted by parent on January 21, 2021

Lansdowne Friends School is everything our family was hoping for in a school. It is a community that nurtures a love of learning and celebrates each child who attends. A few reasons our family chose LFS, and why we love it so much:-Our daughter is a sometimes-reluctant learner, and young for her grade. We were worried that she might slip through the cracks, since her resistance isn't always obvious. But the small class sizes with plenty of support teachers mean that she has gotten all the help and support she needs. Teachers get to know their students individual strengths and struggles, which is such a gift. - The relationships between students of different grade levels builds a unique sense of belonging. On any given (non-Covid) afternoon, you'll see kids from 6th grade down to 1st grade playing together. The kindergarteners have a 3rd grade reading buddy. There are mixed-age discussion groups. And many other built-in ways for kids to connect with older or younger students. Our daughter loves getting a hello and a hug from the big kids! - LFS models a commitment to racial justice, environmental justice, gender justice, and other important aspects of creating a better future. Students learn that they are change-makers, and they practice through action. No other private school we looked at walked the talk the way they do at LFS. We are in constant awe and gratitude for their efforts.We are so happy with our school and can't imagine being anywhere else!
Submitted by other on January 10, 2021

Lansdowne Friends School is a small school where children are known and loved for who they are. The school is built around the idea of learning by doing. The school's strong academic program is backed up by hands-on activities that value creativity and cooperation. Activities at the school routinely bring students of different ages together, sometimes to learn, sometimes to lead, sometimes to help, and always to listen.We have two daughters at LFS, one in second grade and one in fourth grade. They love going to school, they love their teachers, and they feel welcomed by the other students. The LFS community as a whole shares the core values of nonviolence, care for the environment, and treating everyone in our diverse community with warmth, friendship, and respect.The graduation ceremony at LFS says a lot about the personality of the school. In a non-pandemic year, the ceremony is carried out in the unadorned Friends meeting house on campus. It is clear that all the teachers and administrators know all the graduates well. Each graduating student gives a short speech, unique to their individual character and experiences. The other grades listen to the advice and perspective of their older friends. Students in grades K-5 deliver hand-made gifts and shake hands with each graduate. Nearly all LFS graduates proceed to their first-choice school to continue their education.LFS has responded well to the pandemic, and distributed laptops to all students for at-home instruction. The teachers have done amazing work to retain the school's learn-by-doing ethos while working online.Above all, I trust LFS not just to teach my daughters writing and math, but to be a partner in loving them and raising them to live in the world.
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2021

Lansdowne Friends School (LFS) has been much more than an academic institution for our children; it has been a community. We chose LFS because of the small class size and the emphasis on learning by doing. We also love how LFS focuses on the spiritual, social and community development of our children. Students are not limited to desk only instruction; there are many opportunities for the students to feel comfortable in the classroom and still learn. Each teacher takes the time to understand the individual needs of the student and matches that with how the student learn best. This makes the learning environment flexible and adaptive. Including outdoor play, shop, art, Spanish and music to the core curriculum makes for a varied day and every subject has a practical life application. LFS keeps students engaged by focusing on themes and subjects that are interesting and thought provoking. Along with studying math and language arts there is a distinct concentration on culture. My oldest started at LFS when she was in Kindergarten. She is now in 4th grade and a few of her favorite topics covered are; Japanese culture and traditions, the Gee's Bend quilting community, learning finger knitting, and creating marble mazes in shop class. Favorites for both of my children are; Meeting for Worship and Gathering. Even during the start of the pandemic, as the school day was still evolving, they both insisted that we have Meeting for Worship together in our living room. This was a testament to how important it is for them to sit, reflect and share in a structured and meaningful way. I often find my kindergartener “leading” her own gatherings on the weekends. The real test of any system is to witness how it performs under stress. Through the 2020 pandemic, LFS was flexible and clearly communicated every step of the way. They worked with parents to find ways to keep learning going despite the challenges. During the civil unrest, LFS gave the students an opportunity to express their thoughts and share ways that communities could come together. The students made signs and marched for equality. LFS is brave in tackling subjects that most shy away from; they bring light to real world topics like gender neutrality, conflict resolution, equality, social justice and civic duty and allow the children to share their thoughts, gain clarity and ask questions.
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2021

We love Lansdowne Friends School! It is not only a school, but the village that helps raise our children. Our oldest son graduated from Lansdowne Friends School (LFS) after spending seven years there and received a solid academic and social-emotional foundation that he still draws from now that he is in highschool. Our other children have attended LFS from preK on and are doing very well at LFS at this time. LFS has embraced the difficulties of the last year and come up with a challenging and engaging on-campus and distant learning program for the students without ever losing their mission of seeing the Light in every single child. Teachers are warm-hearted and always available to individually support the needs of the students. They truly value every single student as if they were their own children. Lansdowne Friends School doesn’t claim to produce all leaders like so many other private schools do (and I always wondered who they will all be leading if there are only leaders), but they help each student to find their individual leading and lovingly support and challenge them in following that lead and in developing into the best version of themselves. Students spend a lot of time outside on campus and learn complicated academic facts in hands-on experiences. In addition to math and english language arts, they have engaging science, shop and arts classes, as well as music, gym and spanish. On top of the academic curriculum, LFS has a social curriculum that is as important as the academic achievement. The students learn to look out for and support each other, to work effectively in teams and to navigate conflicts in a productive and respectful way. They learn that one can respectfully disagree with another person. We feel truly blessed to have discovered this lovely small school for our children and highly recommend it to other families.
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2020

I would strongly discourage any parent from sending their child to this school if they can help it. If you truly care about your child’s education then go somewhere else.
Submitted by parent on January 19, 2017

I have loved this school since I stepped onto the pine needle covered wood-worked playground. The community is diverse and the parents are invested in loving values of peace and social justice. I feel so lucky my son has been here, and he will be so well prepared emotionally and academically for our next steps. They have woodshop, art, music, Spanish, gym and good recess times for all the gradeschoolers! The teachers are conscientious and invested.
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2013

LFS amazed me in many ways. Generally speaking they teacher the entire child by empowering the light within each child. The school offers more than it's stellar academic curriculum. It empowers the child to learn themselves, it develops self esteem and encourages the child that it's cool to explore the world, be good to one another, and to live in peace. It's a whole community. As a parent i felt like I had gone back to school. I'd gotten to know the parents and teachers very well. From the 1st day of school and meeting with the class, I felt right at home. Many parents reached out to me to make sure I felt welcome. It was encouraging to see a group of adults from all different backgrounds share similar interests. Even with the genuine diversity of backgrounds, it seems like everyone strives toward the same cause. ALL of the teachers CARE about every single child, each child has a voice and every parent is supported and respected. This is our 1st year at LFS and I look forward to when my children graduate. If you want your child you develop the critical skills to become catalyst of positive change in the world, LFS is your school.