The Madeira School

8328 Georgetown Pike

Mclean, VA 22102

15 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 23, 2019

We have had a great experience with The Madeira School. I would definitely choose it again for our daughter.
Submitted by student on May 15, 2019

I was very disappointed in picking The Madeira School. I am very surprised by how it is one of the top boarding schools. I will admit the diversity is good, but the system and people there are horrid. Girls tend to slightly throw racial slurs at people of other ethnicities and teachers are unsupportive and rude. As a former Asian student, I have been verbally attacked by several girls and sometimes by their body language. My dorm adults were terrible, especially the dorm director who targetted me often despite knowing I was suffering from mental depression. If you have children who suffer from any kind of mental disorder, please PLEASE PLEASE do NOT send them to The Madeira School because the school only thinks of it’s reputation and would not support or tolerate anyone who has this condition. Moreover there is no proper communication in between the school staff therefore no one understands each other and it happened to me before when I got scolded at for being ill and not being able help my roommate move out, although I informed the nurses and teachers already.
Submitted by student on May 02, 2018

Awesome and could not ask for anything better
Submitted by parent on October 08, 2016

While in high school, my daughter attended a summer program here. She loved it! Great teachers! Great cafeteria staff! Unfortunately, the security staff treated us poorly. When my husband and I arrived, we explained our reasoning for entering the campus to the security guard, who looked at us strangely. Another security guard followed us around the campus and then used his utility vehicle to intentionally blocked us in as we were trying to make a turn out of a narrow street. He didn't move until I yelled out that I am trying to pick up my daughter. I suggest sensitivity & unconscious bias training.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2016

My daughter attended Madeira for four years and graduated in 2007. She has gone on to great success in everything she has done since then, and has made friends that will last a lifetime. The teachers and administration were excellent. The opportunity to meet girls from all over the world and of all different races and religions is unmatched.
Submitted by parent on November 30, 2015

The admin pays little mind or care to teachers, and some excellent teachers are overlooked. The Dean of Students and their offices play favorites- some girls have to abide the rule to the letter of the law while others are given a pleasant warning. As a parent and a friend to a teacher who lives there, I'm told this is much how the staff is treated- if you're not in with the admin, you will be run over or run out. The module schedule is taxing on my child- she comes home with at least 3 hours of work and now has retention problems because her math and language (and this year English) are so far apart in the schedule. When I emailed the Academic office, was told that my child might need time management skills. Will not be re-enrolling next year.
Submitted by student on September 25, 2014

my school is amazing! perfect for students of all types. girls are amazing, welcoming, and completely themselves 100% of time. teachers actually WANT girls to succeed and help them in all ways possible to do so. also the co curriculum program has changed my life.
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2012

This has been our experience....Outstanding teachers, involved administration, clear concise curriculum and girls that want to work and play hard. Girls that may be struggling at Madeira may not have been properly prepared for the rigor. The school wants to create a community and I believe they succeed. My daughters teachers really know my daughter and what works best for her. If you review the curriculum there are no ridiculous pre-reqs. The focus is on the relationship between the girl and her teachers which is entirely appropriate for high school girls. We previously attended a private school that was known for its rigor and program and found it to be inferior to the Madeira program. Attend an open house and you will be impressed.
Submitted by student on November 10, 2012

I rate this school average because Madeira is, in my opinion, average academically. I left another DC area all girls private school to board at Madeira rather than move with my family, so I have experience with different schools. The school I left was in the top tier of DC private schools, of which I do not consider Madeira to be a part. Madeira is fine if your child is not "academically gifted," but I was not challenged as much as I had been at my previous school. The teachers are great, however the caliber of the student is lower here than at the area's top private schools. That being said, the Co-Curriculum program is great. Ultimately, if your child is very bright and wants to attend a top 10 or 20 "big name" school, I don't believe Madeira is the place for you. The college counselors are great for the majority of the school's students, but for brighter students I think they fall short. Their athletics are also not great, with the exception of the riding program and I believe the swim team (at least when I was there). My last complaint is that they refused to acknowledge academic achievements however there was an assembly that recognized athletic ones every year.
Submitted by student on August 29, 2012

The co-curriculum program at Madeira is wonderful and presents girls with amazing opportunities. The people you meet are so nice and friendly. However the staff/administration ignores your problems and gives you no freedom. I almost transferred to another school this year because of these obnoxious and ignorant staff at Madeira. I personally do not have any qualms about the headmistress because she is not in the picture much. Some of the grading is suspicious because of the lack of explanation given by the teachers as to why you received the grade you did. The history program at Madeira is top notch but all of the teachers left and thus leaves the students with worry about the state of the history program. In the departments, the teachers for each class grade completely differently so if you get the hard grader then you have to work twice as hard as your peers in the easy graders class. At Madeira you have no say over what classes you want to take because of the ridiculous prerequisites they make you fufill. The students at this school are so nice and the co-curriculum program is so unique.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2012

I agree with the alum who posted previously. I am an alum whose daughter is also there. The school is in transition with some outstanding faculty and some whose time has passed. All, however, are earnest, attentive, and work tirelessly to provide an overall outstanding education, and I'm encouraged by the vision I see emerging. One thing that puzzles me is that the new head, a wonderfully accomplished, highly educated and elegant woman, seems to take a back seat (at least publicly) to the assistant head. I would like to hear more from the head of school, and so would the girls. The co-curriculum program has been imitated by may area independent schools, but none of those imitations holds a candle to Madeira's. I am overall quite happy with the school.
Submitted by other on February 24, 2012

As an alum I couldn't wait for my daughters to go to Madeira, but right now the school is going through a downswing. I think that it probably relates to the change of leadership- starting in the couple of years before the old head left, and carrying over into the beginning of the new heads tenure. New head shows a lot of promise, but there is a lot of work for her to do. A lot of the really good teachers bailed toward the end of the old regime, leaving a lot of mediocre ones behind. It will take her time to correct this, and to change the seige mentality that set in amongst some of the long-time admin during the transition. The co-curricular program is still the most amazing thing going in a secondary school. Once the teaching staff gets strong again, Madeira should rise back to it's former glory.
Submitted by student on September 13, 2011

I am a former student of Madeira and I can honestly say that my experiences there were incredible. The co-curriculum program alone is worth every penny of the tuition and both the community and campus made the entire 4 years an absolute dream (although at the time as a high school student, I definitely had my..."moments"). The transition to college was smoother than I (and my family) could have hoped and I would recommend this school to any and everyone. I would not be the person I am today without having gone to Madeira.
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2011

Madeira is clearly an outstanding school. The demanding academic program and the overall pace of the school - including academics, co-curriculum, and activities - can only be managed by very talented and capable girls. The incoming freshmen quickly develop into capable leaders - in whatever areas they choose. There is no other place like Madeira. Truly amazing school, truly exceptional students, faculty, and administration. And the girls love it!
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2011

Madeira is a fabulous school . They focus on teaching the "whole girl" and focus on learning and becoming a valuable member of society.