The Independence School

1300 Paper Mill Road

Newark, DE 19711

54 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on November 11, 2023

I attended Independence for 12 years. After attending college out of state, I can candidly say Independence shaped me into a human that other people from other areas are not. It whips you into this competent, confident person from a young age and you can not put a price on an education that provides that quality growth. Independence, first and foremost, is a school that ingraines what it means to be a good citizen and after leaving the state of Delaware and the community Independence facilities, it shows. I was class of 2018. I cannot comment on years after my graduation date, however, I have always looked up to older Independence kids as my role models in life and people in my grade as legitimately family.
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2022

very nice class is academicand i have been here for 9 years therefore it is good school
Submitted by parent on July 14, 2020

This school raises each child to be his or her best self in every way!
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2020

Exceptional. The Independence School is fantastic from community, academics to the faculty and staff, a wonderful academic experience.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2020

We would rate this school as exceptional!
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2018

Independence inspires curiosity in each and every student! The amazing faculty and staff nurture the students to challenge themselves, even when the task seems demanding. What I love best about Indy is that the students are not pressured to succeed every time, but are allowed to “celebrate” mistakes. This allows the child the opportunity to analyze their thinking process while learning something new about themselves. If you think about it, FAIL really means...First Action In Learning. We have cherished our time at Independence and I know my daughter is more than ready to move on to high school thanks to the strong foundation she received at The Independence School!
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2018

I have three children at The Independence School and I cannot say enough about the school. Our first experience was with the Early Childhood division of the school when our oldest son started at Indy. As a three year old, he (we) had a wonderful experience with the school that I frankly thought was a fluke. He was going through a little defiant phase and about the time it became consistent, we got a call from his teacher. She explained what she was experiencing and we shared that it was happening at home, too. I was amazed by her approach. She shared the language and tone she uses at school that has been effective and asked us what works at home so we could coordinate and be consistent so he would know he would be coached / corrected / redirected when outwardly defiant, whether at home or school. After about two weeks, we noticed a change for the better that stuck. We didn't think it would last forever, but we know it was abbreviated by our collective approach. This was a great learning experience for him (and for us as relatively new parents). Despite the fact that this phase came and went, she called every week through the end of the school year (for about three months) just to let us know how things were going. I couldn't believe this was simply how things were done at the school until the following year where his ECII teacher handled a different situation with the same level of care and attention. My son is now in third grade and is doing well. He's challenged, but not beyond his capacity. He loves school and has developed a love of reading. We now have our middle child in K, and our youngest in ECI and have had endless experiences over the past several years like the aforementioned that have us bleeding Indy red, white, and blue. We love this school; our children are safe, deeply cared for, and challenged to be intellectually curious people of character. We have made friends over the years at Independence who have gone through the high school selection process and we are always thrilled to hear that kids from Indy are sought after like no other school. If you are considering Independence, consider calling the local high schools to get their opinions on the school that best prepares children for the next level of school and beyond. I am certain you will find that those folks quietly bleed Indy red, white and blue, too!
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2018

Growing up in the Hockessin/Pike Creek area, I always knew the Independence School was special and the students were of a different caliber. Now with my oldest child enrolled (and a second starting in September, hopefully!), I understand just how true that is. My son started in EC1 and from the beginning, I knew the teachers at the Independence School were different. They cared about his progress and who he was as a person. I love Independence because you are encouraged to be the best version of yourself. You are part of a community, kindness and respect for friends is taught at the youngest of ages. Character development aside, I can’t believe how much my son knows compared to his peers. I am blown away on a daily basis by not only his academic prowess, but who he is becoming as a person. I don’t believe he would be this kind, loving child, who always thinks of others without his teachers and friends at the Independence School. We’re so lucky to be a part of this community.
Submitted by parent on August 23, 2016

My son attended 6th-8th grade and graduated in June 2016. We have been so pleased with his education at Independence. He attended public school for grades 1-5, and when he arrived at Independence it was clear that he was behind in his reading and writing skills. The teachers all worked with him. They were open to communication with us and did not relax their standards, but gave him opportunities to be successful. He had a tough 6th grade academically because he had to catch up, but he still had fun and made friends. Seven and 8th grade were easier because he was on par academically. He played 3 different sports and 2 instruments in band (the band program is excellent). He had multiple scholarship offers for high school and tested into Honors courses in every subject for high school. If Independence had gone through 12th grade, we would have stayed there - that is how positive the experience was for us. There are expectations for the students, and they are encouraged to stretch academically, in a fun, creative and interesting environment. Check it out if you are looking for a top-quality experience for your child.
Submitted by parent on May 07, 2015

Independence is a wonderful school! The teachers are engaging and hands-on. They really get to know my children each year and teach in a way that builds on their strengths and improves areas of weakness. The curriculum is strong in language arts as well as in math/science. The music program is wonderful, with opportunities to play an instrument or sing in choir that are built into the school day. There is also a strong focus on citizenship and volunteerism, which I think contributes to the great feeling of community among Independence families!
Submitted by other on April 05, 2015

As an Independence Alumni of the Class of 2014, I can tell you that the school has deteriorated significantly since I first started attending. The academics at Independence were lackluster. Although I was challenged academically and had a few very good teachers, the rote memorization methods used very frequently by teachers were ineffective. In addition, the stifling, rigid and overall terrible environment Independence had, which parallels life during the Orwellian rule, was disturbing to me. I definitely agree with past reviewers who have stated that there are an abundance of nasty children at this school and that the school's staff does not take bullying seriously. I was bullied for three years and although I reported it to staff, no proper action was taken against the bullies, but rather, I was told to suck it up. I noticed that the bullies came from prestigious families, who likely donated a large sum of money to Independence, and Independence's staff was afraid of taking proper action due to the good possibility of losing their best clients. It is not worth spending more tuition on an elementary school child, who will likely be miserable at this awful school, than UD costs.
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2015

We love The Independence School. It has been clear to us from the day we toured and now through the years that every single person at The Independence School cares and cares deeply about the children.
Submitted by other on March 01, 2015

I graduated top & was offered many h.s. scholarships too. I believe I did well not to the credit of this school. Instead thanks to my parents, I had private tutors & online classes to supplement curriculum deficiencies. As a result, I was well prepared. My tutors were TIS teachers & later outside tutors. I wasn't challenged academically & often discouraged with boredom. We were expected to act a certain way. The teachers weren't caring compared to high school. They weren't knowledgeable & not readily to my inquisitive questions. You were ignored if the teacher didn't like you. Many positive reviews within days of 10/29/14-11/02/14, maybe solicited to flushing out unfavorables. I had a different experience compared to the reviews. The variable experiences may be due to inconsistent teaching methods & teachers not following curriculum guidelines. I did observe kids being bullied. One would not know the existence of bullies if one was not observant & not the one being bullied. Teachers & recess staff often ignored incidents & were too busy socializing. Every school has bullies, so it is how this one process bully incidences. The bullies may be the bullied. Appearance can be deceptive.
Submitted by parent on February 27, 2015

As the parent of an 8th grade student getting ready to graduate from Independence,I cannot say enough good things about this school.My child will leave this school with a solid academic background and the ability to critically think, as well as efficiently manage her time.I attribute this all to the dedicated teaching staff at Independence that has consistently been available and supportive, at every grade level, for any reason, during school and after school, and even in the evenings via email.My daughter has been challenged and taught on a level unavailable to students at any other area school, and the proof is in the high school acceptances. Every high school she applied to accepted her in the first round, and she was offered over 80k in academic scholarships. She is not alone.Independence students are sought after by all area high schools as they are known to be highly motivated students who have a strong academic base. All of my daughters friends have been accepted to their first choice school, all with academic scholarships. If you're interested in sending your child to a school whose goal it is to prepare children for success in all areas, Independence is the place for you.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2015

I pulled my daughter out of this school last year simply because the school is getting so horrible. Enrollment rate for this school is declining. Teachers are more concerned about losing their jobs than focusing on teaching. Teacher use more video to teach math rather than actual demonstrating step by step problem solving. My daughter felt extremely bored and not challenging for her learning. The school did not handle bully issues properly, often blame on victims rather than taking corrective actions on bullies. There is no formal bully reporting system like public school system. In my daughter's case, it took several victims, of course including my daughter, to build the history and eventually causing physical harms to one poor kid to get that bully out of the school. The curriculum did not link to common core and parents were never made aware of this change. After seeing my daughter thriving in new school. I really regret sending my daughter to TIS. It's not about the expensive tuition, but I mistakenly place my daughter in such a horrible learning environment. For those parents considering TIS, you might want to think about that again... Will you be getting what you pay for?
Submitted by parent on February 24, 2015

Independence is an excellent school that has provided a superior education for my children. The school starts as early as preschool and goes through 8th grade. If a parent really wants to find out just how good a school Independence is, they should visit the school in person and check things out themselves.
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2015

We've had three daughters attending The Independence School since preschool. They're now in 5th, 7th and 8th grade. Independence really is a great school and is "head and shoulders" above all the other schools in the area academically. My 8th grader has been shadowing and testing at area high schools and has done extremely well on the testing. This is a DIRECT result of the education she's received at Independence. My only gripe concerning Independence is that I wish it went through 12th grade (and I feel this way even though we have to drive 30 minutes to get there)! You really can't go wrong with this school if you want the best education available for your child.
Submitted by other on November 02, 2014

The negativity towards Independence is shocking to me. I have had a wonderful experience as a student there. The teachers and administrators always do their best to push their students to success and distinction. I couldn't be happier with Independence, and I would recommend it to anyone searching the area for good schooling.
Submitted by other on November 01, 2014

As a former student at Independence, I can say with absolute certainty that Independence has prepared me well for high school with its rigorous academics, as well as teaching me how to manage my time. My teachers always praise "the Independence kids" because we are accustomed to balancing the heavy workload with multiple extracurricular activities. I would definitely recommend Independence to any parent who wishes their child to have a solid foundation to build the rest of their academic career on.
Submitted by other on November 01, 2014

As an Independence graduate, I am outraged at all the negative comments on this forum. This school has done the best job I could have asked for preparing me for high school and has always gone above and beyond in their academic departments. Independence is well-rounded, and your child is guaranteed to have their strengths challenged as well as their weaknesses nourished and improved. The students are always placed in the highest level classes at their high schools, and many are offered scholarships to local high schools. We fly through freshmen year because Indy has prepared us for balancing significant homework and studying with sports, clubs, and other after school activities. In addition, the Independence community is like no other. The students form bonds that remain strong even after going their separate ways. Some of my best friends are Independence graduates whom I have not gone to school with in over a year, but we remain close as ever. Teachers are always happy to help the students, and create a positive environment where kids can learn and thrive. I honestly can not recommend this school highly enough to anyone.