Northwest Academy

1130 Southwest Main Street

Portland, OR 97205

18 Reviews

School District
Grade

6-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 29, 2019

Excellent! Our son has blossomed as a student at NWA. The only downside has been we have to go outside the school for sports.
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2017

It has been life changing experience for our son. We couldn't be happier.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2017

Both of my kids are flourishing at Northwest Academy. They are bright, creative kids who love the academic rigor and the fact that their classmates are as invested in class discussions as they are. That said, they aren't buried under a mound of homework because they use their school time effectively. The fact that the school is downtown has been a surprise benefit--both kids are comfortable navigating the city, and they've become streetsmart in a way that will only benefit them as they move on to college. (Speaking of college, the school's college counselor is amazing--she's taking all the stress out of the process while making it personal and tailored to each student.)
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2016

Amazing school! Northwest Academy transformed my sons’ lives. Because of the small class size and school, students develop close relationships with the faculty. The students enjoy the meaningful and creative work and learn to do their homework without parental nagging. Northwest Academy graduates adults who are curious, articulate, and inclusive. The location means the students experience downtown Portland's vibrant cultural institutions. My sons are able to talk confidently with adults, navigate an urban environment, and solve problems independently.You should check out the school if you are looking for an accepting environment that nurtures and supports achievement, risk-taking, hard work and questioning.
Submitted by other on December 12, 2016

NW Academy has been a great experience for both of my children even though they are very different people. The school provides a rigorous academic experience with lots of training in good work habits and study skills while at the same time making the work meaningful for the students. The arts programs provide a safe space for all the kids to try new things and have positive experiences in front of audiences. The close knit community provides a positive and almost family like environment that really allows the kids to grow as learners. I also really love how the downtown campus fosters an appreciation for all the city has to offer as well as teaching independence as my kids have become comfortable using Trimet and even their bicycles to travel to and from school. I think NW Academy provides a fantastic educational experience.
Submitted by parent on November 24, 2016

Northwest Academy provides a rare opportunity for students to challenge and evolve both their intellectual and creative selves in a safe and accepting environment.
Submitted by other on November 17, 2016

Northwest Academy's unique blend of rigorous academics incorporating the arts convinces students of their abilities and helps them develop and follow their passions. The students are poised, articulate, caring and kind individuals who show others the respect they've been shown here.
Submitted by parent on November 16, 2016

Our son has attended Northwest Academy for high school and it has been an amazing experience. The work he is doing as a junior in high school is at a higher level than i did in college. More importantly, the culture at the school has enabled him to develop into an amazing, brave and thoughtful kid who ready for just about everything. I can't recommend this school enough.
Submitted by principal on November 15, 2016

Northwest Academy's culture is unpretentious and inclusive. The classes are amazing. My kids read classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird" in 6th grade and went on to write college-level papers in high school. They developed new passions through all of the arts classes in everything from black and white photography to tap dance. And they carried the time management and study skills from their middle school learning lab classes with them to college.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2016

Great curriculum. I'd love to give this school a higher rating. The major reason for this low rating is that if the Head Of School believes that your student is in any way not able to keep up with the curriculum, your student will be asked to leave, (or not invited back). There is zero tolerance to work with a student who learns at a slower pace and/or may require extra guidance. No room for students with mental health or similar issues.
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2015

The teachers are excellent! My son has thrived in this environment. The faculty go above and beyond to inspire student academic, social, and creative growth.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2015

The arts offerings are impressive for such a small school, but not necessarily better than what can be found in large public high schools in the portland area. NWA does an exceptional job preparing students for college when it comes to academic writing and research. While the humanities faculty is excellent, the curriculum is very conservative and includes shamefully few texts by women. The math and science programs are merely average, although the class sizes are wonderfully small. The language classes are hit or miss. The school culture is not very welcoming. Parents are discouraged from contacting faculty with the idea that such communication would prevent students from learning to advocate for themselves, but an unfortunate result is that many parents feel unwelcome on campus and there is little sense of community among the families. The attrition rate is also very troubling and something to consider before making such a large investment.
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2015

My daughter completed middle and high school at Northwest Academy and has become a lifelong learner curious about the world around her. From her first year in 6th grade reading and analyzing Kafka and Edgar Allen Poe and learning to tap dance , the combination of arts and academics has inspired her daily. She took risks in the classroom through her artistic responses to the material taught from science to math and pushed her limits by directing and performing in one-act plays for her high school playwriting class. We also loved the school's location in downtown Portland with many excursions around city for community service, film class and French field trips to the Portland Art Museum. We couldn't ask for a better campus and engaged staff.
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2015

NWA is a remarkable school. The middle school is especially fabulous with a rigorous thought provoking curriculum that challenges students in a healthy creative way. Students are not pampered, but held accountable such that they learn to think, analyze, synthesize and evaluate. My child has continued to the high school and he is so happy. The level of education is amazing.
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2015

This is my son's first year (8th grade) with NWA. I am a former teacher and am quite picky about his education. I have been thrilled with the academic classes and teachers, the 1:1 attention the students get, and am quite impressed with the high level of learning and thinking that is demanded of these kids. My son wanted to go to NWA to develop his crafts (acting, singing, visual arts, guitar) and has discovered many more things that he enjoys from his Arts classes. He says he is "home" and that he has found his "people" with NWA. He loves going to school, loves his classes and teachers, and that makes me very happy.
Submitted by parent on October 08, 2013

Attending Northwest Academy was a transformative experience for both of my children. The teachers are beyond amazing. They have served as mentors and role models for my students and they inspire them on a daily basis. My children have grown intellectually, artistically, and emotionally in this environment. They have discovered that they are extremely capable. Personal responsibility and the value of community is woven into the culture of the school. The students respect each other and celebrate diversity. Sending my children to Northwest Academy is one of the best decisions I've made as a parent.
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2013

My experience with NWA was most troubling. Their so-called proficiency-based education is actually a one-size-fits all, standardized program in which every student is obligated to complete the same assignments at the same time. My every effort to meet with my child s teachers one-on-one was rebuffed by requests for email explanations to justify why I wanted to meet and if a meeting was even necessary. What kind of school systematically discourages a parent from being involved in their child s education, especially when the child has special learning needs and the parent has more hands-on teaching experience than any of her teachers. In sum, I found the school, and most of the classes and the teachers to be uninspired, uncreative, uncooperative, developmentally unsound, pedagogically ineffective, pretentious, arrogant and HUMORLESS. Don't listen to me. Please, talk with educators at PSU or Lewis and Clark, and ask educational and clinical psychologists if they think the NWA program is developmentally and academically sound. I hope you don t make the same mistake that I did.
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2013

The Northwest Academy has provided my children with an incredible mix of artistic and academic challenges. The dedicated teaching staff takes the time to get to know each individual student and I have always found staff to respond quickly to my questions or concerns. Although this is an 'arts focused' school, we have found the academics to be far superior to those which our eldest child received in our local school. A great deal of attention is paid to the development of solid writing skills, but the artistic responses provide an opportunity for students to show what they know in a wide variety of formats. Although no school is perfect, this one is pretty close.
Submitted by other on January 26, 2013

AMAZING! Great academics and superb arts. Absolutley fabulous! I love this school, and the location is great. When open, visits to the farmers market on wednesdays for lunch are sooo much fun!