Hunters Woods Elementary

2401 Colts Neck Road

Reston, VA 20191

School District

Fairfax County Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
Type

public

School Map for Fairfax County Public Schools

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by other on March 07, 2024

I would not recommend this school, unless your child is gifted. If your child is a neurodiverse learner, it falls very short.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2021

Two of my daughters attended pre-k her with Ms.Kelly and Ms. Sara and they are amazing, informative teachers. Our daughters adore these teachers and they learned so much. We are very thankful for these 2 teachers!
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2019

My children have had a wonderful experience at Hunters Woods. My oldest is in the AP program and he finds the program rewarding and challenging. I know he’s looking forward to another great school year.
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2018

The experience has changed from positive to negative. It really changed based on the latest experience with a bad teacher and poor dealing of a bullying situation. Schools are great when your child is happy. When you start utilizing school resources and see how poorly negative experiences are handled and the impact on your child, you can’t have anything but a negative view.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2018

My gifted son had a pretty negative experience there. Unfortunately, it is not very uniform. There are some good teachers and good people in the administration, and there are some quite poor teachers and administrators as well. Additionally, there was little oversight during playground time which led to opportunities for bullying. We left the school due to our negative experiences.
Submitted by parent on February 27, 2018

Extremely dedicated teachers and staff at this school. Not sure why the rating overall has gone down in recent years, as it is not indicative of the actual learning environment. I am especially puzzled by the equity score as that is not even remotely accurate. I have had children in the school for the last 7 years, and think the school has gotten better not just in the academics, but also in fostering a strong sense of community from all.
Submitted by parent on November 28, 2017

We enjoy the experience we have had with Hunter's Woods. Our kids love it.
Submitted by parent on September 11, 2017

Hunters woods elementary has been very welcoming. My kids have been here for a year after moving from a few different schools, one in Fairfax County Public schools and one out of the state. The programs are wonderful. The administration has been helpful, and the teachers have been engaging and fair. A wonderful place for my kids.
Submitted by student on August 22, 2017

My years at HWES have been amazing. My hobby, best friends, and best year ever came from this school. I'm graduated from this school this year and am sad to move on. I will not be seeing most of my friends. The AAP program is really great. In sixth grade, they have two classes, one for fast learners, one for learners who need deep content. I really enjoyed this school...thank you Hunters Woods for this experience.
Submitted by other on March 12, 2016

This school is just great, we moved last year to Reston and we really can't be happier or more satisfied ! , our son loved his teacher and the school so much, we found that the principle, the assistant principles, teachers and the staff are extra-ordinarily nice, helpful and caring for the kids, we moved from McLean from a "10 " rated school there to HWES, we specifically looked for a house near that magnet school, and everyday we tell ourselves that it was the best decision we ever made.we were really impressed by how the teachers were efficient, nice to the kids and communicating with the families, we especially felt that sense of "caring" from the teachers and the administration toward the kids, people there are easy to work with, very understanding and cooperative, joining HWES made a real big difference in our life and for that we will always be grateful for that institution and to its teachers and staff.
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2015

We love this school. We've been attending HWES for a few years. We actually moved into the boundary to be closer to it. The teachers and administration work well together and there is incredible school spirit. The children receive dance/movement classes in addition to PE, which is unique and wonderful. My kids are learning dance moves and how to interpret music! The children learn science from some of the best teachers I've ever met, in fact there is a retired local scientist who comes in to work with the kids alongside their regular teachers. The curriculum is differentiated to meet the needs of a diverse student body. This is important to us in particular because we have one enrolled in AAP and one in regular classes. All our needs have been addressed. Everyone has been easy to work with, including/especially the office staff who seem to learn all the kids' names and are always willing to help the wayward looking parent. The new principal--she is on her third year now--is extremely accessible. She has called us in the evening to follow up on an issue we were having on the bus, sincerely wanting to help. And oh boy, did she help us. The guidance department is also top notch, and extremely tuned in to the kids. I see a lot of smiles and high fives whenever I'm there. I do wish our FCPS kids had more time for recess, but at least it is never used as a punishment or taken away. The administration and teachers know their kids. On the day we cleared the waitlist, which happened to be the last day of school, I raced over to see if anyone could meet with me one more time before we made our final decision. A teacher dropped what she was doing, took me to a conference room and talked with me for about 45 minutes. That is dedication. Finally, I love South Reston. Our school backs to woods and a creek (often incorporated into the science lessons). Our school and homes are surrounded by acres of woods and trails and lakes. It's the perfect place and perfect school. We are also one of the few schools in Reston who participate in the Scripps Spelling Bee program.
Submitted by parent on January 02, 2013

My child is in the AAP program at HWES and so far I have been happy with the decision to attend HWES. In reading some of the complaints - it seems as though they are complaining about Fairfax County issues not necessarily HWES issues (# of students per class, curriculum, etc.) - these are all established by FCPS. I cannot comment on the Gen Ed classes, but the AAP classes are great and can be as challenging as your child allows it to be. The only criticism I would mention is that the AAP population is skewed male and Asian/Indian.
Submitted by parent on November 27, 2012

HWES is two schools in one. A majority of the students in the 3rd grade and above are transferred here from nearby schools as this is the local GT (Gifted & Talented) center I have a 6th grade child there performing work at the 8th, 9th, grade levels. Although this is a magnet school unless your your child is not in the GT program it appears this is just a regular old school. I see a lot of posts from non-GT parents who seem to be under the impression their child should be getting more challenging coursework just because they are at HWES. This is simply not the case as your child needs to ested into the program. Outside the GT program it is not necessarily a very good school as it isn't in best area. So, in short, if your kid is in the GT program it is a great school if not is just another plain old school that has less than stringent academic standards.
Submitted by teacher on August 16, 2012

Great school with arts-integrated curriculum. The AAP program is outstanding with dedicated and creative teachers.
Submitted by parent on July 23, 2012

My son went to the AAP program at HW. It was awful, extremely watered down and disappointing. He was challenged more in the general ed at his home school. Some good teachers, others are awful, lots of discipline problems. I would not recommend. Since HW is a priority school much of the curriculum is now watered down so they can pass their state tests.