Sandy Spring Friends School

16923 NORWOOD RD

Sandy Spring, MD 20860

22 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on September 22, 2024

Our child is doing well at SSFS Upper School, enjoying the engaging curriculum and supportive teachers. The staff is passionate and dedicated, fostering a comfortable social environment. With a focus on understanding concepts within context, our child has access to interesting AP courses and a well-balanced schedule, thanks to the attentive advisors. After 10 years in this community, we wholeheartedly encourage anyone looking for an inclusive school to visit SSFS.
Submitted by parent on September 08, 2024

My child is a senior at SSFS and I would not recommend this school at all. First, the administration doesn't care about the concerns of students or parents. Administrators will nod sympathetically as you speak, tell you they will get back to you, then send an email essentially closing the door in your face. No discussion, no explanation. Everything from bullying to misappropriation of funds gets whitewashed. Second, the school lacks academic rigor. This may be acceptable for students who struggle academically, but high achievers will not get any support at SSFS. As long as students meet the very low academic standards set by teachers, very few teachers provide any individuation for high achievers. When students matriculate, they are given a basic math test to determine what math class to enroll in. But all the other classes are standard for everyone and regardless of how advanced a student is, they will need to dumb down to the school's low standards. And there are very few classes to choose from compared to most private schools. Third, the school gives lip service to its Quaker identity but does not embody Quaker values. Fourth, while the school describes its disciplinary system as based on Quaker values, it is characterized by favoritism, inconsistency, and ineffectiveness. The school ignores bullying when the student perpetrators are favored by the Deans - thus enabling bullying on campus. Fifth, some teachers think it is okay to spread rumors about students - even rumors that are entirely untrue. Sixth, teachers (like parents) are alienated by administrative policies. There is an extremely high attrition rate among students and faculty alike. Moreover, in four years, there have been four different Heads of Upper School. These heads are leaving because they obviously know something that the administration is not disclosing to its families. And last July the Head of School was abruptly fired. The school has serious problems and there is no indication it is improving.
Submitted by parent on April 08, 2023

During the pandemic my child started in Pre-K 3. The school made the decision to clear the campus of students K-12 for virtual learning but let the little ones stay on campus. They engaged the parents and asked us what we thought. We opted for our prk3 and 4 to stay. I loved the engagement with the teachers, the updates and accessibility. My child had a great pre school experience. He is finishing kindergarten there and has had a fantastic beginning. We are moving on for family reasons but I highly recommend at the least pre school through kindergarten there. They truly care about the kids in the lower school and Kids After Hours was a fantastic experience!
Submitted by parent on February 22, 2023

Sandy Spring Friends School has provided an outstanding environment for both my children to learn and grow. I have been extremely impressed by the school's approach to learning -- creating an encouraging and supportive academic environment, where the teachers truly care about the students and make every effort to help them succeed. SSFS focuses on academics while also fostering a caring environment that puts meaningful attention and resources toward ensuring that every student can thrive.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2022

School is a disaster of anti biology, anti science, administration actively bullying students into believing demonstrably false positions. Administration openly directs teachers to intentionally misinform students to create a regret of being American in my opinion. Segregation is also used to create real divisions based on race. This is not education at all, more like grooming in my opnion.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2021

My experience as a parent began as very optimistic about the beautiful campus, experienced teachers and Quaker values. As my child began to show some learning differences my child and I experienced harshness and alienation from some teachers and the parent community. Some of the teachers exceeded expectations others did not come close to meeting expectations. Quaker values exist on paper and talked about at the school but are not practiced. My child did learn excellent citizenship but was “purged” due to the learning differences. Though I was very active with the school, we have not heard from anyone after we left. Quaker values? I think not.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2021

We were nervous about moving our daughters from California to Maryland. As a family with two wary high school students, the stakes were high. There were bumps along the way, as with any transition, but ultimately both girls found their way, due in large part to the school. Access to teachers who care and other students who were interested in them and who welcomed them really helped. I like that the girls came home wanting to share stories and ideas after school. I could tell the learning (in and out of the classroom) captured their attention. For me, as a parent, the engaged parent community also helped. Normally by high school, it’s harder for parents to engage in a new school but Sandy Spring Friends takes the concept of community seriously. When the new Headmaster talks with the girls, they are interested in what he has to say. They tell me he asks good questions and is reassuring as a leader during these chaotic times.
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2019

I would give this school a 10/10 because of the way they go above and beyond
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2019

Highly recommend the preschool. I don’t think there is possibly a better program available.
Submitted by parent on July 29, 2019

Sandy Spring Friends School offers many features that help to shape our son as a student and life-long learner. The small class sizes enable teachers to make genuine connections with students. Based on conversations during parent/teacher conferences, it is apparent that our son’s teachers have a genuine grasp of who he is and his capabilities. It’s a small community in which everyone really seems to know one another. We have been pleased with our decision to join the SSFS community.
Submitted by other on April 03, 2019

My experience watching my siblings go through this school was painful. When I was a student there, I had an okay—if not good—experience, but something has changed. Though I recognize the potential bias in being so close to what happened, I hope that some of these examples will help people recognize that this is not a healthy school environment and it needs to be changed for the better. Kids deserve more.
Submitted by parent on November 16, 2015

We send our children to SSFS for the strong values-based education. The academics are stellar as well, and they have a rich arts program, as well as the full complement of sports. What underlies all of these programs, however, is the expectation that courtesy, kindness, and service to the greater community are equally important in helping children grow to be excellent human beings. All you have to do is speak with any graduate or Upper Schooler and you will be so impressed with the level of respect and thoughtfulness you see. These older kids are who I want my little guys to turn out to be. I don't honestly care if they go to "Ivy" schools or not (although I think the fact that the Quiz Bowl team at SSFS has consistently won championship games in the last several years speaks pretty well for the rigor of the academics?). My kids are learning to be good people, and I am so thankful they are surrounded by those expectations every day.
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2015

I don't like the current administration. In my opinion, the place has always been clicky to the point of being inbred. Too much parent involvement in sports. Yet, the athletic dept does not appear to have any coherent aim. Some teams appear run for the benefit of a few. Other teams purport to be run for the benefit of all. End result, many teams are uncompetitive and appear run to lose.Academically, the language program is quite good. English is mediocre. Math and science fall somewhere in between. Not what I would call a stepping stone to the Ivy League.The campus is nice. Unfortunately, capital projects have forced the school to continually raise tuition, while preventing any upgrade to administrators or teachers. In my experience, you pay quite a bit of money, and they don't seem to care if you see any issues.
Submitted by student on August 18, 2015

They are very nice and plus I like the the idea about the iPad an say go to this school it awesome
Submitted by parent on August 17, 2015

I love SSFS!! We have a fabulous community of students, parents, faculty and staff!! The campus is awesome.
Submitted by student on May 13, 2015

I didn't want to go to Sandy Spring Friends when my parent first suggested it. I didn't want to leave my other school, but my parents didn't think I was getting a very good education there. I am happy to say that my parents were right to enroll me at Sandy Spring. I learned more than I had dreamed- so much more than I think I would have anywhere else. The knowledge I obtained goes far beyond academics. Although I was able to take AP classes and was always challenged by the curriculum, it's the ancillary benefits of attending SSFS that have made me the person I am. I was able to travel to interesting places, immersing myself in other cultures. I had classes with students from other countries everyday. I was able to participate in sports that I would have been cut from at a larg school. I learned the beauty of silence. The teachers genuinely cared about the person I was becoming, offering advice along with academics. They also appreciated the things that made me unique in a way I hadn't experienced at my old school. If you're looking for a school that provides more than just AP classes and high-pressure testing, but engages students in a variety of activities, look to SSFS!
Submitted by student on February 28, 2015

I don't know what that other student is talking about. Sounds like a pretty unhappy person, I'm really sorry they have had this experience. But all I can say is I've been here for 5 years, started in the lower school, went through middle school, now in upper school. I used to go to a good public school in MoCo, did fine there and had friends, got good grades, etc. But the academics weren't that interesting and when kids were bullied, nobody really did anything. At SSFS, the teachers make all of the subjects really interesting, they totally involve us students in the learning, and they definitely expect us to be kind to each other, I have NEVER seen anyone here be "bullied." Kids are mean sometimes, sure, but the difference here is that the teachers work with us CONSTANTLY (honestly sometimes it's a little annoying how much!) on how to be kind to each other and take care of our community and the world around us. I love it here, it is like my second family.
Submitted by parent on December 18, 2014

We have had four children at SSFS in each of the three divisions for the past 5 years. I am a teacher at another area school, and I researched SSFS very thoroughly before sending my kids there. In the past five years, I have watched each if my children grow exponentially as kind and thoughtful friends, engaged and creative thinkers, and committed, caring members of society. I am 100% thrilled with this school and it's consistently excellent teachers, exacting yet creative and developmentally appropriate curriculum, and commitment to service learning and social justice.
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2013

Teachers have been there for years and are not current in professional development. The school has a tendency to hire alumni or family of alumni, who teach the way they were taught . Rather than according to standards and practice. There is little oversight and/or guidance for the faculty because there is a shell of administrative support staff. Suddenly this year, the school has linked some of their upper school curricular content directly to the Common Core outcomes, but few of the faculty have the skills to teach the Common Core because they are not required to learn it or keep current in learning theory. I have heard it is because they are trying to get reaccredited. The school has never functioned as a school with an integrated and implemented curriculum at least for the years our kids were there.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2013

Two of our children attended the Lower School at SSFS. We had an inconsistent experience at the school. The pros: the art and music programs, the beautiful campus, the interaction between the divisions (Lower School, Middle School, Upper School), the focus on service to community and the environment and the time spent engaging with nature. The cons: lack of accountability from the teachers, persistent behavior problems in the classes, lack of differentiation in very small classes, weak math and science instruction. The new head of the Lower School has addressed many of these issues and has made changes to the math curriculum and discipline policies, but some of the veteran teachers pay lip service to those changes at best. K and 2nd grade have outstanding faculty and solid teaching and classroom management; other classes are less positive experiences both socially and academically. The parent group is not particularly involved with a small group of parents who contribute a lot of time and energy and a large group who do very little. Classes are small which seems great on the surface but makes it hard for kids to be part of meaningful academic and social groups.