Sherwood Elementary School

1401 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd

Sandy Spring, MD 20860

School District

Montgomery County Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:11
Type

public

School Map for Montgomery 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 parent on November 16, 2022

Sherwood Elementary School sure has changed over the years. Ever since the current principal took over, Sherwood has gone downhill quick. It used to be such a cheerful sunny place, with a glowing reputation that continued for years. Historically, Sherwood was always in the 8-9/10 range. Now, things are very different. The current 7/10 rating is a huge stretch. Slowly but surely, all the best teachers have left. Staff morale is down. Families who are able are leaving en masse- and it's not because of the pandemic. The teachers aren't teaching, and the students aren't learning. There is little classroom control, and equally, little to no consequences for the children who repeatedly misbehave. It's not safe. There is no homework, and little accountability is placed on the students academically or otherwise. The main focus is on the test scores. Children are not getting the academic, social, or emotional support they need. Parents on the whole are unhappy. All of this is directly related to the administration. It all comes down from the top. Sadly, Sherwood is no longer the safe, sweet thriving little school it once was. Sherwood Elementary School sure has changed, and sadly, it's not for the better.
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2022

I have two children who attend this school and they love it here. The staff are all welcoming and know your name. It’s not a large school where your children are just another student. There is a large community of parents who are/want to be involved. The teachers are all invested in the students learning and also their social and physical well-being.
Submitted by other on August 22, 2017

We have been so impressed with the communication, creativity, and supportive environment at Sherwood.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2016

Consistently trying to improve the student experience from new activity additions (STEM) to recognizing what keeps kids alert and engaged. Kudos to the administration for consistently adding what kids need in this day and age each year!
Submitted by parent on September 01, 2016

The teachers we had, the three years we were there, were mostly good, though the least one left when we did. But the new principal I didn't feel worked well with parents. We had a special needs student, but not that far from normal. I didn't feel like she even wanted us there till she heard he could bring up their math scores in standardized testing. Over all we decided to leave the school for private education. It was a good choice on our part. When he was there 2 years ago, they had also stopped giving children homework. I assume because they didn't want parents to help teach their children because we would do it wrong, or so they told us at back to school night one year.
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2016

We moved to this school from DC, and as a result, our child needed some help to catch up with the rest of the class academically. The school was VERY accommodating and provided her with all the resources and assistance she can possibly need. Staff and principal are caring and committed. Can't ask for any more than that.
Submitted by parent on June 21, 2016

The teachers and the staff are very committed and friendly. I feel that the academic activities can be bit more intense. We moved to MD from a different state. My children went to public schools in that state as well. Comparatively the education content here seems little light. For example, the homework usually takes only 15 mins or so. There were very few project based learning activities. It may be the MCPS curriculum . So I don't want to blame the school. In all, this is a good school. If the teachers can adjust the work load for the children (for example, there could be 3 sets of homework depending on each kid's capability), it will help keep the kids challenged appropriately and make best use of the learning time. BTW, My kids absolutely love the music and art classes at Sherwood! Go Sharks!
Submitted by parent on April 01, 2015

Our family has been very pleased with Sherwood. The teachers are kind and committed and try to challenge the children at the appropriate level. The principal and administrative team are extremely dedicated to doing what is right for the children, and even survey the children to learn how they feel about their teachers and school environment, and use that information to improve the experience. The parent community is very active as well and supportive of the school. Older comments here do not take the new Curriculum 2.0 into account. We've been very pleased with the intensity and amount of work done at school, and the amount of time children are given to be children at home. I am often in the school and find the atmosphere to be very pleasant and see a lot of learning going on.
Submitted by parent on June 20, 2014

The administration's application of 2.0 and the ludicrous no homework policy has seen this schools reputation fall dramatically. We are delighted to see the back of this but are sorry for friends who don't have an option. The fact that the best teachers Mr. W. Has left speaks volumes to the environment in the school.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2014

Our experience with the teachers at Sherwood has been very mixed which I think is typical of any educational institution. Our biggest difficulty was having a special needs student and being totally unsupported and at times feeling sabotaged by the Principal. I will admit that our child's disabilities can be challenging for adults but the Principal became almost hostile to our child. We are thankful to her though because her actions pushed us to MCPS to find a wonderful non-public where he will thrive. I cannot say enough nice things about Ms Strong in the front office and Ms. Ficco the guidance counselor.
Submitted by parent on November 30, 2013

This school has an amazing administration and staff. The teachers have really met the challenge of the Curr. 2.0 rollout with huge success. The PTA and Parents have a very good relationship with the school staff which makes for a fantastic learning environment. Love SES!
Submitted by parent on July 29, 2013

This is school's sole focus is on test scores and academics. They do not take into account the learning needs of the individual child and are not willing to work with the parents or child when there is a clear need for assistance outside the norm. We had clear documentation from a Pediatrician, therapist, Speech Therapist and Occupational Doctor with a full independent evaluation of our child indicating her needs for assistance and the school stated they would "evaluate" her. They told us " she was fine and did not meet their criteria for assistance. They put the kindergarten class with the latest lunch (12:50 pm) and would not allow them to eat their own healthy snacks - only offered pretzels. Very disappointed. This year grade 1 has the late lunch again (so Kindergartner class that had late lunch gets stuck again!). Poor planning. If you have a choice - don't send your child here! Teachers told us about her falling behind after the fact - very called or communicated with us until parent teacher nights. Never worked with us.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2010

I'm a parent of two students of Sherwood es and I am a minority and I do agree that the school has some good teachers and my kids are challenged in math and science. Some teachers are not interested to teach and give no good feedback. There is no way to encourage ki
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2008

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