Barrie School

13500 Layhill Road

Silver Spring, MD 20906

37 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-12
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 13, 2024

After two commercial breaks from marketing department, we would like to share our observation, perspective. Some are good teachers, communicators, educators, Some not. Some are dedicated their jobs, Some are seasonal. It depends how much you are involved with your child's school to be aware of dynamics. it is good enough school if you don't pay. As a private school and we are the families who pays, we want to see more talented, professional administrators. Also we believe that school is not transparent when you have a difficulty to solve the issue together not to sweep under the rug. Good luck
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2024

This is a great school for experiential learning. Children have opportunities in both the Fall and Spring to travel and learn in a hands-on mode with the Fall trips by grade and the Spring trips by choice. The teachers here are awesome and the small class size allows kids to progress at their own place. We highly recommend Barrie.
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2024

At Barrie our middle school aged children enjoy a rigorous learning environment, a faculty that is dedicated, kind and forward thinking as well as exposure to unparalleled diversity. If you are looking for a school that focuses on and is invested in the whole gamut of the educational experience, Barrie is the place. With a culture that embodies respect for all, it is strongly steeped in social justice and prepares students for the real world, with thoughtful and generous support from all involved. We especially love the drama and arts program, led by a talented faculty who draw on students strengths, fostering confidence and discipline and producing at the highest level.
Submitted by parent on February 29, 2024

Please be warned that when I was a parent at Barrie I was asked more than once to write positive reviews for this web site and told what to say. The school then was unsafe, disorganized, and led by a Head of School with no moral compass. My child was abused by one student, bullied by another, fed drugs by a third, and eventually assaulted by a student the HOS was warned by the Head of Upper School he should not admit due to severe psychological problems. Reading today’s reviews I can’t help but think things haven’t changed. Old HOS is gone but problems remain. So I think the issue lies with the Board, the refusal to downsize to a student body that can be properly supported, or simply the financial difficulty in sustaining a school with a truly bad reputation. Please stay away for your child’s sake. And those of you writing these great reviews please refuse to do so in the future, or if you’re not being pressured, please take a closer look around you.
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2024

We have two kids at Barrie. They have very different personalities and interests. They are both doing incredibly well in all areas. Over the three years they have been at Barrie they have developed in to well-rounded, well-informed and confident students. Their academic abilities reflect this. On the social and personal development side they are gaining great insides and awareness. I can't imagine a better school for them than Barrie.
Submitted by student on January 18, 2024

The upper school of Barrie is overall not the worst, but has a few glaring issues. For one, both students and parents rarely get informed about any type of event, closure, field trip, etc, causing students to be under prepared for most of them. Second, the support for students who struggle with understanding work is very low, with most teachers just trying to give them more work in response. Finally, the support for students with mental health concerns is zero to none unless they are informed by parents. While there are attempts to better this, and i commend them for that, I still think there are massive improvements that can be made.
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2023

My son thanked me everyday he was at this school. They need to address high staff turnover though.
Submitted by parent on June 16, 2022

This school is highly disorganized, unsafe, and, as other parents have noted, does not provide students with learning differences with enough support. It promises parents everything and delivers absolutely nothing. My children are the same age, were put in different classes and then one of them was mistakenly put in an entirely different grade from their sibling this year. Neither the school nor the teacher disclosed the issue or tried to figure out a solution, I found out and tried to address it. Their response and action essentially caused emotional damage to my child that they continue to talk about 6 months later. There are no safety measures on campus, as a parent, I was never informed about any procedures - fire drills, armed strangers on campus or active shooters, nothing. Before and after care is basically outdoor play with little supervision (depending on the teacher). If I had known about the quality of the education, the lack of safety, lack of support for IEPs...I would never have enrolled them. Learn from my mistake and find another school or daycare for your child/children.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2022

The Head of School has created a toxic environment for staff members . The high turn over rate of teachers and principals is directly related to his leadership . The school promises to meet students where they are and provide services and support with those with learning and behavioral challenges, yet they do not have personnel to support those positions. The focus of the HOS is to get children in the door and then when things don’t work out , the family is asked to leave or choose to leave due to the lack of services .
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2022

This school has a lot of problems. Its lost the best teachers prior to and during the pandemic. They kept leaving one after the other, which tells you what it's like there. Another issue is they do not take bullying seriously at all nor do they give adequate support to students affected by it after they know about the situation. They do not support children with special learning needs, like public schools do. In fact the teachers become bullies of sorts themselves until the students no longer want to attend school there. I've seen this first hand more than once.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2019

Mixed. Our oldest child benefitted greatly from Lower L. Upper L probably scarred this child for life, because teachers and administration don't bother doing what's necessary to create an ideal learning environment. Doing so doesn't just mean hiring teachers and building eco-friendly classrooms. It means being willing to impose discipline fairly. Not allowing teachers to "write off" a student. Not allowing bullying to fester and writing it off as "boys will be boys" or "this is just what tweens do nowadays".Those responses wouldn't be acceptable at a public school. Why on Earth would someone make the huge financial sacrifice to sent their kids to private school only to deal with the same things?Lower L, by comparison, was great for my oldest and youngest child. If anything, we, as parents, made the mistake of assuming Upper L would follow suit.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2019

I have three children who are lucky enough to attend the Barrie School. This is not just a school, this is a community that is devoted to making this world a better place by instilling strong values, top level education, and a sense of purpose into each of their students.Barrie has a place for everyone and everyone has a place at Barrie. The student body is small and incredibly diverse. As a student at Barrie you learn quickly to embrace what makes you unique and to embraces differences. It is not unusual to have my house full of students ranging from 9th to 12th graders with a huge variety of cultural backgrounds, all laughing together. Watching them makes my heart happy.In terms of education, Barrie hits its mark. The faculty at Barrie is as unique and diverse as the students themselves. Notice I refer to them as faculty because these are not just teachers, these are university level faculty. The teachers are passionate about the subjects they teach and that passion oozes through in their teaching. The Humanities program (where they combine both history and English into one) is a corner stone of this school. The students don't just read texts, they explore literature, they dissect history. They are pushed to think critically about events that have shaped our global world. The Model UN program is another standout feature of this school. With some of the best guidance from the Model UN faculty, these students are pushed to work outside their comfort zone to begin to see the world from so many perspectives.And then there is science and math.....the physics teacher is a true standout. Every student waits to get into his class, and no one wants to leave it. He brings science to life for these young people, and he makes scientist out of them.Math is another stand out. The math department is ridiculously amazing. The faculty here could revile any college professor. Students get so much support that they truly sore. It is not unusual to have a group of AP Calculus students meeting on a Saturday morning with their teacher, eating bagels and working on math.There are so many opportunities at Barrie. The standout here is that these kids learn who they truly are, and then thrive.
Submitted by student on November 05, 2018

very nice kids but they should deal with the students without emails constantly
Submitted by parent on May 14, 2018

I really like the individual academic approach. Incredible campus offers outdoor classroom experiences.
Submitted by parent on November 09, 2017

I really like Barrie as a school community It's a beautiful campus and I just love that they have a equestrian program . I have My daughter in lower el and my son in Middle school .Coming from an European culture I have always felt supported when ever I have had questions. I have only meet wonderful and open minded staff . Both teachers and administrators are very nice people.I would recommend to visit and have a tour just to get your own experience
Submitted by parent on November 08, 2017

I am very please with Barrie for my two children. This is their fourth year and they are in both the Montessori and Prep division. The school is very welcoming and inclusive. The staff is supportive and has helped both my children achieve in ways they were not able to before in their previous school. Barrie's campus is beautiful, and the exposure to the outdoors is amazing. The campus is set in a wooded area, with ponds, streams and a horse stable. My daughter is an equestrian and participates in the riding program. There are few other schools in our area that offer these kinds of opportunities. The students take many field trips each year, and the Prep students have the opportunity to travel locally, nationally and internationally. The exposure to the outside word, and other cultures is wonderful. Furthermore, the school is very diverse, and I'm very happy my children have the opportunity to find commonality and friendship regardless of background, culture and differences.Academically, I couldn't be more pleased. Both my children are thriving. They are becoming very independent and conscious learners, and love coming to school. The faculty and staff are great, as is the support staff such as the counselor, school nurse, learning specialists in both divisions, and administration. I am able to stay in direct communication with the teachers and staff, which is so important to knowing how my children are doing. In addition to school, we are very pleased with the summer camp. My children have the chance to experience the campus in a different way during the summer, and are exposed to many outdoor activities, overnights and excursions. I feel very fortunate for my children to be at Barrie.
Submitted by other on June 10, 2017

I was a high school student here starting in 2005 and graduating with a 3.4 in 2009.This school is a joke. The teachers play favorites, the administration cares nothing for the arts, opting to build a multimillion dollar soccer/lacross field with a parking lot, and not a dime on the outdated theater, art studio, or music room.They advertise as a college prep school. They are not. Half of my graduating class went straight into the army. If you wish for an expensive waste of four years, please go here. If you want an actual education, avoid this school.
Submitted by other on June 20, 2016

We have had a great experience at Barrie this year. Our son was enrolled in the toddler program this year, and we were nervous about sending him to school since he had never been in day care. The team at Barrie worked closely with us on the transition and our teachers even came to visit with us at home to make our child feel comfortable. We have seen him develop in such a positive way and we feel his time at Barrie will leave a lasting impression. Communication with the faculty, staff and administration is excellent. We got daily notes, photos we could share, and helpful parenting seminars. Aside from the beautiful campus, the horses, Spanish and yoga, the thing I valued most was that they truly cared about my child. I'll never forget how excited my child's teacher was when my child used the potty at school for the first time. They are definitely invested in this kids. The only negative about this school would be the price tag. The toddler program is reasonable, but the cost rises dramatically for the primary program. I understand it takes a lot to maintain a school like this, but price was definitely a factor that made us decide not to return for the fall. I would highly recommend the toddler program to any family looking for a inclusive, caring, and developmentally stimulating place for their child.
Submitted by parent on May 28, 2016

I have two boys at Barrie one little one "up the hill" at montesauri and one teen "down the hill" at Barrie Prep. The campus is incredible which makes the toddler Montessori program a wonderful atmosphere with a lot of outdoor exploring time and caring teachers.As for the upper school, i don't recommend it. If your child has any learning difficulties they are not trained nor staffed. My older son fell behind academically compared to his peers at public school, especially in Chinese. The language program is terrible after coming from Alice Deal DC public school. For children who enjoy small class room size and who are not that academic, Barrie is a good fit. However if your child has an IEP or 504 plan, Barrie is not the right school.
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2016

Great school. Great community. Great teachers. Great administration! No complaints! My child has grown so much there.