Berwick Academy

31 Academy St

South Berwick, ME 03908

43 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 26, 2025

Our experience and expectations have been declining over the years with the price of tuition only going up. Our child's learning environment is rather poor based on their feedback and if you don't "tow the line" exactly, they will ostracize you and your child. The individual teachers seem caring and helpful but there is a palpable sense the heads of school or departments with unrealistic views steer the ship. Communication is often poor and the teaching curriculum isn't held to any state or federal standards. For the astronomical cost, the services would be better at any public school. Do not expect anything extra, class sizes are NOT what they advertise on their website of 8:1, it's 15:1, the state limit, you pay for a sprawling campus that is expensive to maintain with unfavorable management, unclear curriculum, an extremely basic educational institution, and an environment that will force you and your child to second guess their school choice, guaranteed.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2024

As an alum and now BA parent, I could not be happier with the experiences my family has had at Berwick. Our daughters are thriving, learning, and deeply connected to the welcoming BA community. The teachers are on the whole kind, open to communication, and helpful when our kids are struggling. The support services in each of the three divisions are incredible and have helped to carry our kids through their years so far at BA. The opportunities for extra curricular activities, student travel, and outside of the classroom independent work make Berwick worth every penny.
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2024

Very expensive with no clear value over public schools. No services. Huge bullying problems. Very upitty
Submitted by parent on July 04, 2024

Berwick Academy supported and enhanced our child experience from Day 1. Coming from Canada, it was a big step for our family. Our child and ourselves felt welcomed and supported from the start- we felt we were part of a great community, a second family. Teachers and other students took our child under their wings and ensure guidance in a various way, from how to get to the right place to how to contact the right people when you need something. We saw our child growing in maturity and wisdom within a few months. Our child was surrounded with great people and we were always kept in the loop of what was happening at school. We also had regular communications with our child advisor to ensure our child personal and academic life were following the right path. Our child left Berwick Academy with full of great memories, new friends, and a great foundation to succeed in future challenges.
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2023

Since the new head of school there has been no accountability across all areas. Teachers are allowed to do what they want, even when it is not in the best interest of the student. In my opinion I would not recommend Berwick Academy.
Submitted by parent on July 27, 2023

To say Berwick Academy saved my son is an understatement. He entered the middle school this past school year and looking back we could not be more thankful. He was unhappy in the public school and felt the pressure of keeping up with the trends. He entered the middle school last year with so much support and guidance. He ended the year very successful with an amazing group of friends. He mentioned to us half way through the year, "I can be myself here with out any pressure". When in the public school my son had an IEP for his learning. We were worried at first with the academic rigor, but the help, support, and guidance he received throughout all of his classes not only gave him the confidence to be successful, but the support to guide him along the way. He felt comfortable going to his teachers for help and realized very quickly they truly cared for his happiness and success. My son is also an athlete. He loved playing a sport all three seasons and the friendships he made during those seasons only contributed to his overall happiness. Berwick Academy is truly an amazing school and we are so fortunate for him to go there.
Submitted by parent on July 16, 2023

My two daughters are entering their fourth year at Berwick Academy and they couldn’t be happier. They absolutely love the school and though the original plan was to at least consider other options for high school, neither of them wanted anything other than to continue on into the upper school at Berwick. The academics are tough but fair and the students have the opportunity to take on an even more rigorous curriculum if they wish to challenge themselves further. The sense of community, especially within the athletic programs, makes them feel very comfortable and welcome each day. They absolutely love going to school every morning. I highly recommend Berwick if your child is looking to achieve high academic success without the unnecessary pressure you hear about so often at other prep schools.
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2023

Coming from a public school background I was hesitant to send my child to a private school. However, watching my child be excited to go to school each day makes it worth the investment. Great school with great people.
Submitted by parent on July 07, 2023

My son is heading into his fourth year in the Lower School at Berwick, and when each summer hits, he can't wait to get back to school to see his friends and teachers. He has made tremendous strides with his confidence and self-advocacy skills, as the Lower School focus on social-emotional learning is central and important to the student and family experience. Teachers encourage students to be their very best selves, and my son has grown to be more empathetic and self-aware, both of which are important to us at home, too.The curricular experience is unparalleled, and Lower School students have access to the entire campus, including frequent access to an 'outdoor classroom' where they can build, collaborate, and learn to appreciate nature and where they live and learn. This year, they all spent time planting and growing in the school's new community garden, and my son loved that he was alongside the 'big high school kids' while doing so! Teachers work together across subjects and grade levels, and my son tells lots of stories about how he's learning about a Spanish artist, for example, concurrently in Spanish and art class. Or, how he learned about the goslings hatching in the 8th grade science class when they visited with the middle school students. My son comes home each day having been engaged in project-based learning that has left him thinking even more deeply about what he's learning, and asking even more questions about things he's excited about in school. This school is a true treasure, and my family and I have appreciated the school's communication, understanding of who my son is as a learner and a unique person, and their commitment to providing an excellent, holistic experience.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2023

The level of hypocricy at Berwick is so damaging to the students at the school. A do as a say not as I do mentality. Leadership at the highest level is damaging to the long term core values of this institution. Berwick has failed to address issues of discrimination and only supports specific marginalized groups. The teachers are caring compassionate and generally support students academically.
Submitted by other on April 14, 2022

Berwick is a school that doesn't support the student class and is hypocritical in the ways they want students to act. They only want students to act a certain way when it benefits them and if not they will punish you severely.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2022

Berwick has been great for my child. The school challenges the kids to be involved, problem solve and & try new things. My child started the Upper School as a second year, in the middle of a pandemic, and still felt supported and engaged despite the challenges of masking & social distancing.
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2021

Sending our son to Berwick Academy Upper School is one of the best decisions we have ever made! Everything about his experience has been outstanding and he is thriving. He is so happy and engaged. We have witnessed him discover a renewed love for learning and academic engagement that gives us all the "feels." Most importantly he has found a community of like-minded student-athletes who are supported by the most amazing faculty, staff, and coaches’. BA is simply an amazing institution and we feel blessed and grateful that our son is part of it.
Submitted by parent on December 10, 2021

Berwick Academy is a place where I have felt safe leaving my child since he was just 5 years old. Faculty and staff are incredibly welcoming and attentive to both students and families. From division directors to teachers to administration, Berwick is a community whose main focus is to educate and ensure the social and emotional well-being of its students. The students are also held to a high standard of being kind and respectful to their peers.I have been pleased with the curriculum and workload, specifically the project-based approach to learning, over the years. The report cards given out each trimester are extremely detailed and it is clear that both homeroom and exploration teachers truly know my child.The Berwick Parent Community is engaging and active in facilitating opportunities for parents and guardians of all students to connect and to be involved as much or as little as their schedules allow. Our community is geographically vast, yet it is very close-knit.I recommend Berwick Academy without hesitation to any parent/family seeking an excellent educational experience for their child.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2021

Berwick Academy is an incredible school. My 2 children are in the Lower School (1st & 3rd grade) and are thriving. The teachers, faculty & administration are all incredible. Supportive and truly know each and every student and family. The academic possibilities are endless at BA. So much opportunity to fuel the minds of all the students and to meet every students academic ability. BA also focuses on educating the whole child. Lots of Social Emotional Focus & Community Building. We couldn’t be happier with our experience at Berwick Academy.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2021

Berwick Academy is a great school. The curriculum is student-centered and teachers approach learning to address all learning styles. The teachers and their connections and rapport with their students is genuine.
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2021

As a parent of a Lower School student who has been at the school for three years now, what my family and I most appreciate about Berwick is the attention, care, and support provided to each child and their family. We were enrolled at Berwick pre-COVID as well, and have found the School's leadership, attentiveness to the community's needs, and ability to offer an outstanding educational experience to be unwavering, innovative, and incredibly exceptional. Each day, my child looks forward to coming to school. He is greeted by teachers who know him well (both classroom and Exploration teachers alike), and who care about his individual interests, strengths, areas of challenge, and his progress as a student and a young person. Our family feels supported by our son's teachers and the Lower School leadership, and we value the family/school partnership that the School itself puts tremendous emphasis on. Each week, my son actively participates in an academic experience that includes World Languages, small group literacy and math instruction, physical education, music, art, library and information technology, and science - all with passionate educators who are experts in those specific fields. Berwick is a place that values each child and family, cares about community and inclusion, and which creates an academic experience that is challenging, innovative, engaging, and student-centric.
Submitted by parent on June 09, 2021

Berwick is a an absolutely terrible environment. The school has gone down hill very quickly and the kids are miserable. The amount of money they make you pay is not worth the amount of stress, anxiety and unhappiness. The kids at this school are terribly mean and judgmental. There is an extremely high standard to live up to at berwick and if you don’t meet it, the kids will pick you apart and make fun of you brutally. The academics can be good, or really bad depending on the teacher. But the amount of homework we are expected to complete is absolutely insane. this school will shame you if you are struggling and they do not care about any of their students well being. no matter how much they claim they care about mental health, it is not true. they make kids feel insane for having mental health issues, and only accommodate when it has gotten to a point where you need hospitalization. and even then, they don’t care. They preach cheesy sayings and claim they care about our well being but in reality they don’t. this school is outrageously toxic. please save yourself the money, and your well being. although public school may seem a bit of a step down compared to berwick, i can assure you that any school is better than berwick.
Submitted by other on April 12, 2020

This is a terrible school that almost made me take my own life. Please do NOT send your child here.
Submitted by parent on March 04, 2020

Good school but isn't worth the price they charge. They charge as much as prep schools that send a significant portion of their graduating class to ivy league or Tier 1 collages. When confronted with this you will be told that it doesn't make a difference what the name of the collage your child goes to, big miss there.