Wakefield School

PO BOX 107

The Plains, VA 20198

28 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 05, 2024

Wakefield has been an exceptional experience for our family. With a supportive community and outstanding academics, it’s a hidden gem in Northern Virginia. The personalized attention sets Wakefield apart—small class sizes and passionate teachers create an environment where students are known and supported. My child has thrived academically and grown in confidence, thanks to teachers who recognize his strengths and guide him through challenges. The liberal arts curriculum, combined with STEAM and outdoor learning, offers a well-rounded education that keeps him excited to learn.Wakefield fosters a strong sense of community through fun events, traditions, and ways to get involved, creating a warm atmosphere that brings families together. The culture of kindness, respect, and inclusion is reflected in my child’s interactions with peers.For a school that blends academic excellence, character development, and community, Wakefield is an outstanding choice. We are grateful to be part of this incredible school!
Submitted by parent on November 21, 2024

Our experience with Wakefield over the past few months has been nothing short of amazing. The administration is incredibly welcoming and excels at involving parents. The teachers are not only friendly but also highly communicative, keeping us well-informed and engaged. As a parent, you couldn’t ask for a more cohesive experience.One of the standout aspects is the emphasis on teaching core values like kindness, respect, and caring—qualities that were noticeably missing in our previous public school experience. Our son comes home happy and energized, always eager to return the next day.Joining the Wakefield community has been one of the best decisions we've made for our family, and I wholeheartedly encourage you to do the same. You won't regret it.
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2024

We are in our 3rd year at Wakefield and could not be happier with the environment, academics, and the quality of relationships between parents and teachers. I do not know why the other 2024 reviews have been so negative- we do not have and have not had that same experience. We came to Wakefield from another school which had a toxic environment and a combative relationship with parents so yes, we know what we are talking about. We cannot speak to the "Special Education" point because we do not need the support and we do not know what the school offers in that regard. Some points on how our experience at Wakefield is different: - Our child loves Wakefield- the teachers, the environment, the friends. - Our child feels supported.- Our child feels safe- we were bullied at the other school and it took the threat of a lawsuit to get the other school to intervene when our child was being bullied by the child of a teacher at that school. - The teachers and administration are very open, approachable, care about the kids, and do not take offense when parents have questions about curriculum, our child's development, our child's progress, school plans, goals, etc. - Kids have opportunities to engage with the school during and outside regular school hours. - The school offers resources for extra academic support if your child needs it. - The school hosts an amazing number of community engagement events so if parents want to be part of the community, they have plenty of opportunities to engage (financially, time, etc.)- The school faculty and administration actively seek input and engagement from parents. - The leadership of the school is committed to preparing the kids for the future.
Submitted by other on May 25, 2024

I graduated from Wakefield, which provided solid academic preparation for college. The school offers a robust curriculum that equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in higher education. However, several issues marred my experience:1. The administration, particularly towards working-class families and non-donors, often displayed a bullying/cliquey attitude. 2. Your tuition money also doesn't mean anything to them, as donor families are propped up and everyone else mostly ignored or worse, harassed by the school admin. Funding and budget are handled by a small board of donors and old money wealth.2. There was a teacher with a long history of racist behavior who took nearly a decade to be dismissed, which is deeply concerning. 3. Additionally, the school's approach to mental health is severely lacking; during my time there, three students tragically took their own lives in a school of around 200. This points to a significant failure in supporting at-risk students. 4. In recent years, the school has struggled to help students gain admission to top state universities, reflecting a decline in the quality of college preparation. 5. It's truly a diceroll whether you and your child will be accepted into the "community" here, as indicted by other reviews.While the academic foundation is strong, these critical issues need urgent attention. But I suspect they will never be fixed as these issues have been the same for decades by this point.
Submitted by parent on February 24, 2024

I also do not recommend this school at all. Appears to have an extremely high turnover rate of students. In my opinion, some teachers are okay, but most are worse than public school instructors. Will update with more details after the end of the school year.
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2023

This year my daughter came home with a concussion. Other parents have reported physical violence by this same child also but the school does nothing even though the Code of Conduct says that physical violence is a major incident. When I requested my daughter moved to another classroom, they declined. When I told other parents/friends, they contacted the school with concerns. The next day, I was given a no trespass notice and my children were kicked out of the school because Wakefield says that my conduct in speaking to other parents violated the Code of Conduct. We have been at Wakefield for 3 years and we believe that you must be a top donor to matter. The Board of Trustees does not offer parents the opportunity to attend any meetings. Parents have no input in or awareness of how funds are spent or what is taught in classrooms. In my opinion, the Wakefield School functions more like a business focused on financial growth than a school concerned with the care of children.
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2020

My children attended Wakefield for a time. In retrospect, it was a very bad decision. They have been successful academically. However, their social experiences were very bad and required therapy to get over. The teachers make very little money and seem jealous of (or at least annoyed by) the children, most of whom are from affluent families. There is lots of gossiping among the teachers and they seem to get together to discuss the children and gang up with one another to try and harm children that they don't like or if they perceive their parents as not kissing up enough. Learning is not the goal. Grades are. There is also a bias in grades for some children. For example, the children of large donors gets lots of rope as do their parents who also bully kids and parents at social events. The athletic staff is full of immature people who gossip and tease students. It should be pointed out that some people on that staff are there because they can't find another job because of a lack of qualifications. This time in a child's life is very impressionable and bad teachers and an unsupportive school environment can really mess up a kid for years to come. Many of the teachers are not certified (as is true in some private schools). That fact does not ensure good teaching, of course, but many of the teachers were just mean- spirited and not helpful in terms of helping children reach their full potential. This is a very big shame. Wakefield was one of the most negative environments ever and I could kick myself for exposing my children to such a toxic place. For the record, my children went on to be very successful in another school, but reflect on their time at Wakefield as traumatic. It makes me very sad that I ignored all the signs that the teachers and staff did not care about them very much. Save your money and send your children to public school or at least to another private school that has more academic offerings and employ more qualified professionals who are not intimidated by affluence or involved parents who are advocates for their children.
Submitted by parent on September 19, 2019

We are now in our 4th year at Wakefield with our eldest. Hopefully our youngest will start next year. It is an excellent school that marries a challenging curriculum with good citizenship.
Submitted by parent on April 03, 2017

We are in our second year at Wakefield and our happiness with the school keeps growing. The small class sizes, the curriculum choices, the emphasis on developing the whole child, plus the overall community spirit is wonderful.
Submitted by other on November 05, 2016

I had the privilege of substituting at The Wakefield School yesterday. The 4th and 5th grade students that I worked with were extremely courteous, kind, and helpful to their substitute, as well as, each other. They showed a genuine enthusiasm for learning that was contagious. The Wakefield School is a remarkable school that I highly recommend to any family seeking to challenge their children in a nurturing engaged community.
Submitted by other on November 03, 2016

I have two boys in middle school at Wakefield and I can honestly say this is the kindest middle school environment! Additionally, I think the school has an overall atmosphere of teaching well-rounded students to be successful citizens. I love all the teachers and the entire community. Thank you Wakefield for making my boys find young, smart gentlemen.
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2016

We have been at Wakefield for 4 years now and couldn't be happier. The faculty and staff truely care about my kids education. Yes it is a rigorous curriculum and not for everyone.The classes are small which only helps with extra focus and attention. Administration knows who my kids are and they're not just a number. Faculty is responsive and willing to work with the parents. There is a great sense of community here and I know my children will benefit from it later in college and beyond.
Submitted by student on January 12, 2015

As a former student of Wakefield School, I felt absolutely disgusted reading the negative comments. I went to Wakefield from 9th to 12th grade and I will it admit I had both negative and positive thoughts throughout my four years. However, the positives definitely outwiegh the bad. The Wakefield faculty is VERY involved with the student's regardless of your financial status. I relied on financial aid to attend this school and I never once felt that I was being treated differently because of my parents' income. Faculty will always check up on student's when they notice they are struggling in the class and appear to be having a bad day. There may be a few mean students and slight bullying, but honestly what school doesn't have that? Students are going to take their stress and anger out on others sometimes, it's a way of life. It is very hurtful to see negative comments towards Wakefield. I was able to develop a close relationship with all my teachers and they made me feel as if I was apart of a family, considering I didn't have much of one at home. Wakefield is challenging, but you will be able to succeed as no one there wants to see a single student fail.
Submitted by parent on December 02, 2014

This is an awful awful nasty school. They bury your child is meaningless busy work. Just memorization and regurgitation. You child will learn nothing useful. They say they have a good English program but my child found the level about three grades lower than she had before. The teachers are mean and shout at your child constantly. Their is not trust. The admin is is caught up in constant conflict, the back stabbing spitefulness is unbelievably bad. There are a few people who have their own kids in the school who have the smug attitude that they can do as they please bec they force out anyone that speaks up against them. This place reminds me of a Jerry springer show the in fighting is so bad. They will treat you well if you donate a lot of money but otherwise they will treat you badly, discuss your personal financial info openly and treat you like dirt. I have never been treated so badly before. This school is a poor return for your money - there are so many better schools. My child was miserable here and since I moved her she is incredibly happy and her grades have sky-rocketed. The meanness and elitism trickles down to the students. Just an awful awful place!
Submitted by teacher on November 21, 2014

As the new Headmaster of Wakefield School, I welcome all feedback about our school. I would certainly encourage this particular family to contact me about their situation to help me better understand what we can do to make Wakefield an even stronger community. Our school is one that works very hard on the development of young women and men of character who not only excel in the classroom, but also treat everyone with kindness, decency, and respect. We have a program that spans our entire preschool through 12th grade curriculum specifically designed to prevent bullying and to encourage inclusion. We take breaches of our community standards seriously and work very hard to be an inclusive community.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2014

I have had a child now in every grade at the school from Pre-K to 12th grade. I will say that it is not a school for everybody. I don't think any private school should be a school for everybody. It is a school for FAMILIES that value hard work and the importance of reflection. Not all of the students are above average in ability; mine are no different. I have seen tremendous growth in the amount of socioeconomic diversity over the years. I have seen a concentrated effort by the administration to improve the quality of the math, science education at the school which has paid off in my opinion. The students with whom I have interacted have been generally amazing in terms of their etiquette. They express thoughts that are clearly well thought out. It is not a place for people who are looking for spoon-fed, effortless education. It takes a degree of effort on behalf of the students and their parents to succeed at a high level at this school. The middle of the road student at Wakefield is a strong student anywhere. I am very pleased I have had my children at Wakefield and all will graduate from there and will have the best possible foundation I could provide for them.
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2014

So far it's been a wonderful experience for our child at the Wakefield Upper School. Coming from a public school, Wakefield has changed our child in many positive ways. Our teenager geniunely loves going to Wakefield - which is 180 degree different attitude from public school experience. Yes, academics are rigorous & challenging and expectations are high but there are many positive, encouraging support from teachers, advisor and admin. We've asked our teenager - you feel it was the right decision to attend Wakefield? Answered with a resounding "Absolutely...no regrets."
Submitted by parent on September 11, 2014

This is THE WORST school I have ever had the misfortune of having my child enrolled! The teaching is very bad! Admin is bad, they can't write recommendations and the place is bleeding students - Don't waste your time here! The only way they can improve is to close their doors for good! I would give this school no stars but the site won't allow it!
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2014

I am not sure what some of the other reviewers are talking about. My child has been enrolled at Wakefield for three years. It has been a wonderful experience from day one. Whenever I have had a concern it has been addressed thoughtfully and quickly. My child has gained not only great academic skills but his enthusiasm for school and his self confidence have soared. I have found all of the teachers and school leaders to great educators committed to the success of all of their students. It is a great school.
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2014

As a parent of two children attending Wakefield, I could not be happier with the facility, administration, and teachers. On the first day of school, my kindergartener held open the door for a long line of students and parents walking into the building. He was not prompted by his mother to do so, he did this on his own. He said "good morning" and smiled to each person that walked through that door. "Capable, Ethical, and Articulate Citizens." This is Wakefield and these values are taught from the beginning. This is something that is not taught in the public schools. I can speak from experience, as a graduate from a Virginia public school.