Beddow School - Waldorf Campus

6008 Hampshire Circle

Waldorf, MD 20603

16 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-6
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 29, 2018

We did not want to send our child to public school, so we started looking for private schools, we happened to find the Beddow School, and we could not be happier. It is the best school we could of found. To see my child grow has been amazing. The teachers are excellent and the admin. Is always sending out emails informing of activities and any reminders, and both are always on top of any issues. I can't imagine ever sending my child to another school, The Beddow School has set the standards high! We love this school and are so glad to have found it.
Submitted by parent on September 07, 2014

We are very pleased with our child's progress at this school (she is starting her 5th year there). The teachers are very dedicated to helping our child achieve her best. What we love most is our child's love of learning new things. The other parents are friendly and helpful for the most part. The administrator and administrative assistant have answered my questions in a timely fashion and seem supportive of my child. We also love the fact that children learn geography starting in the primary class.
Submitted by parent on July 20, 2014

Out of touch administration, no support for the teaching staff, falsehood of "team" spirit between Waldorf and other campuses. Academically average for a Montessori environment.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2013

I believe that my children are getting the best education that they can in the Waldorf/Southern MD area. They love to learn and read, the Montessori method also encourages them to seek out further challenges at home and be helpful. My son excels in math, and he continues to be challenged. He's also enthusiastic about going to school and enjoys science experiments that are made available to him. In public schools, there is a basic average level in each area that your chid needs to be at. Here, if your child needs help in an area, the teacher will work with the student, if s/he is doing great in a subject area, the teacher can keep presenting more challenging work in that subject, but at the same time not overwhelm the child. The pace of learning is set to your child, not the other way around.
Submitted by parent on April 02, 2013

I have 2 children at the Beddow school and couldn't be happier. To briefly touch 2 areas discussed by other reviewers, there is a wonderful new playground area, and there is an alarm on the back door in case of students letting themselves out. I work at 6 county schools and can attest that there is no such alarm at any of them! I give a sigh of relief every day when I pick my kids up knowing they haven't been exposed to the low standards, foul language, etc. that goes on in the public schools. My 4 year old is reading well, writing cursive, doing 4 digit addition, and can identify all continents. My 7 year old can read a 125 page book in an hour, is working on parts of speech, can multiply 4 digit numbers, and can identify more countries than I can. They both have French class once a week. Most importantly, they have a love for learning that I rarely see in the public schools. My experience is that people that make problems have problems, don't be swayed by a few low ratings. This is a wonderful environment for kids, I wish more had the opportunity to go here.
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2013

While it s good to see others claim to have had a good experience with this school, unfortunately this was not the case for us. A great experience is what we wanted (and thought we were paying for), but never received. And the reason is simple: the administrative staff proved time and again to be unsupportive of teachers, parents, and worst of all unsupportive of children. Our happy ending is that we found a school that has been a total breath of fresh air. The sense of community that is fostered and positive involvement by everyone from the head of school to the part time staffers has invoked a sense of belonging that I can't believe we missed for an entire year at Beddow and sadly we'll never get that year back. But the future is looking amazing for us as the whole family is excited about school again. If you can overlook the myriad of factors beyond good teachers that define what a great school experience should be then perhaps it s not such a bad place. For us, finding a school where the entire staff (not just teachers) takes stock in the lives of the children and the parents has been a real eye opener. At the very least, get to know the administration all the way to the top.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2012

We could not be happier with the Beddow School. Our child has been attending for 3 years and is doing extremely well, socially and academically. Administration and teachers are encouraging us to observe the class as often as possible so that we stay informed. We are also attending and/or volunteering at their school functions.
Submitted by other on April 27, 2012

Last I knew there was some upheavel...not much stability..Admin..was less than forthright...not much as far as leadership..Some undermining when it comes to staff from asst. administrator.
Submitted by parent on September 27, 2011

The Beddow School has already done wonders for our son this year. I can't sing enough praises for this school. The head of school was very approachable and answered all of our questions/concerns, which is why we enrolled. We are thrilled that the primary teachers are AMI trained. We appreciate the advice given in the previous posts. We did our homework and couldn't be happier!
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2011

I have to agree with the other poster about doing your homework first. We didn't and spent most of last year wishing we had. Our kids loved their teachers and learned a lot, but a number of other aspects leave a lot to be desired which is unacceptable when you are paying for private tuition. There is NO parent involvement of any kind, and it is nearly impossible to get appointments to speak with the head of school. When you do get an appointment it is VERY short, and be careful of what you say as it will be held against you. I am hesitant to say much more as most of the negative reviews posted previously for this school have been removed. Please please have a good look around, ask the head of school lots of questions about policies before making your decision.
Submitted by parent on June 08, 2011

Great school. It's also very affordable in comparison to comparable private schools. We have two children who have been enrolled at the Beddow School for the past 5 years and they both absolutely love their teachers and excel academically.
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2011

If you're interested, please, please do your homework before you sign the agreement. Meet with the owner, ask difficult questions, look at the facilities, use the bathrooms, look at the playground. Research this place as best you can. I know their aren't many choices in the area for a private non-religious school, but don't be fooled into thinking this is the best, most safe place for your child. Children can walk out of this school without anyone knowing it. It happened and the child was found by a neighborhood high school student. The school lets anyone in, no criteria what so ever. They have had many difficult children who disrupt the entire class on a daily basis. Nothing happens to these children, so the entire class suffers. They don't learn as much as they could because the teacher is constantly giving attention to the problem children and not the other children. Just do your homework before you enroll your child. If I had know a fraction of what I know now, I'd NEVER have sent my child here.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2011

My child has attended the Beddow School since they were 3 years old. There was a brief time I took them out and put them in our local public school to expand their social circle as the class size at the Beddow School is small, but took them out during the school year and sent them back to the Beddow School. The classes may be small (which is a good thing) and the playground may not be the most up to date, but I'm confident my child is receiving a good education in a safe environment. The public school they attended that was supposed to be so great was overcrowded and the teachers shuffled the children around to activities during the day and gave loads of homework at night to where the parents are actually teaching the child and not the teacher. What about parents that aren't able to go over homework each night with their child? The Beddow School actually teaches the children during the day. Compared to the public schools and other local private schools, the Beddow School is a good choice if you can afford it. People leaving negative reviews here need to step back and consider the big picture and not focus on their own personal negative perceptions of isolated things/events.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2011

My son has attended this school for four years and I plan on continuing his education with The Beddow School through their high school program. I love everything about this school, from the caring and highly-educated teachers, to the family-oriented culture, to the real Montessori program that the staff truly believes in. I know that this school is invested in every student's success and I am so thankful for the opportunity to send my son there. I highly recommend it to any family looking for a safe, unique and stimulating environment for their child.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2011

My son has finished 3 full years at this school and has had two different teachers (primary and lower elementary). Both teachers have been outstanding. At the beginning of this year, his first grade, we were still looking at other schools due to the cost, but now realize how worth the money this school is. It has its faults, just like any school, but the quality of the education far outweighs them all. My husband and are are excited to continue at this school to see what else will blossom in our child. We are more committed to this school after this last year than we were before. Maybe its also because I choose to get more involved myself. The Principal didn't encourage (or discourage) my involvement. That was a personal choice. I was even allowed to set up a field trip for the kids myself. We will be starting our youngest here (a year earlier than when his older brother started) in the Fall and can't be anymore excited or happy with our choice. .
Submitted by parent on September 21, 2010

This school has gone down hill in the last few years. We removed our child from this school last year because of the upper level teacher, especially the teaching qualifications she held. Initially we were very impressed with the education, but when our child changed into the upper level, we were very saddened by the quality of the teaching staff. Trying to communicate with our child's teacher was near impossible. We've recently heard stories from parents who currently have children enrolled there and they aren't positive. It's too bad because it was once an excellent school. If you're thinking of sending your child here be sure to interview a handful of parents first. You might be surprised at what you learn. We now have our child in a nearby public school and we couldn't be happier.