Templeton Academy

406 7th Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20004

10 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by student on July 12, 2024

From the time I've spent at Templeton Academy, I've experienced academic growth, personal growth, and a very supportive community. The school's small environment is good for anyone who feels or has felt overwhelmed in a larger educational setting, and the location encourages independence and using the surrounding city as an extension of the campuses. Creativity is something that is encouraged and allowed to flourish, as well as a sense of discipline when it's needed. Would recommend for your kids.
Submitted by other on December 13, 2021

My daughter is an eighth grader at Templeton DC. Now she loves going to school each morning. The project-based curriculum is an engaging way to learn, with students going deep on particular topics and bringing in a variety of academic subjects and skills. Field trips happen once or twice a week and are directly integrated into the projects. Each term is capped off with an evening of student presentations about their projects, allowing each student to shine. The atmosphere is warm and supportive, both by the teachers and by the other students. Clubs are built into the day, with middle school students and high school students attending the same clubs, and the high school students being engaged with and mentors to the middle-schoolers. There is an intentional focus, built into the weekly schedule and evaluation process, on learning about self-advocacy and self-reflection, skills that everyone (especially teenagers) need. Also, the downtown location can’t be beat, giving easy access to all the city offers and independence to the students. We look forward to sticking with Templeton for high school.
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2021

I love everything about Templeton Academy! They are very supportive of my son's challenges and provide it when needed. The teachers are team players with the parents as well. The project based curriculum is awesome! It gives the students the chance to learn to work as a team and also use critical thinking skills. The class schedule is unique as well where the student will take 2 courses per semester for 10 weeks and still get all their required credits. Even though school is virtual right now, my son has met some friends. Oh and the class sizes are nice and small. Another thing I love about Templeton is how they praise the accomplishments of their students. My son is featured on their social media pages for winning 2 scholarships for being a philanthropist. I highly recommended Templeton Academy for a middle and high school choice. You won't be disappointed!
Submitted by parent on December 01, 2020

My daughter joined Templeton Academy after not doing well with remote learning during the pandemic in the public schools. With her ADHD and wanting to be around other kids, she struggled with being engaged during online lessons. This has been a breath of fresh air - I am thrilled that she is finally learning. And she also likes her school! It's a bit like college and she loves it.Classes have more of a practical bend to them - integrating life skills with academic learning. Most assignments are project-based - which is more of a real-life skill. The field trips enable better learning, and the school has been able to combine virtual with in-person learning in a safe and effective way. Teachers are very responsive and have been engaged. For example, they noticed that my daughter has leadership skills and started giving her those opportunities. Leadership is very responsive to me - I have been emailing about various issues or asking questions and I was getting responses almost immediately. Her advisor knew the names of her friends - that's the level of individual attention that she gets!Character is key - we espouse the same values that the school teaches, so it's easy for us to fit in. Love is Love, Black Lives Matter, and so on.From a learning differences perspective, my ADHD kid has an easier time with block classes that are more in-depth and longer. I hear her talk in her classes, a lot. And she is thinking and debating a lot as well.As to bullying - she hasn't had any episodes of that. She made friends. A bit of a challenge is the fact that lots of kids come from different places all over the DC Metro area so it's logistically tougher to hang out. It is also impossible during the pandemic. But she managed to make friends. Lots of kids there are quiet and very talented - not necessarily a breeding ground for bullying.
Submitted by student on September 15, 2020

Pretty awful and isolating. I won't be returning next year. You can play on your phone and laptop in class. There is tons of sexual discrimination. Teachers do not teach but instead spout rhetoric.
Submitted by student on June 09, 2019

Overall, my experience at BTA was dissatisfactory. Here are the summarized good and bad things about this school.Pros:-If you are one of the few students at this school to have the motivation to work hard, you can finish high school in three years.-It is nice to only take two classes at a time for a quarter, instead of having to multitask seven or eight classes all year long.Cons:-You do not receive an education that meets set standards. (It amazes me that the classes are even accredited)-The school community is disappointing. To graduate from BTA, each student must complete a project that consists of something that they are passionate about. When I heard of this, I instantly had many ideas. When I asked other students what they were planning to do, they told me that they were not passionate about anything and didn't have any hobbies or interests.-Homework does not support learning.-The teachers are not qualified.-The administration is passive-aggressive and untrustworthy.I wasted my time and money at this school. Don't waste yours.
Submitted by student on January 11, 2019

I don't think anyone at this school actually knows what they're doing.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2018

Overall, this school has been a fantastic experience for our son. He's very academically motivated and has been able to shape class projects to explore his interests. But he's also been pushed into new areas and has really grown, both as a student and a person, as a result. The small class sizes, block schedule (two in-depth courses per term/quarter, plus a flex period), and welcoming faculty, staff and community make this a perfect fit for him. We've been impressed by the innovative approaches that some faculty have taken, and frequent field trips underscore the experiential nature of the school. It would not be a good fit for a student who wanted the "big high-school experience" with sports teams, spirit squads, lots of extracurriculars and clubs, or students who want to take lots of AP classes. The school *intentionally* does not offer AP classes--mainly because it pursues a "go deep, not broad" approach--but has supported some students who wanted to take the AP exams.
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2016

Our daughter has been transformed by this school. Part of her success is due to the smaller class size and the alternative schedule that allows her to take one class at a time. But a lot of credit goes to the excellent administration and some of her very outstanding teachers. Thanks to Blyth Templeton, our daughter is now working up to her full potential and is excited about learning.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2016

My child has expressed her concern constantly about the staff, and how unwilling they are to make her time at the school enjoyable. They make everything, even the most minute things, so difficult, and the only good aspect this school has to offer is its cheap price when compared to other private schools. I am still debating if it is worth the money..
Submitted by principal on March 12, 2015

Blyth-Templeton is an exciting, energetic, and joyful learning environment that provides the scaffolding for students to build their own unique experience as they grow and develop into young adults. Our program is designed to fully engage students in the academic process and in their community. Committed to experiential learning, our block academic schedule (two classes per term for four terms a year) and small class size (average 8 students) allows us to use Washington D.C. s unique resources for a highly personalized education experience. Our diverse community celebrates many different points of views, interests and backgrounds, but all of our students have in common a passion for learning and a respect for both individual and community. We encourage our students to participate fully in the life of the school and to take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to them. The relationships between students and between students and teachers are the heart of the Blyth-Templeton experience, and our teachers understand that a student is a whole human being whose value is not tied to the grade on a report card. They provide structures for students to be active decision-makers and self-advocates in an empathetic and warm setting. Students are challenged to step out of their comfort zones, to become familiar with uncertainty and see it as a source of excitement and promise. I look forward to meeting you so I can share more about our extraordinary school.