Speas Elementary

2000 W Polo Road

School District

Winston Salem & Forsyth County
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:11
Type

public

School Map for Winston Salem & Forsyth County School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 07, 2023

My child has been going to Speas for four years now, K-3. We have found the IB curriculum very effective at fostering a love for learning, independence, and international awareness. The dual language program is very effective and our child has been exposed to teachers from many parts of the Spanish-speaking world. We are strong supporters of Speas. The administration is very welcoming to new families and there is a strong PTA supporting the excellent instructors.
Submitted by parent on December 31, 2021

my son, first day of school EVER in kindergarten was put on the WRONG bus home. Strike 1 My son, second year of school the last day of Christmas- was given a gift for 'christopher' as that is his name. Teacher stopped him when boarding the bus going home, took the gift and said 'sorry christopher, this is for the other boy named christopher-i'll get you a gift when you get back' and sent him home crying. how can you tell a six year old that?? Then he broke his collar bone playing basketball November, few weeks later he BROKE his ARM in two places. if this happened at home, CPS would take him from me. Bad mojo at that school as far as I'm concerned.
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2019

I don’t like it. My kid is having different challenges now with no support from the teacher and way too many kids in the class. My child was Honor roll through the whole 1st grade then when 2nd grade comes.. we’re barely making all 3s .. we’ve had about two 2s.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2017

We are educators (university level) and have enrolled our child in this school in 1st grade. She was previously at a school rated 10, according to the above metrics. What she gains at Speas far outweighs the standardized test scores or the test-based markers for progress in young children. She is learning geography, global cultures, visual arts, dance, music--and most importantly for us, a second language. She is in a dual-language program and has developed a native accent with Spanish and can carry on a fluent conversation. The teachers are creative and committed. The principals are engaged and supportive.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2017

Speas is a "Global" school, applying for International Baccalaureate (IB) status, and has a Dual-Language Immersion Spanish program. A truly unique and wonderful school in our community! The administration is supportive of the teachers and the teachers are great at communicating with parents. We are thrilled that our son goes to Speas and is learning Spanish in a diverse, kind, and enriching school. Our only complaint has been with the bussing, which the school doesn't have any control over because it's run at the Forsyth County level.
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2017

The global program is a truly wonderful learning environment for the kids, and the staff goes to extra lengths to make it an enriching educational experience. My only criticisms are actually not faults of the school itself: the quality of food served is poor. This is a district level issue and not a reflection of the school but there have been days where we were pretty grossed out by the lunch foods. We do not have a child with a learning or behavioral issue but I'm not sure this would be the best school in those circumstances. I think Speas is better suited to well-rounded, well-adjusted and academically average to high-performing kids, who can gain a globally inspired education in a real world setting. The language immersion program for K & 1st grades is excellent!!!
Submitted by parent on June 01, 2017

We moved to Winston-Salem in summer 2015 from Athens, GA. I'm happy with NC, but my single favorite thing about our move is this school. I love the Spanish immersion program. I love how much my girls love the school. I'm 100% satisfied and I would strongly recommend anyone considering this school to visit with Principal Ash and give it a chance. (I did not answer questions 6 and 7 because I don't know how they support kids with learning difficulties and I have no idea how they deal with bullying, though I can say that our girls have not experienced it so far)
Submitted by parent on April 04, 2017

This is not a good school. After moving to this area we tried to place our children in Sherwood Forest Elementary due to the better ratings that school received compared to this one. Unfortunately since Speas was the "assigned" school for our area my children had to go here. The bus is frequently late picking the kids up, students are very rowdy and use profanity to each other and the teachers (no discipline), the staff is inconsistent and never knows what is going on. I get paperwork one day stating my child has been accepted to an HAG school for next year, then he is assigned to another school, then I receive an application so that he can go to an HAG school I previously agreed to! My daughter is learning how to say numbers in French in her gym class, and her speech has degraded terribly since attending this school. After attending the Poetry Café almost all of the students mumble, rock back and forth when speaking and do not speak intelligently. Long story short this is a terrible school and after attending for almost a year the “2” rating I noticed on the Great Schools website in July 2016 definitely shows. I am happy my children will be attending a new school next year where they can truly be challenged in their studies and excel as they did in their previous school because that definitely will NOT happen here. If Speas is in your area for your children to attend, BEWARE. Try to go to the district to ask for a school reassignment, or if you have the funds enroll your children in a private school.