Bancroft School

110 Shore Drive

Worcester, MA 01605

21 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on June 02, 2023

The educational and extracurricular opportunities provided by Bancroft are incredibly personalized and rivaled by no other schools.
Submitted by other on May 30, 2023

I have been at Bancroft for 9 years, and I can say with certainty that the programs here really prepare students to be outstanding global citizens. Starting in the lower school, we learn about respect, responsibility, and leadership. Bancroft teaches you how to learn. By challenging and supporting students, the faculty guides us to ask questions and solve problems creatively. As students, we are encouraged to think outside the box, work collaboratively with peers, and own our learning.
Submitted by student on May 30, 2023

Bancroft is a wonderful school. After enrolling in Bancroft I have made many lifelong friends and learned some valuable lessons. Bancroft has opened up many opportunities for me and I would not have gotten into the college I did without this school. This school recently put safety locks on all entrance doors that students can unlock with phones to ensure the safety and security of campus. I have not once felt unsafe at school. The teachers here are very supportive and only want the best for their students. They love it when you seek extra help and they love it when you engage with the material. Bancroft has so many resources it is truly a good school.
Submitted by student on May 18, 2023

Bancroft is a wonderful school that encompasses everything you would hope to get out of high school and more. The academics create an intimate environment where students can create bonds with their teachers that reach beyond the classroom. Because of the smaller class sizes and incredible academic support resources, students are able to create and shape their own individualized learning experiences. Outside the classroom, there are so many different avenues for students to follow their passions; a variety of clubs, student government, athletics, drama, art, music, and plenty of leadership opportunities. One of the best things about Bancroft is the sense of community that fosters incredibly strong bonds.
Submitted by student on May 18, 2023

Bancroft has been a really great school for me in many ways. It is a place where I feel challenged in my education, but I also am given the space to take risks. Additionally, there is an abundance of support, from the strong advisory program to the school counselors, and I never have felt alone in my journey; there is a team of people who I know will support me. One of the main pieces of Bancroft that has been so helpful for me is the willingness of the teachers to go above and beyond for their students, whether it be to meet with students about anything and everything or just being accommodating for students’ needs and learning styles. Bancroft also has a wonderful community, and I have felt at home here for my entire time at this school.
Submitted by student on May 17, 2023

Bancroft has created some of the best memories and experiences of my life. The incredible students, wonderful faculty, challenging and engaging academics, and cozy sense of community have truly cemented this school as an excellent learning and social environment for any and everyone. Thanks to Bancroft, I’m now fully prepared for the next chapter of my life in an excellent college, equipped with the advanced academic and social skills necessary to succeed.
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2023

Both my children attended Bancroft from Kindergarten through Grade 12, and both went on to great colleges where they excelled. Bancroft is known for being an incredibly warm, supportive community, but sometimes people don't realize how strong it is academically. My children entered college with confidence about their ability, with strong research, writing, math and speaking skills, and with a well-defined sense of self. Cannot say enough great things about their years there or the success they found afterwards. Highly recommend!!
Submitted by parent on March 16, 2018

Currently, it's not worth the cost (at all). You can give your child a better education for less money pretty much anywhere else. They used to be all about education, but now sports is the main focus point. They bought the building next door and turned it into a "field house". If they had turned it into an engineering center (or something else that makes them stand out academically), perhaps the cost of tuition would be more justifiable.
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2016

My children love going to school everyday! They are challenged academically and excelling! They have so many amazing opportunities to find their passions and their teachers/advisors help them use them in a constructive fun way!
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2016

My daughter loves her time there. The community is close and supportive and the academics are developmentally appropriate yet challenging. She is especially excited about the project based learning component and as a parent I enjoy the focus, school wide, on life skills that will serve her in school and beyond.
Submitted by other on October 13, 2016

I feel very fortunate that my children were able to attend this fabulous school. It is small enough so that teachers get to know their students on a personal level, yet big enough to offer many wonderful opportunities. There is something for everyone at Bancroft School, from scientific research to athletics and arts. I could go on and on!
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2016

My son started the school in fifth grade, and we've been disappointed with the school on so many levels. To begin with, it is weak academically (at least in some grades), especially in four core subjects: math, ELA, science, and social studies. Much of the curriculum corresponded to what we did in the third and fourth grades, and the bulk of school time was spent on busy work with no educational value. Plus, the school has no grades, no tests, no homework, and no large-scale projects, and while this set up could work for some kids, it definitely did not work for us. The homeroom teacher never corrected any in-class work either, and on several occasions we saw her reading her own book while kids were writing their weekly "how I spend my weekend" journals. Or, did I say that the fifth-graders learned fewer than a dozen vocab words by December? Sparing detail, we felt that our son learned absolutely nothing during his time at school. Next, there is no communication with parents other than fundraising; we could not even get information about curriculum from teachers. As a matter of fact, students were told repeatedly that there should never discuss their school lives with parents because "school should stay at school and home is for family life." Neither were the kids encouraged to socialize as kids; my son got reprimanded for telling of his time with his grandparents over Thanksgiving for presumably violating the "private life" boundary. This school offers little beyond beautiful facilities and is definitely not worth its tuition.
Submitted by parent on May 30, 2015

Families are voting with their feet. Ten years ago enrollment was around 600 students, now it is around 460 students. The economy has improved, but enrollment keeps declining.
Submitted by parent on June 27, 2014

Our eldest attended Bancroft for two years, and it was fantastic. Career opportunities took us out of state, but the hardest part of that decision was leaving Bancroft. Bancroft is a great happy medium between polar opposite approaches taken by other nearby schools. We looked at many, and we found that each was either too focused on excessive rigor or too focused on touchy-feely stuff. Bancroft was just right and had a more holistic attitude than most: there's definitely resources there to get kids to great colleges, but they realize there's more to childhood than constant pressure. The teachers could not possibly have been better. Not only were they great teachers, but they also genuinely cared deeply about students. They really inspire kids' innate love of learning. The bottom line is that my child loved Bancroft. When school ended in the summer, she couldn't wait for it to start again in the fall. The school inspires this. The only downsides: (1) less than ideal diversity; and (2) too many days off. (I will note that they do put in solid efforts regarding diversity, and the school's atmosphere is inclusive). In sum, it is a terrific school.
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2013

What I like about Bancroft is how personal the school is. When my daughter walks to gym, everyone from teachers to high school kids would say hi to her by name on the way. Even if they don't have him/ her in class, teachers know your child and their interests and can offer guidance to help them follow their passion. I like that the older kids interact with the little kids, which gives the little kids someone to look up to and the big kids an opportunity to act as a mentor. One thing I wish were different is the dividing line between (putting this delicately) working parents and those that can afford for mom to stay home. Yes, it's a private school and yes, there's a certain social structure that can be expected as a result. I feel, however, that families with stay-at-home moms are given opportunities that are not always offered to working moms.
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2013

Bancroft school is great for my 2 children. The students are respectful, poised and intelligent, The is small and focused so may not be to everyones tastes, but this allows the teachers and administration really give individual attention and help to each student. There are limited choices for private, non-parochial day schools in the area, and for us this is by far the best!
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2013

Bancroft school has deteriorated dramatically in recent years. There are now far better alternatives in and around Worcester county.
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2013

Bancroft has offered my son an outstanding education from Kindergarten through his present grade three. The teachers know each student well and engage the students with creative, multi-layered learning that integrates many subject areas, from science, to reading, library, computer and art. Class size is small so each student receives individual attention. Teachers and adminstrators emphasize a caring environment, which permeates the school culture and kids' interactions. A weekly lower school assembly gives students regular practice with public speaking, starting at pre-K. Students are encouraged to learn about themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, and to set goals. Regarding the comments about the iPad, the lower school students use them in the classroom and it appears to enhance their learning.
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2013

Bancroft is a private, coed day school for K-12. Pros: Great, engaged teachers. Nice (if small) campus. Nice variety of clubs/sports/arts. Good diversity (I would guess at least 20% of the students are in scholarship). Cons: The iPad program sounded great when they introduced it 2 years ago, but now it seems that nobody wants to admit it is a problem. Students play games in classes and the teachers can't always tell. Kids joke that their handwriting has gotten worse. The iPad is mostly used as a glorified notebook. The students still lug around regular textbooks (iPad textbooks still not being offered I guess). The students use the iPad to access online quizzes and a homework portal, but they could do that from any computer. Why make them use an iPad? Perhaps it is a good marketing ploy for the school, but they have not shown us how it has improved learning. My child is graduating soon, and I am glad she was required to use the iPad for only her last couple of years. If she was just starting out, I would be concerned.
Submitted by parent on January 31, 2013

This was a school recommended to my wife and I upon moving to the area from out of the region. It amazed us how knowledgeable the teachers were about each student. They truly care. But when looking at other institutions it was clear that the services were really lacking comparatively. The tour guide said the newest building was added over 12 years earlier with no real plans for anything additional. The iPad program they have is pushed a lot but not all of the teachers even utilize it - seems like it is rushed. Overall a need for improvement, but good potential.