Windward School

I had a TERRIBLE experience at this school. All they want is your money. The kids are extremely cliquey and many of the girls can be really rude. While some teachers are good, a lot of them (especially the new hires) have been awful. The fact that the entire basketball team is all recruits that are on full scholarship is unfair to the numerous kids who otherwise would have gotten accepted. Having been to numerous schools, this school is by FAR the most materialistic, cliquey, fake and unaccepting school there is. The kids here are in a bubble, with no view of the outside world, or how people live without "daddy's money" paying for everything.

I am currently a senior at Windward. I would like to take the opportunity to respond to a few complaints common on this site: "Academics are not challenging enough:" Simply put, Windward is as challenging as you make it. Since coming to the school in ninth grade, I have only taken honors classes and, by and large, had wonderful experiences at Windward. I will concede that I have had a few "duds," but these teachers were few and far between. I have heard anecdotally that middle school teachers are not completely up to par with the high school teachers. My experience has been "Windward's new hires are not great:" Au contraire! One of my best experiences with a Windward teacher was with a new Physics teacher. He was one of the driving forces in inspiring me to pursue science. I have him again this year for Senior Physics, and I am really enjoying the class. I will note, however, that I have had a subpar new teacher. A new biology teacher, who was a very nice, helpful man, had never taught high school students before and taught the class in a style that was too easy for eleventh graders. I have heard that in his second year, his class is much more challenging and exciting!

Windward has been the perfect school for our family. The size of the school, and the dedication of the faculty and administration, has enabled my son to learn about what is important both in and outside of the classroom. It is the balance between strong academics (without a cutthroat atmosphere) and a supportive sense of community (without coddling) that makes Windward a special place for students to learn, gain self-confidence and explore a variety of interests. My son has made life-long friends, experienced success in athletics and the arts, and feels well prepared for the academic and social challenges he will face upon graduation from Windward next spring.
--Submitted by a parent

Windward is a terrific place to work. One thing that makes it so good is the support faculty and programs get from the administration. We get a lot of support to help us advance in our fields of study, and we get a lot of support with whatever we need in the classroom to do our jobs well. In addition, resources are distributed very equitably across all of our programs; no program suffers at the expense of another. Academics, arts, and aethletics are all supported and championed equitably. And this plays out in the way students at Windward feel very free to choose their own passions and paths, exploring the full versatility of their talents across a variety of activities and pursuits, without feeling like they have to choose between one thing or another for fear of being judged negatively for it. The students benefit greatly from the open, collaborative, and respectful attitude the administration and staff promote and imbue.
--Submitted by a teacher

I have two daughters at Windward, an 8th grader and an 11th grader. We have been at the school for 5 years and during this time I have proudly watched my children grow into caring, responsible, intellectual young ladies. Windward encourages them to take on new challenges and is supportive if they fall short. Windward provides a solid foundation that allows each student to go out into the world confident and passionate and eager to help others. We have all made meaningful relationships at the school and feel very blessed to part of the Windward family.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been a Windward family for over 5 years. We considered many independant schools and through the process Windward became our first choice. We have two very different boys and Windward offered the balance that we were looking for. Windward has an outstanding faculty and administrative team, educators who truly care about the students and while they have expectations for the students, they help them to develop and strive to do their personal best. As a result of this environment, we have watched our children grow and develop into young adults that are engaged in their work and the larger world around them. Their confidence, self esteem and independance continue to grow. The passion of the faculty towards their particular subjects is palpable. That energy and enthusiasm is conveyed to the students and in return the students are interested and engaged. We also enjoy the greater community at Windward. The families are generally a very grounded group. Our children have made some wonderful friends. When checking in with our children about their experience, they are very positive about Windward.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been members of the Windward family for four years now. Our oldest son is in 10th grade and our younger son just started 7th. We are grateful to be a part of this wonderful community. When researching schools, we wanted to find an academic environment that was challenging yet supportive of all of our children's needs. Our boys, with different interests and learning styles, both play team sports, yet are able to try other classes such as arts and debate, while managing their required school work. We loved that Windward encouraged students to find their passion. Too many schools, particularly on the westside of Los Angeles expect entering students to be experts at one thing or another. Windward has truly provided them a dynamic education in a nuturing environment. I highly recommend this school.
--Submitted by a parent

I have two very different daughters, an athlete and a scholar, and both have found their way at Windward. We targeted the school over 8 years ago when my wife and I split up--we were determined to find an environment that would serve as our family meeting ground. We love the small-school feeling, we love the education, and we love the way that each of our girls feels like a valued member of the community.
--Submitted by a parent

Windward is an outstanding school. Both our daughter, who graduated a few years ago, and our son, who attends currently, have had great experiences at Windward. The faculty, good to begin with, has steadily improved over the years. The facilities are fantastic, especially with the recent addition of the state-of-the-art science and performing arts complex. The administration is attentive and responsive, the support staff excellent (including a three-person college counseling team), and the athletic program consistently first rate. I can't say enough about this school.
--Submitted by a parent

After more than 3 years I can say with certainty that Windward is academically disappointing. While a few teachers are outstanding, my child gets more than one dud every year. The school is particularly sub-par in terms of new hires: it doesn't seem to be able to pull in the best and brightest. BTW, AVERAGE academic class size for our student this year is 20. I don't like that it advertises 16:1 but my child has had classes of 24 or 25. Also, beware: many upper school sports teams don't have a JV - just because this school is small doesn't mean your child will get played on Varsity! On the upside: the school has a culture of "nice" -- it avoids a lot of Los Angeles private school social pressures. ps I am really trying to be honest in this review, not out to trash Windward.
--Submitted by a parent