Woodlynde School

My daughter started the school in 7th grade - we are in our second year and I have seen a 360 degree change in her. We came from an 'excellent' public school district and were extremely disappointed in her 6th grade experience there. If anyone has ever experienced what it's like for a child to have an IEP (individualized Education Program) in the public school system you understand what it's like. My daughter is finally living her life to it's fullest. She is completely organized and needs no help with homework (never was before), she is involved in the theatre and afterschool sports and activities (never was before) and has made some of the best friends she's ever had. I highly recommend this school to any parent who's child learns differently. Our lives have completely changed over the course of a year thanks to the Woodlynde School.
--Submitted by a parent

Our daughter has been at Woodlynde since first grade and I can't imagine her finding the success that she has seen in any other school. The class sizes are small, the instruction methods are cutting edge, the teachers are incredibly dedicated, and the administration is incredibly receptive to problems that arise. For the college bound student who needs a supportive environment there is no equal on the Main Line!
--Submitted by a parent

I have a child that spent two years in the lower school and that was awesome. Penny Moldofsky is the best and makes the program great. Now that we are in the middle school, the teachers are attentive, and educating my child on the same level as public school but without the requirement for extraneous learning requirements or the need to self teach. The bottomline is that this is the place for any child that learns differently. They provide social integration as well as self advocacy and other tools that are far too important today. In addition, rather than division being taught in two days, it's taught over two weeks to ensure success when the need to use it comes up later. Reading and writing strategies are intensive. This is a successful school for the right kids.
--Submitted by a parent

Woodlynde is an excellent school, conveniently located on the Main Line, that provides support for students from grade 1-12. I have been a parent there for 10 years, and my child has experienced enormous success. The teachers are highly trained and committed to the students' success, the class sizes are small (>15), and the administration is strong and engaged in the daily student life. I highly recommend the Woodlynde school to anyone whose child would be overwhelmed in a large school or that needs learning support to achieve success in college and beyond.
--Submitted by a parent

The High school level programs did not prepare me for college level writing and testing
--Submitted by a student

Our son went to Woodlynde for one year and we did not have a positive experience with the upper school. We noticed many of the teachers are unexperienced and in transition to other jobs. The administration was eager enough to get us started and receive our tuition check, but once we started noting the difficulties our child was having they became uncooperative and were slow to react or return calls. As well communication between staff members seems to be very poor. All in all, I found this experience to be poor and no better than a below average public school.
--Submitted by a parent

A wonderfully rich learning community with teachers who address the specific needs of your child and cater to their learning styles. The classrooms are small and the teacher to student ratio is high, making it impossible for students to slip by by being quiet. Challenging, accomodating environment. Lacks diversity.
--Submitted by a former student

I do not recommend Woodlynde School for anything over 6th grade. My son had a wonderful experience there for the lower school which is up until 5th grade, however what they call the upper school has a number of problems. The class size is smaller than public school, about 14 to 16 students, but the teachers are not up to caliper for a private school in my opinion. The education is sub-standard at this level from what I have witnesses with my son. He is capable of much more and we will be moving him now after 8th grade. I have also notice the administration is disorganized, uncooperative and generally not open to new ideas. Feel free to email me at drwilliamtrebing@yahoo.com if you have specific questions about Woodlynde. My son has been there since 3rd grade.
--Submitted by Dr. Trebing, a parent

My son has been a student here for 2 years. The small class size has been really helpful for his learning disablity. They provide the students with lots of strategies to help them with their learning. They make each child feel that they can succede
--Submitted by a parent

An excellent school providing learning strategies to promote optimal growth for children grades 1-12. Helping young people develop and maintain good self-esteem in an academic envrionment which challenges each individual and yet supports them is a corner stone of the Woodlynde experience.
--Submitted by Katharine Francis, a parent