Penn Wynne School

Academically, the school is fine. The school district really offers a curriculum with little challenge at the elementary school level. You are at the mercy of the teacher as far as beefing up LMSD's elementary curriculum and making it more interesting and challenging. PWE has some very good teachers who despite the many rules, regulations and mandates imposed above and the district level, provide exceptional education to the students. Socially, far too much time is spent on warm fuzzy stuff better left to mom and dad at home. Math classes have actually been interrupted by these cute little fresh out of college 'counselors' who want everyone to sit around and discuss their feelings. Also, too much time taken away from academics to talk about how unhealthy cupcakes are and how every child has to be every other child's friend. The principal gets rave reviews - for being a tyrant.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been quite disappointed with this school. My child had a brand-new teacher who was very rigid and nervous, could only teach to the middle of the group, and seemed way out of her league. He was bored out of his mind (all the testing they gave him he scored twice the benchmarks). We found the principal to be minimally helpful, definitely sides with the teacher rather than working with parents. The after-school enrichment program, however, is a joy -- talented teachers, happy to work with bright kids, flexible programming.
--Submitted by a parent

My son had always gone to school where I worked and when it was time for him to enter a 'BIG' kid's school, I was nervous. Very lucky for us, Penn Wynne provided the best atmosphere, beyond qualified teachers and other supportive families that continues to provide my son and other children with the best learning and social experiences!
--Submitted by a parent

Penn Wynne is a very nurturing environment but is not very challenging academically. They have many teachers who are nearing retirement who are teaching a boring and outdated curriculum. PW also has difficulty with children who don't 'learn in the middle'--I've found that if your child learns faster of slower, then the classroom teachers don't hknow what to do. Socially, my two kids love it here, but we are looking into other educational options.
--Submitted by a parent

Penn Wynne is a very caring school with top-notch teachers. Your child will feel both unique and part of a community of friends--a great combination! They also have a lot of extra clubs (art club, Penn Wynne singers, community service club, morning sports, etc.). My two boys have both loved Penn Wynne, and we've been really happy with what we feel is a very enriched school experience.
--Submitted by a parent

Penn Wynne is a neighborhood school that is a welcoming institution. Although the atmosphere is warm and friendly, academically it is just average. Penn Wynne doesn't go out of its way to 'push' the children towards high academic standards and thus, many of the students are bored academically. I would describe it as a 'typical neighborhood school right out of the 70's.' Socially, my little girl loves it and the teachers are very nurturing. If you are looking for academic challenges and exciting cutting edge curriculum, then I would definitely choose one of the other schools in the lower merion district. But if you want a warm, friendly atmosphere that doesn't stress academics, the Penn Wynne is fine. We are not happy about this, but we did not know the culture of the school before we moved.
--Submitted by a parent

Newly renovated facility, class size- 20s, pull out gifted program. Teaching- very good to fair. Math tracked in 5th grade. Music- orchestra, band. Class theater productions. Good community spirit and parental involvement. Principal very hands on.
--Submitted by a parent

Moved to the area on for it's 'top ranked' schools, however we were disappointed with the quality this past year. The teacher did the bare minimum and 100% of the parents expressed extreme dissatisfaction. The principal did nothing to keep my child's class curriculum on par with the other class. When parents approached the principal with concern, they were told they were 'the only ones' and nobody else had complaints. Parents with older siblings agreed that the principal strongly discouraged parents from communicating with each other on concerns about teachers, and felt she sided with teachers without giving adequate attention to issues raised. Bullying was also a big problem this year in the upper grades. Others have said they were happy with teachers in the upper grades, and parental involvement and community spirit are very high. The school has been newly renovated and is bright, beautiful, offers a good variety of programs.
--Submitted by a parent