The Village School

I am very disappointed with the school. It seems to be equivalent to an average public school in terms of academics except that you need to pay here. Teachers are very new and inexperienced esp. in 3rd - 5th grades. I came from Californica and was shocked to see such poor academics of a private school. Lower school management has excuse for everything. I will not re-enroll my child again and will not recommend this school.
--Submitted by a parent

It used to be a good school until couple of years back. Most of tecahers are very new to village school and not very experienced in teaching - more fresh out of college or 1-3 years of overall teaching experience. It seems to be on a steady downhill since last couple of years.
--Submitted by a parent

The Village school provides an excellent balance of nurturing and hardcore academics. I also love that there are so much diversity here since there are children from Europe, India, China etc. It is the only private school in Houston with an IB program. Also there is a boarding for about 70 children from different places. I love that my child comes in contact with so many cultures. The academic program is top of the line. It is a little expensive than the other private schools but so worth it! I am proud to be part of the Village family.
--Submitted by a parent

I have been a Village parent for a number of years and have seen the school grow. The Village School was a very good school prior to Meritas, the company that now owns it. But Meritas has helped Village rise to new levels of quality. Yes, the cost of my chidren's education has risen significantly, but I am also a witness to the benefit of these increased costs. Across the board, Village has made great progress in bringing new leadership and new teaching talent to my children's school experience. Class sizes have been reduced and tired educational spaces have been renovated though, they have more to do. I'm also familiar with the competition. The cost of a Village education is in line with other strong programs like Awty, SJS, and Kinkaid. And yet, I don't get pressured every year for annual giving. My children are at Village because I want them prepared for college and life beyond; It isn't about million dollar buildings, it's about high quality people.
--Submitted by a parent

look elsewhere. a corporation bought the school 4+ years ago and it's been a steady downhill ever since. the only thing increasing is the tuition and continual surprise of extra fees for activities. there are still some great teachers there, but many have left. the staff is obviously stressed and it shows. too bad. glad my kids were there during the good years before the company took hold.

There has been continuous increase in fees for the last 3-years. For every activity there is an extra charge sometimes too excessive. Academically good though teachers expect significant effort from the kids and even parents. The school has added a high school, the facilities including space, library is limited. Exorbitantly expensive for the limited facility.
--Submitted by a parent

The Village School ROCKS!!!! Almost happy to pay $30K a year for my crazy smart kids. There is a high level of education here and they teach about 18 months...2 years about public schools. Wish the facilities matched the education...there is much to be desired about the facilities. Small classrooms, but acceptable class size (about 15 in primary and a cap of 20 in the 1st to 4th grades). My children LOVE The Village School. Great teachers, great administration. The new head of the Primary school is amazing and shaking everything up. There is a high parent involvement -- great parent volunteers that go the extra mile so you don't have to if you don't want to. The Village School is a GREAT school.
--Submitted by a parent

Student/ teacher ratio is too high. School fee is too high. Teacher not willing to go extra miles to meet individual needs. Too many annual fundraising events. Poor leadership since the school joined the Meritas group. Getting to be more commercialized and money-making driven environment.
--Submitted by a parent

Very much over-rated. A great deal of wased time. For example, doing community work four days a week is ridiculous. Having PE every day while having tech/computer once a week is ludicrous. From a quality/educational/cost standpoint there are better options in Houston. The school is not very cosmoplotan due to the fact that most of the students come from parents in the area energy industry. Therefore, there is a rather dull repetitive background of individuals. The school of course focuses on this area of Houston and strives to attract the children of these people. It is better to have a broader range of basic professional experiences and people/children. Some drawback with a higher proportion of Latinos, too high, for a diverse international exposure. Very limited number of real internaional students who tend to go to Awty.
--Submitted by a parent

My child has attended the Village School since 4th grade and has now started 6th grade. I rate this school as outstanding. It is improving all the time concerning teacher/home communication. The teacher/child ratio is brilliant. The kids are learning to take responsibility for their own progress. They have PE every day. The kids treat each other and the teachers with respect and tolerance. It is an international school with great diversity. We will be sad to leave here to go back to the UK in another year.
--Submitted by a parent