Trent Internationale School

Trent is a great alternative to public school. Our teen was overwhelmed with our extremely large and intense public high school. Trent offers a small but extremely nurturing environment with small student/teacher ratios in the Upper School. It is probably not for everyone but is a game changer for our teen. The small environment allows for lots of involvement in school activities such as the school play, art projects, and concerts. The school will be welcoming a new building and gym for the Upper School in the fall of 2013 as well. The students that come to the high school seem to be extremely diverse, some international students, and there is a sense of kindness and respect between students. Our teen needed a more protective and nurturing environment which has resulted in a more confident and happy student. Yes, there are improvements that can be made with the organization of the administration but that is improving rapidly as more and more students are transferring in and the campus is growing. If you have a teen that is unique, creative, and marches to a different beat, this school is the right choice. It has been a wonderful experience.
—Submitted by a parent

High turnover of teachers, disorganized administration and poor leadership from director have made this school go downhill in recent years. The elementary school in particular is suffering, many kids have been pulled out recently. We are probably going to move to another private school.
—Submitted by a parent

We've been with Trent for many years. We were recently reminded of our luck in finding this school while planning to relocate. We interviewed with many schools in US and Europe. Each time we were told of their high test scores and great understanding of advanced material. They kept commenting about how seldom they meet students who are athletic, academic and artistic. This made us realize that they could be talking ust jabout any one of their friends at Trent. One counselor even requested to switch rosters to have them on her list if we chose their school. My oldest child routinely takes courses both in high school and now in college that repeat so much of the material they take at Trent. The level of curriculum and teachers are amazing. We often joke with other parents about having to look up words in the dictionary when talking to our kids. They present extremely advanced information through different means to make sure that students remain interested and up-to-date with information way above grade. It s not your usual traditional methods that most of us even understand, but the results are outstanding. We are now rethinking our move because of this.
—Submitted by a parent

It is true, Trent is not for everyone and certainly not for families predisposed toward the public school mentality. The students are very goal oriented and smart. They love being in school and are having a blast. It is geared toward the international/metropolitan community who understand their goals and require a different environment for their children than is available in most American schools today. The Director and teachers pay very close attention to each student which may be a bit challenging for those who are not happy playing by the rules. For the most part, these students don t last very long and are happier moving on to other schools. RESPECT is pretty much the main rule in and out of the school. This is why there are no discipline problems or other, more serious and dangerous issues that plague other schools. We highly recommend this brilliant school for like-minded parents.
—Submitted by a parent

If your child doesn t learn at this school, they can t learn anywhere. I cannot explain how they do it, but they manage to turn every student into a confident, well adjusted and talented academic. Every year they surprise us with what our children are capable of. It is a small school, so they are constantly under the microscope and judged for every little thing, but despite that, they keep focusing on the kids. We have witnessed the same results repeated with every family and friend s child for six years now. They are brilliant at what they do.
—Submitted by a parent

As a former student of this school, I have to say that the foundation laid for my high school years educationally was not a strong one. While I flourished in the environment of Trent/Drake, as soon as I moved to the 'real world', I was in for a rude awakening. Many of my classes at Trent were spent watching movies, learning inadequate material, or listening to the droning and overbearing preaching of the school's director. Trent's disorganization is disguised by the administration as 'flexible individualized teaching.' As I prepare to leave for college, I realize that though the time spent at Trent was 'fun', the school did not prepare me for the real world. I do not recommend it to anyone who takes their child's education seriously.
—Submitted by a student

We are very exited that Trent has a high school now. The building is beautiful and the teachers are amazing. They have done a fantastic job for us. Our children have developed a love for learning for the first time. The curriculum is really well done the way the subjects relate to one another. The kindness is apparent the minute you walk through the school. The students are happy, well rounded, and very smart. We look forward to another year with Trent.
—Submitted by a parent

The good first, the children are mostly happy and learn. The bad; the school is disorganized. Most of the special classes as PE, music, art, etc does not happens when they should and the kids just watch a movie instead. No explanation to the parents. Think before enrolling your child since the contract says you are obligated to pay the full year even if by the second month there you realized that is not the right place for your child. No opportunity to regrets. You may feel a bit drowned by the ego of the school director; who also acts as composer, song writer, counselor, etc. Sometimes is just too much. When you talk to other parents you realize that the feeling is widespread and is the reason behind so many parents pulling their child out. A final recommendation: Try to talk to other parents of children at this school before enrolling yours.
—Submitted by a parent

We cannot thank the owner enough for what she has done for our family. With a heavy heart we move away knowing that we will never meet someone like her again but happy in the knowledge that our children will be better people for having known her. Thank you, Ms. Reeya for being my children s angel.
—Submitted by a parent

Trent is a God sent, and we refuse to get amnesia and pretend we did it all on our own. We have been at this school for 5 years and seen many families get the kind of attention we have and then forget. My kids were in a mess when we moved to this school. The administration has helped, not only with their academics, which is the best we've seen in Sugarland, but most importantly, with their behavior and manners. They are magicians. They took my kids and gave me back angels, and they ve never been happier. We must give credit where it s due. The trick is not to stand in the way and get defensive about your parenting skills. It s not about that, it s about the kids and just how far you can go if you don t forget that you may need help sometimes.
—Submitted by a parent

Best of all worlds. Trent is a small, boutique school, but the kids don't miss out on a thing. They take advantage of all the facilities in Sugar Land and surrounding areas. The kids play golf and tennis in a country club, dance in a dance studio, and play Soccer with the pros. We can t beat that for our kids. The education is spectacular, and the teachers are amazing. These people honestly work hard at keeping the kids perpetually excited about learning all through the year and not just the first and last weeks of school. We highly recommend it.
—Submitted by a parent

I think it is lovely that the majority of comments about Trent are positive. I encourage parents who are interested in the school to ask the owner to provide documentation how Trent students compare to the national average on the Stanford Achievement Test. If this information cannot be provided it is up to the parents to decide if they should continue looking. Private schools will give you written statistic. It is not a secret.
—Submitted by a parent

I would ask the person who wrote the report on Sept 5th to come back and see the 'new' Trent. Children who love their schools, happy and smiling. I have never had problems with the front office they are helpful beyond words.
—Submitted by a parent

We met a family at a party. Their children were so witty and self-assured that within an hour they had all the adults and children captivated. When we complimented the parents on their children, they gave all the credit to their school and its owner. They could not believe their luck in finding Trent and what a difference it had made for them. We visited the school and fell in love with it. It has only been a few months, and already, our friends have noticed a great change in our kids. We love this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been a student at the school for a very long time and believe that nothing should be changed, or interfeard with, because you can't disrupt eexcellence.
—Submitted by a student

I agree with Sept. 21st, post. My child actually attends the school where I teach and yet, he still gets lost in the system. Being a Publilc School teacher, at a highly acclaimed elementary school in Houston, I think it's time I act. I stumbled across Trent/Drake by way of a family friend. Interestingly enough, I was so impressed with the behavior of this young man, that I inquired about the school he was attending. Needless to say it was Trent. For all of you who are blessed enough to attend Trent/Drake, count your lucky stars. You all are a part of a unique and cutting edge learning community.
—Submitted by a parent

I invite Sept. 5th reviewer to write another review in May. They might just become a believer like the rest of us. I had a slight case of shopper's remorse too; scared we made a mistake. We were used to the starched, cookie-cutter schools with seat assignments and robotic faculty telling us exactly what we wanted to hear so that we could guiltlessly disappear for the rest of the year. Only one problem, my child learned nothing for 3years. Trent is different. They get to know each child. No 'one size fits all' mentality.The parents are more about the kids and less about appearance and control. As parents, we're always scared, but the worst thing would be to miss out on a great thing because it's different. Give it a chance; they really know what they're doing.
—Submitted by a parent

Wish we had found Trent sooner. Their teachers actually teach. Wasted too much time in another school giving them chance after chance just because of their facilities. We have found that it's what goes on in the building that matters, and not the building itself. My kids are actually taught information at Trent, and not just given worksheets to learn at home. The stress is taken off of the parents having to teach their own kids late at night. Trent really should charge more maybe then they would be better appreciated.
—Submitted by a parent

This school was good before, but NOW, it's beyond compare. Evereything in this school is geared toward making a child good at EVERYTHING. Parents in this school want the best for their kids and that's what they get. If a child does not thrive in this school, then there is a problem elsewhere.
—Submitted by a parent

I have only Trent InternationalE School and it's talented staff of teachers to thank for the education that enabled my seventh grader to take a practice SAT test and actually outperform some college bound seniors. With etiquette, guitar, ballroom dancing, sports, Spanish, fine arts, and computer skills the school offers in middle school, he learns other important life skills.
—Submitted by a parent