Hayfield Secondary

It's better than most high schools in Alexandria. The teachers are really helpful and genuinely want you to do well. However, some of the counselors always seem to get huffy when you want something from them, God forbid you should ask them to do their job. The athletic programs are great and parental involvement is high. However, the students are incredibly irritating in the fact that they have to stop and stand in the middle of the hallway...I think the student population is a bit too high, my spanish class had about 40 people, some kids had to sit on the floor. Also, Tremaine's administration revamped the security policy, and students aren't allowed to 'linger' in the lobby area, even if they're waiting for after school activities to begin. I find this new policy overbearing and ridiculous - students were forced to wait outside in the freezing cold, when they were obviously not causing trouble. And for the review 2 spaces below me, I'm guessing you failed english, seeing as your grammar could glorify a daft second-grader.

I have a son attending Hayfield and we have been very pleased with the teachers and staff. The school was recently renovated and is equipped with modern technology. We are very pleased overall. Many parents are involved in school activities.
--Submitted by a parent

The only positive in my daughter's education at this school are her Honors teachers. The remaining teachers are uncaring and unresponsive, and it is no wonder at all that the test scores are so embarrassingly low. There are lots of gang/ghetto problems, and the school administration treats ALL of the children with an expectation of the worst. I still haven't figured out how to get a response from her math teacher, and this from a school whose SOL pass rate in 7th grade math last year was 43%?! They need to seriously overhaul this excuse for a school but it appears that they are just allowing it to slide further into the gutter.
--Submitted by a parent

Were do I start? this school runied my life it runied my social life it runied everything!!! I'm a student a senior suppose to be graduating there but I moved to Prince Willam County, and gald I did, atleast there they care about there own students and listen to them. Ive been in Hayfield since 10th grade I been a victum of being jumped, being in drama situations that push me to the edge which I havn't caused and the staff members which I liturally fought to change my classes from October to June! and thats just the tip of the iceburg. I went to summer school and passed with a barly 66 or 70 just passing to a D. You know what they did? of course fail me and take the course again!!! for the third time!! I have many more to say about this school, but I don't think its worth on fcps sense of course, but I give it mearly one more star for only reaching a hand on getting a modified diploma as well as my respect of some teachers. and getting my classes stright as of now I think Woodbridge High School will get its name on my diploma, being happy and out of the high school life onwards to college.

There's not much to say about this school. It's your run of the mill high school with the usual high school drama. In order to survive at Hayfield you have to mind your own business, do your work and leave at the end of the school day. Once you start getting yourself involved in drama, the faculty has a bad habit of seeing you as a person that won't change and treat you as if you were a delinquent, even if it wasn't your fault. Other than that, the teachers are very nice and helpful or mean and won't help you and find ways to get out of their duty to help after school. Also, this school is supposed to be within its capacity, but there seems to be an area of the school that always gets crowded because people decide to stand in the middle of the hallway in that area. Also, some counselors can be grouchy when it comes to helping people out. Same with secretaries.

I am currently a junior at Hayfield and have attended school there since 7th grade. I also have family that goes to school there. This school has many problems. It is VERY diverse and many times the groups of kids do not get along. While fights are not as common as they used to be, they still occur. The counselors are terrible, whether it is because of the large group of students or because they don't know how to do their job, it's disgraceful. The majority of the teachers are poor educators as well. There are very few, mainly AP teachers, who actually seem to enjoy teaching and helping their students. There is no parent involvment or school spirit and many students have drug and alcohol problems. The one thing Hayfield does well is their extra curricular activities. Dr. Orlein did a good job, but is now retiring.

Simply put, Hayfield is a joke of a high school. Many, not all, teachers don't care about their teaching and one teacher even commented to my child that she didn't care because she was retiring! Some sort of panel needs to come into the school and shake things up. Teachers who don't care about their teaching, get the heck out! Hayfield could really be a great school if things were really shaken up. Until that happens, Hayfield will continue to be the school that we all know it to be...mediocre.
--Submitted by a parent

Hayfield is an excellent school, but it takes some work to navigate. The kids who are able to take AP and pre-AP classes and maintain a decent GPA are highly regarded by competitive colleges, and do well once they are there. Many say that college is easier than AP. The kids who aren't pushed to try AP classes may suffer, though. Some of the 'regular' classes are boring and easy, while others are just as hard as AP classes. Because there's no 'honors' level of classes between AP and regular classes, juniors and seniors either have to pick a very, very difficult path or a ridiculously easy path. The rule that a student may not drop an AP class until the end of the first semester is ridiculous. Most of the top-level teachers are excellent and will do anything to help their students.
--Submitted by a parent

Average school at best. The 'diverseness' of the school is not attractive. All the rich kids got to be assigned to South County, leaving everything else at Hayfield.
--Submitted by a parent

Not a good school! Had to send my children to private school, because of poor teaching and leadership.
--Submitted by a parent