Norfolk Collegiate School

This is a disappointing school. Norfolk Collegiate will happily accept you tuition money, but it doesn't mean the school community will ever welcome your child--especially if your family is not from Hampton Roads. Overall, the school is not culturally open-minded, and does not welcome outsiders easily (despite what the school advertises). Instead, the school provides a homogeneous island within Norfolk for well-to-do parents to send their kids. There is a tackiness to the entire enterprise.
--Submitted by a parent

I have two children who attended Norfolk Collegiate from kindergarten on. One is a senior there; the other is a senior in college. Obviously while no school is perfect, it's hard for me to imagine a school that would have been better. The faculty genuinely care about the kids and want to see them do well. The new college counselor, Mike Kaplan, has been amazing. My daughter adores Ms. Claywell and Ms. Parker (administrators) and drops in to spend time with them often. The thing that I have appreciated most is that while my two children are very, very different, NCS has gone out of its way to make a path for each that is suited to their own needs. They have truly capitalized on each child's strengths. Further, when there were issues, I always felt comfortable picking up the phone. There was never a time when my concerns went unanswered. Once I got a note from my daughter's English teacher telling me how much he enjoyed having her in his class. It made my day. While I know it's expensive, I think of it as an investment. My kids better pay for me to live in a really, really nice nursing home!
--Submitted by a parent

My granddaughter goes here and she loves it. As a third graded she is playing violin, participating in sports and has lots of great friends and teachers. What a thrill to hear that school is a fun place!
--Submitted by a parent

This is an outstanding institution. There is a very stable school with strogn leadership that has been recruited from around the nation. Students are challenged, but cared for. Probobly the top school in the Tidewater area.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in K with Mrs. White and so far I have been really pleased with NCS. I love the full day K, the early intro to Spanish, the daily PE and the art, music, library and computer classes each week. We are only 2 1/2 months into the school year and she is starting to read independantly! The facilities are well maintained and functional. My only complaint (if you can call it that) is the expense, but I guess you get what you pay for! The parents seem well-invested in their kids doing well and I know that makes all the difference. Go Oaks!
--Submitted by a parent

Norfolk Collegiate (NCS) is a really great school. I will be a Senior this upcoming school year. It's the perfect size, not too big, not too small. I have only been a student at Norfolk Collegiate for 2 years, but I've gotten involved in a lot of activities like National Honor Society and Oak Society. All of my teachers, except for a few, have been wonderful. I feel, no matter what school someone goes to, there is always going to be teacher that is not as great as the others. There are a ton of AP classes available at NCS. I have taken AP Human Geography, AP Biology, and AP US History. As a Senior I will take AP English Language, AP Government, AP Statistics, and AP Environmental Science. NCS has tons of sports teams. NCS is a great school and it has prepared me well for college.
--Submitted by a student

Wonderful school and dedicated community. This school values children as individuals and fosters their growth academically and socially.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is great. It has lots of extracurricular activities including lots of sports. There academic program is fantastic and very organized.
--Submitted by a student

We're very disappointed in our second year here at NCS. We gave the school another chance after our first year last year. Our child's in fourth grade now, and we're transferring to a different private school next year. It sounded really good during our interview, but during our child's first year, he didn't feel challenged enough and his teacher did not seem too eager to help. Our child's one of the top students in his class (he gets no grade lower than a 96). The academics are mediocre compared to other private schools in this area. The tuition is too high. There are a lot of families who'd like to give their children a really good private school education, but this school is not the best choice. They probaby pay their teachers well--and that's good, but the two years we've been here proved that NCS is an OK school but mediocre.
--Submitted by a parent

All of my children went through the Lower School and were given a strong foundation. Yes, they had lots of homework. But they also got into their first choice of college. They had plenty of time for sports and music. Best money I ever spent.
--Submitted by a parent