Woodland School - Portola Valley, California

Greg Prisament

Our daughter is finishing up Kindergarten here and we’ve been very happy with the school. We looked at several private schools in the area and are glad we ended up at Woodland. The teachers are great and there’s a strong sense of community among the parents, staff and students. Her classmates are mostly bright and well-behaved. The teacher:student ratio is good, especially compared to public schools. Our daughter has shown steady and impressive progress with math and reading. But it hasn’t been stressful or high pressure like some other schools in the area. The students also get lots of practice with public speaking which is an important life skill. The campus has a nice, natural feel. The Harry Potteresque “house” system is a nice touch and builds community across the grades. No school is perfect but overall Woodland has been great for our family so far. Biggest downsides are the cost of private school in the Bay Area and the somewhat long commute from our house. But we feel it is worth it.

Michelle Gabriel

Woodland is a gem of a school. Spanning the range of early childhood to 8th grade, kids get to be kids longer here while having many opportunities to develop the skills and confidence that will help them to succeed beyond grade school. Kids as early as in Kindergarten help to lead assemblies, learning how to be in front of a group, while middle school students partner with younger classes as a "buddy" to support cross-grade connections. If you're looking for a school that nurtures children and supports their academic and personal growth, where faculty really get to know your child to help support their learning, come take a look at Woodland!

Shawn Berry

Our daughter started Woodland in July with the Summer program. We knew that we were off to a good start when she didn't want to leave at the end of the day. Woodland teachers function as co-learners alongside the children. Teachers create a project-based learning environment that lends itself to teachable moments where the child and teacher can discuss what the child is reading, seeing, thinking, and doing. Teachers really involve students in planning the curriculum and leverage student interest to make learning fun. For instance, I would have read twice as much (and I'd be twice as fast a reader) if in elementary school I had control over a fraction of what I read. No wonder she always wants "to stay five more minutes."

Sue Berry

This is our first year at Woodland. Our daughter loves it and we love it. We are at an independent school because the school in our area is not highly rated. We wanted an independent school that is down to earth and we found it with Woodland.

The school, teachers, and families are great and welcoming and we are happy to be there.

Eric Sutton

Our son started in the ECC program this year, and he loves it. The school is very educationally creative, and the students are kind and intelligent. My son says he enjoys the class and already knows everyone's name. The open learning environment encourages building skills and becoming more independent.

TJ Orban

Our Child has been at this school since Pre-k, we are now entering 6th grade in the fall. This school is unique. The school is a small independent co-ed pre-k-8th) private with two foreign languages (French/Spanish) offered and etiquette. They have a incredible music teachers. If you haven't heard one of our piano teachers' band won a Grammy! Our head music teacher Mrs Scharich (Mezzo Soprano) is a consummate opera singer active currently in productions. The school stays current with teacher education. The school continuously provides faculty professional development, and moreover, has long term retention with great percentage of the teaching staff, as well as the administrative. We have seen some of the same faces for the past 6, going on seven years, and for all the right reasons: Not because they are tenured! For contrast, we did try our local public school for just one year (first-grade) and we were very disappointed. We couldn't wait to return to Woodland!
This school is akin to a prep-in that the student is prepared for the more rigorous high-schools out there.This information comes from directly from family friends who have graduated and matriculated into: Sacred Heart, Mercy, Notre Dame High, Priory to name a few. The children have incredible travel opportunities. the tuition, it will be worth the investment. We have seen our daughter blossom into, an articulate, studious, self-motivated, genial girl. I recommend trying the school for a year. The tuition it will be worth the investment.

abby kirigin

We are in our 4th year at Woodland and love it. The academics and extracurriculars are strong, taught by a fabulous group of dedicated teachers, the classes are small, and most importantly, the children are compassionate and kind.

Jenny Redo

Fantastic preschool through 8th grade program with a focus on Academics, Community, and Character development. This is our 8th year at the school and my children just love it here.