Prince William Academy

"Prince William Academy has been a Godsend for our family! We were relocated in December 2015, with no family nearby or familiarity with schools/childcare options. We initially had our daughters in a childcare center, however after 4 weeks had to find an alternative due to lack of structure and care. I attended a preschool fair at the local library and met the PWA representatives. My daughters are now enrolled in the Jr. K and Preschool 2s classes. The curriculum is structured and very well rounded and includes gym, language arts and cultural diversity. PWA is not just a school, they are a family and part of the community. PWA offers before school starting at 6am and after school until 630pm, they do their best to offer childcare on snow days as well. Lunch can be provided at the school if desired. The pre/post school and snow day childcare options are not available anywhere else. PWA has given my wife and I peace of mind knowing our daughters are cared for in a nurturing and loving environment and being taught by very dedicated and skilled educators. The teachers truly care about each and every child. PWA keeps parents informed with weekly emails regarding school news and lesson plans. In this day and age, when both parents work (or when there is a single parent) it is a blessing to know PWA is there to help you juggle all aspects of childcare in addition to providing a top notch education experience. February 2018 Update- My children have benefited very much from PWA. However there have been so much staffing turnover and administrative changes, I feel I should update my review. My oldest daughter is at a new school for 1st grade, she attended thru K at PWA and we loved it, she learned so much and grew tremendously in all aspects. However, her K teacher is no longer there. My youngest daughter is currently in PreK 4 with Mrs. LaCasse- who is an awesome teacher, who provides structure and a nurturing environment to learn. I think Mrs. LaCasse is 5 STAR Teacher! For PreK 3 we had Mrs. Khan and she is also an excellent teacher. The school principal left in late November, which was a huge loss for the school. He had a lot of energy, built a strong sense of community and had great ideas to move the school further along with technology and resources. The accounting person, who was meticulous in billing processing and procedures abruptly left and the billing process has had a lot of kinks as a result. The PTO is now essentially non-existent. Communication from the School Director is very limited and relatives are now in key positions such as Principal and front desk admin. While I am happy with the education my daughter is getting in her assigned class, the environment has changed and I’m not as confident as I was a year ago with my review because of all of the staffing and administrative upheaval. Follow your instincts."

"This School is a hidden Gem! I have met the owner and her nieces and they truly have the children best interest at heart. The teachers are angels!! We are greeted every morning by staff with a smile, and my daughter loves going to school. The curriculum is above standards- Since my daughter has been in attendance (for 2 months), she has learned what strangers are, understanding object permanence with counting, her love for books and so much more. They even have a report card for the 2's to show you how far your child has come and what they can improve on. This also helps the teacher know what to focus on with your child during learning time. The teacher to child ratio is low- 8 children to 1 teacher per classroom. So the classrooms are small and this allows the teacher to meet each child's needs. The principal knows each childs name, which is impressive!! Lunch is prepared by a certified chef and the school is certified as a restaurant. I can go on and on about this school! I just returned home from a fall festival that was conducted at the school for the children- full of healthy yummy snacks, pumpkin picking, making scarecrow faces and even a bouncy house for the kids. I love it!! BY the way!! If this school is too far for you, the owners also have opened up another location off of Spriggs Road- Its called Early Learning Academy. They have the same curriculum and same approach for the children at that location as well. Check them out!! You will be impressed, hands down!! #MomApproved"

"A small non-profit private school in the heart of Lake Ridge. It is a wonderful organization with great focus on excellence in education , small class sizes , plenty of extra curricular activities ,a safe environment with a staff who cares as much about your child as you do. As a parent with two children studying in the school I consider myself extremely fortunate to have this school in my community so that my children do not have to tolerate the low standards , large class sizes ( 32 to one teacher) and total indifference towards achievement and high standards of the public school system."

"A wonderful school ! If you are looking for small class sizes, loving staff, high standards of achievement and excellence .. Look no further !! Both my sons attend this school and we are extremely pleased at the high standards of education that are maintained in a very family friendly environment. Our children are not just numbers . Their teachers care very much about their grades, level of understanding , ensuring that concepts were very clear to them. Dr. Harris and her staff truly care about all the children and always have their best interests at heart. I would recommend this school to anyone and everyone who is looking to get away from the below average don't care indifferent callous environment of the public school system ."

"I can't speak to the curriculum, but the entrance assessment process is flawed. The admissions department gave reassurances of a fair and balanced assesment process. After 6 hours, my 5 year old son, was dropped from their program. In the end I was left with the impression that the principle was interested more in easy money than developing a comprehensive plan that would produce positive results. The school seems to support military families with a 10% discount and veteran parking, but when pesented with a challenge they do not share the same commitment that those same families have to our nation. I will say that they did provide a full reimbursement of all fees paid in advance of the school year, but we were still disappointed with the overall experience."