14707 Southwarke Pl
Centreville, VA 20120

This place sucks and very VERY horrible

I feel there needs to be more positive reviews about this school! Our family has LOVED it. We enrolled our daughter starting in 1st grade for the Spanish immersion and she has REALLY flourished in her Español.I had received great recommendations from two other parents of students (two separate families) who I knew personally. Both of them had nothing but good things to say about the school - very contrary to the harsh reviews! My first impression was and remains to be after many school events, that every staff member, from the awesome principal Padmore, certainly all of the teachers my daughter has had in her 1.5 years, even the librarians and 'specials' teachers - ALL REALLY care about the students.My daughter came home after just 2 months of her first year at LTES and told me "I love speaking Spanish". I was overjoyed. We are excited for our son to begin his immersion journey next year in Kindergarten.Note: My daughter has experienced some bullying/meanness, but it has been from only one child. I do feel that the teachers and the administration have taken it seriously and helped the situation. I feel that the school and administration have a proactive, constructive approach to bullying and conflict resolution. I have not seen anyone take it lightly or dismiss it EVER as some reviews have suggested. Perhaps those reviews are just outdated??

Very bad drug problem tolerated by a culture of denial and dereliction of duty by those “educators” etc. who claim this is a “family problem” not a school one. Drug dealers roam the halls and bathrooms, “family problem”. Kids are high on government property, “family problem”. Kids aren’t learning, “f.p.”, and on and on. Really? Since when? The minute kids step foot on school property, it IS the school’s problem.Why does Westfield allow drugs on their campus? Isn’t there an SRO and security employed to keep drugs off campus? Parents have every right to demand they do their job. Bring the K9 team in every once in a while. Drugs found, off to juvenile they go to call their parents. Then the school and parent can work out a plan, together, when the kid comes back after suspension. None of this, let’s look the other way or have a little nice chat and be friends with these kids. How about the school set a good example and do their job? Speaking of which, the best teachers aren’t necessarily the ones who have been there the longest. They are the ones who can influence kids to want to learn. Give them a reason to learn with positive motivation and support. I don’t understand how a teacher or staff could ever say that a student involved with drugs is not a school problem, but just a family problem when that student spends so much time in a seat looking at teachers. Teachers have the privilege of connecting with those students who come from homes with minor issues to those with major ones. The talented teachers will understand the importance of reaching out to both and how the way they interact with their students may one day be the difference between kids leading healthy, happy lives and those who may not make it at all. If a teacher doesn’t believe that every kid deserves that chance, then maybe it’s time for them to retire.