St Maximilian Kolbe School

We LOVE WCFS ! My daughter has been there for 4 years and is THRIVING

I have 5 children at St. Agnes school in grades PreK thru 6th. St. Agnes has been educating students for 150 years and their experience shows. The have worked so hard to keep our kids in person this school year and my husband and I are so grateful. My children are happy, engaged with their teachers and growing in their spiritual practice. St. Agnes has excellent academics, My son is being challenged in both Honors English and Honors Math with the hope that he tests out of Algebra 1 before high school. The Learning Support Program led by Mrs. Flynn has been supportive and caring in navigating a learning disability with another child of mind. The have helped her become an advocate for herself and she is thriving this school year even during a pandemic. This is my first experience with PreK at St. Agnes. They are known for an academically rich program and I wasn't sure how my child would do initially. I have been very pleased that the teachers, Miss Zirolli and Mrs Howe still make preschool fun but that my child is also learning the skills they will need to excel in Kindergarten. I know my children are loved by the teachers and the adminstration. Their education is rooted in the Christian values that our family holds dear and that will support them throughout their lives.

Our experience was a disappointment. The lower school has really gone downhill since Covid and it hasn’t turned the corner yet. We experienced an environment of out of control classrooms, repeated verbal and physical bullying, and an administration (not just one person) who minimized parent concerns for years. In addition, the academics in lower school are not grade level. In math, multiple students who left Westtown have been told by their new schools that they’re significantly behind grade level (which is news to the parents). In science, once past first grade, the kids sit in class and watch Bill Nye videos. In Spanish, there was a teacher who did not know how to speak Spanish. The admissions team is excellent at painting a picture of project based learning, using the campus, academic rigor, and individualized differentiation. None of it is true of the current school - perhaps it was true before Covid? The facilities and campus show well and the old reputation still lures people to it, but don’t be fooled. Look elsewhere.