The Private School Academic Experience

At the heart of Woodberry's academic culture is the idea that everyone on campus, from new students to the most experienced faculty, should be a lifelong learner who is both curious and adaptable. 

That means structuring the curriculum, teaching style, and even the layout of classrooms to match what works for today's boys. Woodberry teachers push boys to think deeply about a subject and how it will apply to their lives rather than focusing on accumulating a series of facts and skills. Students should graduate from Woodberry well-prepared for the academic demands of their chosen college or university, but they should also have developed the skills of a lifelong learner, marked particularly by an attitude of curiosity toward the world. Woodberry, a top affordable private school near Washington, DC is more concerned about teaching students how to think rather than what to think.

Academics at Woodberry are shaped by the fact that we are an all-boys, all-boarding private school. Teachers and students come to know each other extremely well, as relationships that begin in the classroom extend to the athletic field or dining room. This style of relational teaching lets teachers focus on what will work best for each boy.

Boys learn differently than girls — that’s what scientific research tells us. Woodberry classrooms are built for boys. They’re places to take risks, discuss new ideas, and work with your hands. There’s space here for every boy’s voice in the classroom.