Madeira School (The)

Since July 2023, Christina Kyong. Undergrad at Smith College (history) and MEd from Harvard Graduate School of Education, she taught in the DC area before heading west in 2020 to spend three years as associate head of school at Wildwood School in LA.

We consistently hear from parents that, ‘Madeira was not my first choice when I started looking,’ quickly followed by, 'We were won over during the visit’. As one mother described it, the ‘happiness quotient’ appealed.

The deadline for

Gap years are popular among Madeira girls, most of whom go on to university - the majority to those in the US, though some return home and a handful go to British universities. One parent commented that Madeira university counsellors are not as

Standardised text score averages are impressive: SATs average 1370 (out of possible 1600) and ACT average 31 (out of possible 36).

The school is small, as are classes (average of 12 students), with a student to staff ratio of 4:1.

At Madeira, students design their own four-year plan with their academic dean, choosing from a wide range of courses and electives (just like

A full-time learning specialist works with families and educational testing services, clarifies diagnostic assessments, offers teaching strategies and secures extended time. A range of learning difficulties, including ADHD, can be supported if they

Students who are not coming from an English-medium programme maybe required to take ESOL course for two years. International (non-English speakers) are given some leeway but are unlikely to be admitted after grade 10. They must demonstrate a basic

Service learning is a great strength – recently groups have gone on summer volunteer project trips to Argentina, South Africa, and Peru. Other more academic and cultural trips abroad have featured groups going to China and Italy, on archaeological

PE is not compulsory after 9th grade, though all girls are required to graduate with 12 activity credits, of which eight are in some form of athletics. As one of the few schools that lets girls board their own horses, riding is taken seriously here.

The Madeira dorms, centrally located, are integrated fully into the life of the school. Our student guide managed to sweet-talk our way into one of the girls’ rooms (regarded as their private space, not many restrictions) to give us a peek - it

This gets high marks from parents and students, one parent telling us that in her first year, the head had a bit of a ‘trial by fire’ experience on a disciplinary issue: ‘She handled it firmly, fairly, and discreetly and then wrote to parents to

This is a school long-favoured by the Washington establishment parent professionals - World Bank, IMF, State Department, Washington lobbyists and international lawyers, with a sprinkling of Pentagon military brass, members of congress and White

The endowment is valued at US $80 million and they also have an annual fund goal of $1.7 million. Around 36 per cent of students receive financial assistance and merit scholarships are available.

Not surprisingly they are 'pleased to have 100 per

This is a book that should not be judged by its cover. Don’t make assumptions before you see this century-old Virginia girls’ school, complete with famous equestrian facility. Madeira is a forward-looking, increasingly diverse and internationally