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Washington Waldorf School

United States, Washington DC

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees $13,290 - 44,730
Ages 1½ - 18 years
Pupil numbers 260
Type Co-educational
Opened 1969
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum Waldorf Steiner Curriculum
Taught languages Spanish, German
Typical class size 15
Strengths Performing Arts, Visual and Creative Arts, Outdoor Education
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Leadership and Professional
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Early Years, Primary School, Secondary School
Introduction

Washington Waldorf School, located in Bethesda, Maryland, provides an education based on the Waldorf Steiner curriculum for students from eighteen months through twelfth grade. The curriculum integrates arts and physical movement into daily academic lessons; for example, students learn mathematical patterns through rhythmic movement and geometry through precise form drawing. In the lower school, a class teacher typically stays with the same group of students for multiple years to provide continuity. The high school features a four-year lab science sequence and specialized blocks in humanities. A distinctive feature of the school is the "Handwork" and "Practical Arts" program, where all students learn skills such as knitting, sewing, and woodworking to support cognitive and fine motor development. Facilities include specialized spaces for orchestra, a woodworking shop, and outdoor gardening areas. Students study both Spanish and German beginning in the early grades. The school operates as a co-educational day school.

4800 Sangamore Rd, Bethesda, MD 20816, United States

The Essentials

Washington Waldorf School has 260 pupils, typical class sizes of 15, instruction in English.

Location
Bethesda, Maryland; 4800 Sangamore Road, Bethesda, MD 20816; six-acre campus bordering parkland, in walking distance of the Potomac River; about 1 mile from the DC border.

Stages
Preschool through Grade 12.

Type
Independent, non-denominational Waldorf school; Waldorf/Steiner-based education.

Additional learning support
Not equipped to support students with severe learning or behavioral challenges; mild learning differences such as ADHD and dyslexia may be accommodated.

Country affiliation
United States

Religious affiliation
Non-denominational

School day structure
Start times vary by age group: Seedlings and Nursery begin at 8:45 am; Kindergarten and Grades 1–6 begin at 8:30 am; Grades 7–12 begin at 8:15 am. Dismissal: Seedlings/1/2 day at 12:30 pm; full day at 3:00 pm. After-school programs run 3:00–6:00 pm.

Bus service
Bus pickup/drop-off in Silver Spring; annual bus fee $2,700.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
Athletics uniforms are used in middle and high school. A small athletics fee covers the cost of these uniforms.

Food Options
The school has an in-house lunch program called Good Food Lunch with Chef Eron. The menu rotates to appeal to a wide range of palates and students dine together; drop-in lunch is available for $12 per day and there is no lunch on half days.

Governance and Ownership
Washington Waldorf School is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization governed by a Trustees Council (TC), the unified governing body responsible for lawful operation, financial health, strategic direction, and hiring the Faculty Chair/Head of School. The TC consists of 10-15 volunteer members drawn from the faculty, parents, alumni, and friends, and ideally includes close to 50% faculty members. Day-to-day management is delegated to the Faculty Chair/Head of School.
Fees

Annual tuition at Washington Waldorf School ranges from USD 13,290 to USD 44,730 for 2026/27.

Application / Enrollment Fees

- Enrollment fee (one time, per family): USD 650.

Annual Tuition — 2026–2027 (by program / grade level)

- Early Childhood — Seedlings (3 half days): USD 13,290 per year.
- Early Childhood — Seedlings / Nursery (5 half days): USD 22,150 per year.
- Early Childhood — Nursery & Kindergarten (5 full days): USD 34,230 per year.
- Lower School — Grades 1–6: USD 38,640 per year.
- Upper School — Grades 7–8: USD 40,950 per year.
- Upper School — Grades 9–12: USD 44,730 per year.

Tuition shown is annual; billing can be scheduled according to the payment plan selected (see Billing schedule and payment terms).

Registration deposit / Enrollment deposit

- Registration deposit (credited toward overall tuition at registration):
- Early Childhood: USD 1,500.
- Grades 1–12: USD 2,000.

Additional / Optional fees

- After-school program (full-year discounted rates):
- Early Childhood After School Program: USD 3,675 per year.
- Lower School After School Program: USD 3,360 per year.
- Drop-in rate for after-school programs: USD 25 (flat fee per drop-in).
- Transportation (roundtrip bus Acorn Hill / Silver Spring — pricing includes school days and snow-delay days):
- Roundtrip per child: USD 2,835.
- One-way per child: USD 1,575.
- Drop-in one-way: USD 15 (per ride).
- 10% sibling discount for second+ riders on the bus.
- Music / instrument costs: starting in Grade 4 through at least Grade 6, students are expected to rent or buy an instrument and take private or small-group lessons; these instrument lesson costs are exceptions to the school's general inclusion of fees in tuition.
- Athletics: a small athletics fee in middle and high school to cover uniform costs; some athletics-related overnight trips may carry additional fees.
- Sibling tuition adjustment: 10% discount for the second child, 20% for the third and subsequent children (applies to tuition).

Billing schedule and payment terms (annual academic year 2026–2027)

- One Payment: single payment due July 1, 2026. A 1% discount is applied for the single-payment option.
- Two Payments: payments due in July 2026 and January 2027.
- Ten Payments: equal monthly payments due each month from July through April.
- Registration deposit is due at registration and is applied toward overall tuition.
- Tuition insurance: 3% of tuition is noted as required for new families on a payment plan.

Payment administration and payment platforms

- The school administers payment plans and billing through an online payment platform (FACTS is referenced as the school's payment platform in the school's tuition and financial-aid materials). Families are enrolled into the school's online payment platform to manage payment schedules and to incorporate additional fees into installment plans. The tuition/tuition-agreement materials also reference paper checks and FACTS transactions in the school's payment and returned-payment policies.

Refunds and withdrawal / tuition insurance

- The enrollment contract places a financial obligation for the full school year's tuition. The school offers tuition-insurance coverage to protect families against certain covered reasons for withdrawal; tuition-insurance terms list covered reasons and the percentage of remaining tuition covered for each covered reason (for example, Medical Withdrawal and Death are examples of covered reasons that can result in 100% coverage of remaining tuition under the insurance declarations). Voluntary withdrawal is generally not covered by the tuition-insurance program (voluntary withdrawal coverage is noted as 0% under the insurer's terms unless specific waiting-period rules are met). Tuition insurance details and the insurer's covered-reason schedule apply to claims and determine recoverable amounts.
- Application/enrollment and annual registration fees are treated as non-refundable/non-transferable in the school's tuition agreement language; registration deposits are applied to tuition at registration. The enrollment contract and tuition-agreement materials state that there is no reduction, refund, or credit for absences, snow days, or student withdrawal except as provided by the tuition-insurance coverage or the school's stated early-withdrawal/contract terms.

Other billing notes and penalties

- Returned-payment and late-payment fees may be assessed; the tuition agreement references fees for missed or returned payments (checks or payment-platform transactions) and reserves rights related to past-due balances (including withholding of records or collection costs).

Contact for fee/tuition account questions

- The school's business office is listed as the contact for tuition and fee–related questions; billing and account management are handled through the school's business office and the payment platform used by the school.
Academics

Washington Waldorf School teaches Waldorf Steiner Curriculum for students aged 1.5 to 18.

Curriculum
Preschool through Grade 12. Mixed-age Kindergarten (Ages 4-6) includes Songbirds, Sunflowers, and Waldorf in the Woods with half-day or full-day options; Songbirds and Sunflowers classes accommodate up to 20 children, Waldorf in the Woods up to 15. Lower School (grades 1-8) includes Spanish, handwork, woodwork, Eurythmy, instrumental and vocal music, games and outdoor education, form drawing, and art. The Waldorf curriculum is developmentally appropriate and integrates academics with arts and hands-on learning. High School offers an interdisciplinary program with rigorous academics, fine arts, practical arts, and community service, including double-period main lessons and a rotation of afternoon STEAM intensives; language offerings include Spanish, Spanish for Native Speakers, or Independent Study, and there is an Exchange Program. A college advisor supports college selection and applications, and graduates matriculate to a wide variety of colleges and universities.

Student Teacher Ratio
7-to-1; Lower School average class size is 20, Upper School average is 15.

Higher Education Progression
Graduates matriculate to a wide variety of colleges and universities with a dedicated college advisor guiding the process.

Gifted and Talented
Waldorf Fellowships are offered to students who engage across multiple disciplines and explore a breadth of activities throughout middle and high school.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school emphasizes social-emotional learning in Early Childhood, with play, social development, and outdoor time as foundations for growth and later academic learning.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The admissions policy indicates the school will review an individualized education plan (IEP) or other similar documentation as part of the admissions process.

Mental Wellbeing
The school has a school counselor who supports students' social-emotional health and academics.

Safeguarding
The school has a non-discrimination policy and will reasonably accommodate physical or mental disabilities; it requires reporting of bullying, harassment, abuse, or self-harm in accordance with school policies and legal requirements.
Parent Experience

History
Washington Waldorf School was founded in 1969 as a grade school in Washington, D.C., by Clopper Almon, Gene and Esther Smith, and Roberta van Schilfgaarde, with Carl Hoffman as the first teacher. By 1971 the school had expanded to pre-K through 8th grade at Hearst Hall on the Washington National Cathedral grounds. In 1982 the school moved to its six-acre Sangamore Road site in Bethesda, Maryland, with plans to develop a high school; the high school opened in 1984 and the first high school class graduated in 1988. In 2012 the school signed a 30-year lease, completed major renovations in 2015, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019, and opened the John & Mary Brauer Gym in 2023.

Community
The WWS community marks the year with time-honored events and festivals across fall, winter, and spring. Fall events include the First Day of School assembly for Grades 1–8, Back to School Family Picnic, Rose Ceremony, Michaelmas, Fall Festival, and Fall Bazaar. Winter features Evergreen Spiral, Community Solstice Gathering, and Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday observances with classroom or school-wide activities. Spring includes Spring Festival, Spring Gala and Auction, Grandparents' and Special Friends Day, Senior Play, Field Day and Community Picnic, and the Rose Ceremony.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The WWS Parent/Family Organization (PFO) works in close collaboration with the school leadership to organize parent and family engagement, strengthen community and culture, and support school faculty and staff. Participating in the PFO connects with the school's more than 400 parents and caregivers and helps create a sense of belonging across the school. The PFO coordinates activities such as volunteering hundreds of hours for the Fall Bazaar, MLK Jr. Day of Service, and hosting grandparents and special friends with many volunteers. It also runs teacher appreciation events, supports class representatives who partner with teachers and families, and collaborates with faculty on parent education events.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The campus spans twelve-plus acres with dedicated parkland in Bethesda, Maryland. The campus address is 4800 Sangamore Road, Bethesda, MD 20816, and serves Preschool through Grade 12 on a single site. Spaces support the arts, music, theater, and crafts such as woodwork and handwork. Outdoor education and movement are integrated into the curriculum.

Sports Facilities
Athletic team experiences are an essential part of development, and every student may participate in cross country, soccer, basketball, softball/baseball. Coaches help students develop self-discipline, athletic skills, and good sportsmanship. Teams compete in the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference. The program begins in the fifth grade, with fall sports for 6th–8th and high school, winter basketball for 5th–12th, and spring softball or baseball for 5th–12th.

Academic Facilities
A Waldorf curriculum centers on daily Main Lesson blocks where a subject is studied intensively for three to four weeks. In the Lower School, geography, history, geometry, perspective drawing, and the sciences are taught in developmentally appropriate ways. The program also includes Spanish, handwork, woodwork, Eurythmy, instrumental and vocal music, outdoor education, form drawing, and art. Starting in the sixth grade, mathematics and English are taught by specialists, with an active Middle School outdoor program. Beginning in the Middle School, keyboarding, word processing, and computer research skills are introduced, while Lower School restricts device use during the day. Each class has a dedicated teacher who stays with the group for multiple years.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Wednesday Afternoon High School Clubs are offered on a trimester schedule with clubs including Entrepreneurship, Cooking, Digital Content Creation, Digital Photography, Mindfulness, Newspaper, Personal Finance, Podcasting, Political Discourse, Printmaking, Sports Psychology, Studio Art, Theatre, Yearbook, and Yoga. After School Music Clubs meet in the Music Room from 3:15 to 4:15 pm. All Strings Club provides teaching, practice, coaching, and ensemble opportunities for Grades 4-8. The cello club offers extra tutoring outside of class time, and there are additional Irish music offerings such as Friday Traditional Irish Music Club.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
High School Clubs are offered on Wednesday afternoons and run on a trimester schedule. Examples include the AWSNA Entrepreneurship Program, Cooking, Digital Content Creation, Digital Photography, Mindfulness, Newspaper, Personal Finance, Podcasting, Political Discourse, Printmaking, Sports Psychology, Studio Art, Theatre, Yearbook, and Yoga.

Arts & Creative
Fine arts are taught to every student at every grade level. In high school, a comprehensive fine arts program offers drawing, painting, weaving, clay modeling, printmaking, watercolor, book arts, oil painting, and stone carving. Fiber arts and woodworking are also part of the program, with fiber arts such as knitting, crochet, embroidery, hand-sewing, and machine sewing, and woodworking, blacksmithing, copper and enamel work.

Cultural & Language
Exchange Program: Students gain language fluency and cultural understanding through our Exchange Program, living with host families while attending Waldorf high schools in Germany, Austria, Spain, Peru, and Chile. The program is designed for direct exchanges within the international Waldorf school system and hosts families for two months during the sophomore year. World languages offerings include Spanish, Spanish for Native Speakers, or Independent Study in Established Language.

Social & Hobbies
Wednesday afternoon High School Clubs include AWSNA Entrepreneurship Program, Cooking, Digital Content Creation, Digital Photography, Mindfulness, Newspaper, Personal Finance, Podcasting, Political Discourse, Printmaking, Sports Psychology, Studio Art, Theatre, Yearbook, and Yoga. After School Music Clubs include Monday All Strings Club, Wednesday Strings Club for Cellists, and Friday Traditional Irish Music Club.

Community & Service
Field Trips & Service Projects: High school students participate in community service annually and take part in service-learning days in the fall and spring. Field trips include experiences such as visits to the US Capitol, museums, DC Central Kitchen, Billy Goat Trail hikes, local observatory trips, and campus-based excursions; grades 9–12 also undertake year-long curricular trips and experiences.

Leadership & Professional
Entrepreneurship Program is offered as a Wednesday high school club. Senior Projects allow independent capstone work, with examples including starting a non-profit, historical research, and other self-designed projects. The high school weekly schedule includes newspaper and other leadership-oriented activities as part of ongoing skills classes such as language and movement, with opportunities like Upper School Musical and elective choices in music.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Athletics offers cross country, soccer, basketball, baseball, and softball, with all high school students required to participate in at least one interscholastic sport; teams compete in the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference. Fall, winter, and spring seasons include soccer and cross country, basketball, and baseball/softball respectively. Mindfulness and Yoga clubs are available, and physical education is complemented by movement and fitness activities as part of the daily schedule.
Languages

Language Provision
World Languages include Spanish in Middle School with conversation, reading, writing, and geography of the Americas. In High School, World Languages include Spanish, Spanish for Native Speakers, or Independent Study in Established Language. German is taught by a High School German Teacher. The school operates an Exchange Program allowing students to live with host families while attending Waldorf high schools in Germany, Austria, Spain, Peru, and Chile.
Reputation

Awards
None listed

Accreditations
AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools); AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America); Highly ranked by Niche Best Schools
Admissions

Admissions
1. Learn about Waldorf education by attending a tour or open house and start a conversation by filling out the Inquiry Form with the enrollment office. This initial step connects families with the school and provides an introduction to WWS programs and enrollment options. 2. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis as space allows. For the 2025-2026 school year, decisions will be released on February 27, 2026 for applications received by the priority deadline of January 12, 2026; for the 2026-2027 school year, applications are accepted as space allows. Applications are submitted online in Ravenna; if you already have a Ravenna account you can access the school profile or start a new application, or you can begin by submitting the Inquiry Form to get started. 3. Age placement uses a May 31 cutoff for first grade and up; if you have questions about placement, email the Enrollment Office. 4. Admissions processes vary by program: Parent-Child (Infants to Age 3) enrolls on a first-come, first-served basis; Early Education (PK/K) requires a completed application, a $60 fee, progress reports, a teacher recommendation, and any applicable testing; Lower School (Grade 1) requires a completed application, a $60 fee, progress reports, a teacher recommendation, and any applicable testing; Lower/Middle School (Grades 2-8) requires a completed application, a $60 fee, official transcripts, teacher recommendations, a middle school questionnaire, and any applicable testing; High School requires a completed application, a $60 fee, official transcripts, two teacher recommendations, and a student questionnaire, with class visits typically 2-3 days. 5. WWS is non-sectarian and does not discriminate in admissions and programs, and seeks a diverse student body.

Scholarships
Financial aid supports qualified students who might not otherwise afford a Waldorf education, with about 20% of the annual operating budget devoted to aid and 34% of students receiving aid; high school aid can cover up to 95% of tuition. Financial aid is awarded through the Clarity Application, with a $60 submission fee, and annual aid priority deadlines of January 3 for returning families and January 31 for prospective families. Waldorf Fellowship Scholarship offers 30%–90% tuition relief in Grades 6–12, with up to three fellowships per grade per year; fellowships carry through the student's entire enrollment (e.g., from 6th through 12th grade). Application for the fellowship requires both a school application (via Ravenna) and a separate fellowship application, and fellowship awards are announced with admissions decisions. Scholarships and aid decisions are made based on need and merit and do not affect admission decisions.
School Events
The school has not added events
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