Windrush School - Where Minds Flourish
Process Overview

We admit students for the current school year on a space available basis. 

Welcome! Our purpose is to admit students who will thrive here at Windrush. We strive to reflect the diversity of the Bay Area in all respects as we seek families who embrace a shared vision for learning and community. We offer each student superb teachers who generate excitement about learning and an eagerness to be challenged and to succeed.

Please read on to learn more about the admissions process. You may request a packet, reserve a place for a tour and ask specific questions using the Admissions Contact Form or by phone at 510-970-7580 ext. 203. I look forward to introducing you to Windrush!

—David Bond, Director of Admissions

The Application Process and Timeline

1. Tour Windrush: Meet our Head of School and observe classes (October—December).   
2. Attend an Open House: Meet teachers and learn about our program. Prospective middle school students are encouraged to attend presentations with their parents.
3. Complete application: Courtesy filing date: December 1, 2011. Due by January 12, 2012 for notification in March.
4. Provide supporting documents by Jan. 12: Teacher recommendation(s) and transcripts.
5. Schedule and complete evaluation and school visit: January—February.
6. Families are notified of admissions decisions on March 9, 2012.
7. Enrollment contracts are due by March 16, 2012.
Applications are accepted year-round on a space-available basis.

Evaluation

Kindergarten: Families visit on a Saturday in small groups. Windrush teachers engage children in activities that illuminate developmental readiness for kindergarten, while parents mingle and meet briefly with an administrator. Occasionally, we may later observe an applicant in his/her preschool to clarify our impressions. The confidential Kindergarten Teacher Recommendation Form should be signed and then given to the preschool teacher.

Grades 1 - 5: Students visit Windrush for a school day in a class of their current grade. On a separate day, students meet individually for one hour with a Windrush teacher for an evaluation in math, reading, and writing. Confidential Grades 1-8 Teacher Recommendation Forms should be signed and given to your child's current and previous year's teachers. Sign and give the Grade Report Release Form to your child's current/previous school.

Grades 6 - 8: Applicants take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) in December or January (see the ISEE Online Guide at www.iseetest.org for testing information, registration forms and deadlines). Hosted by a current student, applicants also visit for part of a school day in a class of the grade for which they are applying. Confidential Grades 1-8 Teacher Recommendation Forms should be given to your child's current and previous year's teachers. Sign and give the Grade Report Release Form to your child's current/previous school.

Enrollment Decisions

Once the application, evaluation, visit, and proper paperwork are completed, we carefully consider all available information about each child. In designing our classes, we also take into account siblings of current students, gender balance, and the diversity of students in each grade.