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Pennington School

Manassas, VA 20110

Phone: (703) 369-6644
District: Prince William County Public Schools

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GreatSchools Rating

public • Grades 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 • 651 students

Pennington School, a public school located in Manassas, VA, serves grades 1-8 in the Prince William County Public Schools.It has received a GreatSchools Rating of 10 out of 10, based on a variety of school quality measures.

Pennington School is a public school located in Manassas, VA. 651 students attend Pennington School.

School Ratings

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	10/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Virginia Standards of Learning data from Virginia Department of Education, and using 2025 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) End-of-Course data from Virginia Department of Education.
Student Growth	10/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from Virginia Department of Education.

Posted: January 7, 2026

Pennington itself is a decent school. The biggest issue relates to the administration; they dont really care about the students and their well-being. Often, students are falsely accused of things they didnt do that are blown out of proportion, and when faced with these allegations, they arent given a chance to explain themselves, often being accused of lying and making excuses. However, when a student commits a serious offense, they are let off the hook due to a lack of evidence. The main person behind this is the current vice principal. Hatred and racism is also rich in the students, even going down to the youngest students. Overall, I would not recommend this school to anyone.

Posted: January 7, 2026

Posted: June 9, 2023

Pennington has lost its allure and shine. They claim academic and behavioral excellence which is beyond lacking. The administration does nothing to correct the actions of bullying and racism that run rampart in the school. Students complain, parents complain and nothing gets done. Instead students are made to feel like they are the problem and most of the teaching staff seem like their hands are tied by administrators. After 6+ years at the school and serving on the PTO board, I can tell you that we are highly disappointed! This school is not what it promises and the vision/mission statements they portray are not upheld. Its been a steady decline in the last years. Not worth the addition efforts to get your kids in or the work as parents to build the school community.

Posted: June 9, 2023

Posted: May 26, 2023

Pennington Traditional School is great school. The teachers and administration are very helpful, dedicated, professional and supportive.
Principal and staff know students by name. My daughter feels safe and she gates everything that she needs to succeed academekly. We as a perants very happy with her progress.

Posted: May 26, 2023

Posted: January 31, 2022

Great teachers and family involvement. Administrator (principal) needs to improve. she is unprofessional and does not communicate well with adults. Does not do well with adversity or dealing with diversity.

Posted: January 31, 2022

Posted: November 22, 2021

I had two children who attended this school. One child attended 1st - 8th, however our family decided to pull our second child before 8th grade. The school is supposed to be a traditional school program, however, during our time there we saw the program evaporate. During our time at the school, there was an incident and after that the academic rigor and behavior standards were no longer being maintained. Standards were removed without being communicated to the parents prior to their removal. These standards were part of the reason our family choose to go to Pennington. Character development had been part of the program during our early years there. By the time we left, we did not see any character education remaining.

Academic rigor has been reduced to accommodate those students who aren't capable of meeting it. Remember, this is a school that parents are choosing. I am not discussing not provided appropriate education to students with learning differences at a base school. The other side of learning differences is gifted. With the decrease in academic rigor, the needs of the students with gifted learning differences are not being met. My children were often times bored because the pace of the class was not rigorous.

As with any school, some teachers are wonderful and others are not. There had been a lot of staffing turning over during our time there.

Bullying is inconsistently addressed. It is handled when it is easy to address, but more complex issues are ignored.

Leadership at the school has been hindered because of the incident. Prior to that, the principle had a lot more authority to ensure that the Pennington standards were being followed. The principle also had the ability to ask families to leave if they were not meeting requirements like the parent service commitment.

There is a uniform, but I would see children all the time that were not in compliance with the uniform. Again, parents are choosing this school and agreeing to the uniform. Additionally, there is financial support for families who can not afford the uniforms.

By the time our family departed, we did not see Pennington as anything more than a base school with a sometimes enforced uniform. It is a great school if your base school is not.

If you talk to any other families about Pennington, make sure they had children there during the last six years.

Posted: November 22, 2021

Posted: November 16, 2021

This is a tricky school to review. There are pros and cons to this being a lottery based traditional school. The pros include a limit to the amount of students per grade and a very consistent student base, as no new students are enrolled after September 30th each school year. Teachers/admin at base schools are always dealing with an influx of new students. This may sound like a con of a base school, and it can be, but I believe base school teachers/admin become more flexible and more willing to go the extra mile. I've witnessed complacency on the part of Pennington admin/staff over the years. There is also an attitude conveyed from some staff/admin, that parents should feel "lucky" to have their students at Pennington. There isn't an overall sense that the students/parents are the *key* part of the school community and are truly valued in the same way that I have witnessed at my kids' base schools. There are some really fantastic teachers at this school and for that I'm grateful! But, there are too many staff/admin that consider Pennington an easy school and just coast along. This can lead to problems being ignored and a general lack of a proactive approach in dealing with issues. It has also led, in my opinion, to some pretty bad role modeling by admin. There are positives/negatives at every school, but the overall apathy at the top has gradually permeated down. Would I recommend this school? I really think it depends on the student/family and the base school option. Would I chose it again? A hard maybe.

Posted: November 16, 2021

Posted: November 15, 2021

My daughters have been part of the Pennington Family for the past 8 years and they enjoy every teacher. The school focus in everything that requires are kids to be better citizens for our community. I love the school and the staff and I will be sad to see my girls graduate but I and thankful they did it from such of good school, now they are ready for high school.

Posted: November 15, 2021

Posted: November 8, 2021

We have four children who have attended Pennington Traditional School all grades 1-8. with my oldest about to graduate from college and my youngest finishing her last year at Pennington. We as so pleased that we chose Pennington all those years ago and were able to enroll at that time. All of our children have had a great experience. The teachers, staff, administrators are all very committed, dedicated, talented, helpful, and experts in the field. While no school is perfect - Pennington strives for the best experience possible for each student and the whole community of learners. It is a family friendly school where parents are required to fulfill service hours to the school. Children have stronger school district curriculum with character education and there is the additional commitment to community service for students - something I love that we do at Pennington!
My children have been VERY well prepared for high school and advanced class curriculum as a result of their academic experience at Pennington and has set them up for success in high school and beyond.

Posted: November 8, 2021

Posted: November 6, 2021

Pennington Traditional is a great school. My children feel safe, supported and included by all! We are very happy and proud to be a part of such an awesome school community!

Posted: November 6, 2021

Posted: November 5, 2021

I have had 3 kids attend Pennington so far and it has been a wonderful experience for all of them! The small school size is like a family. The academic rigor and expectations of the school are hugely different than other schools we have attended. The administration and teachers are amazing - they demand a lot of the students, but truly care about all of the students and want them to be successful.

Posted: November 5, 2021

The best school in area. My elder daughter just finished her middle school from Pennington last year and going to OP now and younger one is in 8th grade going to Pennington.
Very good experience and happy with my daughters progress.

Posted: November 5, 2021

We have 3 children at Pennington, this is our 6th year in the school. We absolutely love it. There is such a diversity of cultures both in students and teachers. We really appreciate the family involvement and high expectations of the kids not only academically, but in behavior and how they are expected to treat one another. We especially like that there are only 3 classes in each grade level, allowing the kids to build strong relationships with peers year after year. We look forward to 6 more years!

Posted: November 5, 2021

Posted: March 13, 2020

As a school of choice with a lottery. Many of the staff have a bail bondsman personality (we need them more than they need us). It is pretty frustrating. However, my child is thriving and doing well. I think they would in any PWCS.

Posted: March 13, 2020

The kids have daily homework which is appropriate.

Posted: March 13, 2020

There is mistrust between teachers, parents, and administrators. Therefore, attempts to resolve issues end up being super defensive of each position versus putting heads together for a solution.

Posted: March 13, 2020

The school has higher than normal standards for behavior. However, they do not have effective interventions/programs to support and reinforce.

Posted: March 13, 2020

Im still unsure. They are dealing with a lot of struggles and I am trying to be empathetic.

Posted: March 13, 2020

The gifted program is terrible. I see very little advantage of participating. The gifted teacher seems overwhelmed and consistently under performs.

Posted: March 13, 2020

No problems with bullying that I am aware of.

Posted: February 27, 2020

TERRIBLE, AWFUL, DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS SCHOOL AT ALL...which is very sad because it used to be a great school before the new principal and vice principal and guidance counselor came in and ruined it.

Posted: February 27, 2020

There are good and bad teachers here. My child had a bad experience with one teacher in 4th grade...he was just not good with his relationship with students...at all! The PE teacher is really great.

Posted: February 27, 2020

As already stated, there is blatant bullying going on in this school that the leadership is fully aware of, yet they do NOTHING about it. It is ALL talk and NO action.

Posted: June 5, 2018

The younger levels (1st-3rd) have an effective means of communicating what the homework for the week. They communicate via weekly newsletters. Unfortunately, the transition to the older grades (4th-8th) there is a vast difference in communication. The teachers advise parents to "check the website," but many of the calendars are not updated, or not updated consistently.

Posted: June 5, 2018

Teachers here run the spectrum. We've had the good fortune of being with teachers who are passionate, driven, and truly love teaching. Unfortunately, just like any other school, there are teachers here who have lost any genuine interest in helping the students progress. These teachers think it's enough that the kids just "show up." And as long as the child doesn't cause the teacher any issues, then the teacher and student are able to co-exist. This should not be the case during these formative years.

Posted: June 5, 2018

The teachers and staff focus on integrity, compassion, and respect. However, if the leadership, staff, and other support roles (ESOL teachers, front office staff, etc.) don't lead by example then the children won't learn.

Posted: June 5, 2018

Overall, we are pleased with our children's academic performance at Pennington. However, they were not facing any struggles at their base school. They were consistently meeting and exceeding expectations previous to their time at Pennington. We had heard that Pennington exceeds the normal expectations of other public schools in the area and decided to give it a try. The front office staff is one the biggest downfall to this school.

Posted: August 23, 2017

By our choice, my child left Pennington and returned to our base school for various disappointing reasons. It was the best decision. All of his SOLs at base school this year were PASS ADVANCED - which never happened at Pennington. Something to think about when deciding to send your children.

Posted: April 13, 2017

Pennington Traditional School has continued to earn a School of Excellence Award EVERY year for at least 10 years. To this award, add that the school remains on the Virginia "Schools to Watch" List (schools that meet/exceed national criteria and is identified as high-performing) and it is clear that Pennington the administration, faculty and staff are continuing to promote a wonderful academic, character-building, and healthy environment. The limited class-sizes, community service requirements of students and parents, the amazing partnerships between teachers and parents, the large variety of clubs - it seems the kids love being there so much they enjoy after school clubs with the added benefit of hanging out with friends who may not be neighbors, and, yes, even the uniforms (clothing is rarely a distraction) have helped to make this school consistently excellent I have heard of the occasional random kid who misbehaved and he/she was dealt with. I would encourage any parent or student considering the school to attend the schools visitation days and information events to learn more from directly from parents, students, teachers, and administrators. Not all families appreciate Pennington's structure, community service requirements, and academic focus; but, my family - and many more families that make up our school's community - has no regrets. We look forward to a few more years as a Pennington Family. We love it!

Posted: November 30, 2016

Pennington Traditional School used to be a School of Excellence. Over the past few years, I have seen the school go from great to bad to worse. Fortunately, most of the teachers really do care about their students. The administration, on the other hand, seems to only worry about covering its behind when it comes to dealing with conflict between students. Contrary to what you may think, there really are bad kids at Pennington. So, if you're thinking that the school is highly competitive because its students' wear uniforms, there's a lottery system to get in and the code of conduct is stricter than other PWC schools, think again. If you are considering having your kids go here, you may want to visit the school to speak to many of the parents. Like I said, Pennington prides itself on being a School of Excellence, but as you can see from the other reviews, there hasn't been a post in over three years. I don't really have to give you the answer for that.

Posted: September 7, 2013

Our school is amazing, with amazing teachers. It's about academics, and the students do very well. Parents are involved and the students are involved. There's a lot to say when you have middle school students involved with the elementary students. It's a great school and if you are serious about learning, then you should apply. The PTO has been a great resource for parents with a positive attitude.

Posted: July 25, 2013

Excellent school focus on academic and value, small size and very well managed. working together like a family. my 2 daughters love the school and improved a lot in Pennington.

Posted: May 7, 2013

Pennington is a very good school, the teachers are very professional and I am happy that my son's education is on the right path. Would recommend to give him more home work, so that he spends more time in reading/writing.

Posted: March 1, 2013

Pennington is a extremely harsh school. The send a letter home because my child had to many early dismissal, either because the were sick or for the doctor. The principal and vice principal are very harsh while the Guidance Counselor is very helpful. Also, The 7th and 8th grade math is treats the kids horribly.

Posted: October 17, 2012

There are no words to describe how much we love this school!! Simply the BEST. WE have one of the BEST PRINCIPALS and VICE PRINCIPALS around! I appreciate the love and nuturing the school bestows on my child. We have noticed an amount of phenominal academic developement since our child entered into this school. Although it is a Prince William Public school they run the school with very high structured standards and do alot for the community which helps builds our childs character. I can not applaud this school enough for the fine example they prove themselves to be. It is a gift to have my child attend Pennington School. Our child loves it!

Posted: April 29, 2012

Pennington is an absolutely great school and the best public school I have ever observed and I have observed many in my career! We could not be happier with the Administration, the teachers and the students. A school where the 8th graders are polite to the 1st graders, we will not move just to keep our daughter in this school.

Reviews provided by GreatSchools^™

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	The Townes	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Manassas Park	VA	2.7 mi
2	Little Rocky Run	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Clifton	VA	5.7 mi
3	Lewis Park	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	7.2 mi
4	Somerset Crossing	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Gainesville	VA	8.4 mi
5	Middleridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	9.5 mi
6	Sycamore Ridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Woodbridge	VA	10.3 mi
7	Kings Park West	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	10.3 mi
8	Burke Conservancy	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Burke	VA	10.3 mi
9	Villages of Piedmont	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Haymarket	VA	10.5 mi
10	Franklin Glen	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fairfax	VA	10.7 mi
11	Ashland	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Manassas	VA	11 mi
12	Lake Ridge	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Woodbridge	VA	11.2 mi
13	Montclair	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Dumfries	VA	11.6 mi
14	South Riding	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Chantilly	VA	11.6 mi
15	Orange Hunt Estates	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Springfield	VA	11.8 mi
16	The Elms	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Burke	VA	12.3 mi
17	Burke Station Square	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Burke	VA	12.5 mi
18	Long Branch	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Annandale	VA	12.6 mi
19	Fox Mill Estates	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Herndon	VA	13 mi
20	Newington Commons	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Lorton	VA	13 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Gainesville, Haymarket, Bristow	Gainesville	VA	7.6 mi
2	Chantilly	Chantilly	VA	10.1 mi
3	Burke Centre	Burke	VA	10.8 mi
4	Burke	Burke	VA	11.4 mi
5	Montclair	Montclair	VA	11.8 mi

Base	Distance
NRO Chantilly	9 mi.
Quantico Marine Base	15.1 mi.
Defense Health Headquarters Falls Church	16.6 mi.
Fort Belvoir	18.3 mi.
Indian Head Naval Base	20.1 mi.
Mark Center Alexandria	20.4 mi.
Henderson Hall	23.4 mi.
Fort Myer	23.4 mi.
Pentagon	24.3 mi.
Bolling AFB Joint Base Anacostia	25.7 mi.
Fort McNair	26.3 mi.
Coast Guard Headquarters DC	26.4 mi.
Walter Reed Medical Center	27 mi.
Washington Navy Yard	27.4 mi.
Marine Barracks Washington	27.6 mi.
Andrews AFB	32.2 mi.
Dahlgren NSWC	37.5 mi.
Fort Meade NSA	46.4 mi.
Fort Detrick	47.3 mi.
Fort AP Hill	47.8 mi.

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Pennington School

Manassas, VA 20110

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