Western Branch Primary School
Chesapeake, VA 23321
Phone: (757) 638-7951
Fax: (757) 638-7954
District: Chesapeake Public Schools
GreatSchools Rating
public • Grades PK,KG,1,2 • 802 students
Western Branch Primary School, a public school located in Chesapeake, VA, serves grades PK-2 in the Chesapeake Public Schools.It has received a GreatSchools Rating of 6 out of 10, based on a variety of school quality measures.
Western Branch Primary School is a public school located in Chesapeake, VA. 802 students attend Western Branch Primary School.
School Ratings
| Category | Rating | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Student Growth | 6/10 | 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: July 23, 2026
WBP is a fantastic school with wonderful teachers, administrators, and staff. I have had three children go through this school or currently enrolled. The school communicates with parents on a weekly basis plus additional emails from the teacher. Families are given multiple opportunities to get involved in the school and volunteer their time.
Posted: July 23, 2026
Posted: July 23, 2026
Posted: July 23, 2026
Posted: July 23, 2026
Posted: July 23, 2026
Posted: July 23, 2026
Posted: July 23, 2026
Posted: April 30, 2026
This school is dangerous. Children with behavior problems are not dealt with and left in classrooms to throw tables and chairs. Students who are well behaved are ignored while teachers are dealing with violence and extreme disobedience. One poorly behaved child can keep an entire class from a resource because they refuse to get out of their seat. When a teacher gets help from admin for the poor behavior, they're walked around the school and returned back to the classroom with a toy showing everyone else in the classroom that poor behavior gets you fun time walking the halls and your favorite squishy or bubbles! Students who dominate their classroom assaulting the teacher/students (even a child strangling a teacher with a lanyard!) can do the bare minimum of expectations and they're celebrated for it just enforcing that poor performance is the way to win at WBP.
If you want your child to go to a school where they're in extreme danger of a head injury from a flying chair, this is your school. If you want your child to actually learn something where they're not in constant danger, look elsewhere. I'm leaving my home of 15 years just to get away from this school.
Posted: April 30, 2026
Posted: April 30, 2026
Posted: April 30, 2026
Posted: April 30, 2026
Posted: April 30, 2026
Posted: April 30, 2026
Posted: April 30, 2026
Posted: August 30, 2024
I love our school! We were considering moving, but we are so happy here that we might just stay. We have loved all of our teachers here. The teachers care about the kids genuinely. My kids feel happy and excited about what they're learning and doing at school each day. I just joined the PTA, so I'm hoping I get to be more involved.
Posted: August 30, 2024
Posted: August 30, 2024
Posted: August 30, 2024
Posted: August 30, 2024
Posted: August 30, 2024
Posted: August 30, 2024
Posted: August 30, 2024
Posted: June 28, 2024
This is a terrific school with an exceptional staff. Our daughter loves the school and her teacher. They have a very active Schedule of events to involve the entire family.
Posted: June 28, 2024
Posted: June 28, 2024
Posted: June 28, 2024
Posted: June 28, 2024
Posted: June 28, 2024
Posted: June 28, 2024
Posted: June 28, 2024
Posted: June 6, 2022
My experience with this school is that they are not attuned with the "social /emotional well-being" of their students, and DO NOT seem to be implementing or following through with "Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies." There is a vast amount of "bullying" at this school, and there is very little being done to address it. Students are parading and having "Meltdowns" in the classrom, and during this display, throwing objects that land on other students causing them to be hurt. The school's cafeteria is a "disaster" where "bullying" is taking place, and the "Lunch Monitor" seems unconcerned when students approach her. She displays the same attitude in the classroom environment. Lower-level grade students are unable to prove their case, and it's often the teacher and /or teacher's aide who defends their own lapses or ill-mannered treatment toward these students. My heart goes out to the students, and hope they can overcome the cruel treatment that they are experiencing at this school, at the hands of personnel of seem less phased about their well-being and their education. Administration seems helpless and pretty much have her staff running the conference, with her having very little verbal inteaction with the person who requested the conference.
"Bullying" is REAL, and I encourage you to contact the school board if you feel that your are not being heard. Be an advocate for your child, and do it quickly.
Posted: June 6, 2022
Posted: June 6, 2022
Posted: June 6, 2022
Posted: June 6, 2022
Posted: June 6, 2022
Posted: June 6, 2022
Posted: June 6, 2022
Posted: April 30, 2020
Great school. Our child loves going to school here.
Posted: April 30, 2020
Posted: April 30, 2020
Posted: April 30, 2020
Posted: April 30, 2020
Posted: April 30, 2020
Posted: April 30, 2020
Posted: October 19, 2018
My daughter went here for 2nd grade and it was a pretty good experience... now my son is here for kindergarten 3 years later and with some different administrators... I have been overly pleased so far! He can be a handful and is a young kindergartner born late September and he is sad when he isn't going to school on weekend mornings!!!
Posted: October 19, 2018
My son's kindergarten teacher is awesome about having homework be flexible and including of family time.
Posted: October 19, 2018
His teacher is amazing, easy to contact, and clearly loves her students.
Posted: October 19, 2018
Posted: October 19, 2018
The new principal seems experienced and very nice.
Posted: October 19, 2018
Posted: October 19, 2018
Posted: June 11, 2018
Posted: June 11, 2018
Posted: June 11, 2018
Posted: June 11, 2018
I hear the principal is leaving (2018). This will be a great service to the school. She is not child friendly at all. Suspension is her answer to everything. This PRIMARY school has one of the highest suspension rates (K-2). She doesn't listen to the parents. I am happy to say my child did not step one foot into her office his last year there because he did get the help he needed. Now I understand what contributes to high school drop outs.
Posted: June 11, 2018
Posted: June 11, 2018
Posted: June 11, 2018
Posted: August 24, 2017
Posted: August 24, 2017
Posted: August 24, 2017
Posted: August 24, 2017
Posted: August 24, 2017
Posted: August 24, 2017
Posted: August 24, 2017
This is absolutely the worst school I have ever encountered. We are a military family so I have dealt with schools all over the country. The principal is a nightmare. She is not there to help the students, she is there to defend these inexperienced teachers. She is very rude and incompetent. There is a lot to get into and I'm not going to write it all but I'm just saying it was an absolute nightmare. I am now forced to homeschool my son because I will not trust them with my sons education again. If I could move to another school district I would .
Posted: November 29, 2014
This school is not very understanding to military children especially when the child experiencing a major transition. They are very quick to label and dismiss a child when the child is experiencing difficulties. My experience with some of the staff and my child's teacher at the time was not pleasant. I personally would not recommend this school to individuals who are in the military with a child who is not entering kindergarten or first grade. I have heard great reviews about this school from parents who had children entering other grade levels besides second grade. My experience was not great or pleasant because there was a lack of communication and understanding. To me, they have poor bedside manner when dealing with transitional children. To me, they waited to things escalated to involve the parent instead of notifying the parent from the beginning and by then my child was considered "a problem child."
Posted: April 24, 2014
My son came into this school mid year last year and the teachers and staff went out of there way to make him feel welcome and help him in every way. This has been his first full year at WBP and he is so happy. As a military family we have experience with several different schools and WBP has been the best!
Posted: February 27, 2013
This School is not understanding to Military Families. We PCS mid school year and have nothing but trouble. Military children that have been moved year to year need more understand from there teacher and staff. This school has not been able to provide that for my child. Disappointed with "this" public school system
Reviews provided by GreatSchools™
| # | Name | Type | City | State | Overall Rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellington | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Chesapeake | VA | 1.5 mi | |
| 2 | Merrimac Landing | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Chesapeake | VA | 1.7 mi | |
| 3 | Residences at Hampton Roads Crossing | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Suffolk | VA | 2.1 mi | |
| 4 | Burbage Grant | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Suffolk | VA | 2.5 mi | |
| 5 | Long Point | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Portsmouth | VA | 2.7 mi | |
| 6 | First Watch at River Pointe | Condominium/Townhouse | Portsmouth | VA | 2.9 mi | |
| 7 | Western Branch | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Chesapeake | VA | 3.2 mi | |
| 8 | Riverfront at Harbour View | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Suffolk | VA | 3.4 mi | |
| 9 | Steeplechase | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Suffolk | VA | 3.6 mi | |
| 10 | Dock Landing | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Chesapeake | VA | 3.7 mi | |
| 11 | Jolliff Woods | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Chesapeake | VA | 3.8 mi | |
| 12 | Park View | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Portsmouth | VA | 5.1 mi | |
| 13 | West Ghent | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Norfolk | VA | 5.6 mi | |
| 14 | Ghent | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Norfolk | VA | 5.7 mi | |
| 15 | Deep Creek | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Chesapeake | VA | 5.8 mi | |
| 16 | Ghent | Area of Town | Norfolk | VA | 6 mi | |
| 17 | Park Place | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Norfolk | VA | 6.5 mi | |
| 18 | Larchmont | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Norfolk | VA | 6.5 mi | |
| 19 | Lochhaven | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Norfolk | VA | 6.7 mi |
| # | Name | City | State | Overall Rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harbour View Area | Suffolk | VA | 3.5 mi | |
| 2 | Western Branch | Chesapeake | VA | 3.8 mi | |
| 3 | Colley Avenue and 21st | Norfolk | VA | 6 mi | |
| 4 | Ghent Square | Norfolk | VA | 6.2 mi | |
| 5 | Park Place | Norfolk | VA | 6.5 mi | |
| 6 | Colonial Place | Norfolk | VA | 6.7 mi |
| Base | Distance |
|---|---|
| Joint Staff J7 Suffolk | 2.8 mi. |
| Coast Guard Portsmouth VA | 3.5 mi. |
| Portsmouth Naval Medical Center | 5.3 mi. |
| Norfolk Naval Shipyard | 6.1 mi. |
| Norfolk Naval Base | 8.6 mi. |
| Fort Monroe | 12.1 mi. |
| Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base | 14.7 mi. |
| Langley AFB | 16.1 mi. |
| Oceana NAS | 20.7 mi. |
| NSA Northwest Annex | 21.2 mi. |
| Fort Story | 22.7 mi. |
| Fort Eustis | 23.6 mi. |
| Dam Neck Naval Station | 24.9 mi. |
| Coast Guard Yorktown | 26.1 mi. |
| Yorktown Naval Weapons Station | 29.7 mi. |
| Coast Guard Elizabeth City | 42 mi. |
| Coast Guard Station Milford Haven | 44.5 mi. |
