Toddler | Preschool | Lower Elementary | Upper Elementary | Upper School | College Counseling

Upper School

7th – 12th Grades

A Powerful Blend:  International Baccalaureate & Montessori

According to Dr. Maria Montessori, the focus of education for students at this level should help them find their place in society. They want meaningful ways to contribute, real-world work opportunities, and chances to truly plan and test their ideas. Socially, they want to be a part of a community and feel secure in building their skills as leaders. Adolescence is an age of explosive growth and change-physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually.

Westwood intends that its graduates go out into the world not just to do great things, but to do the right things.

The Westwood School’s unique blend of Montessori with the International Baccalaureate challenges students to reach beyond themselves and their communities to the world at large through programs with other schools, peer cultural interaction, and guest lecturers. This combination fosters independent thinking and encourages students to develop a sense of their own competence while encouraging academic, social, and intellectual exploration.

The Westwood School is an authorized International Baccalaureate World School offering the IB Diploma Programme (DP) Grades 11-12. The world-renowned International Baccalaureate curriculum emphasizes depth and breadth in each subject area as well as interaction among subjects.

westwood-science-math
westwood-science-lab

Why International Baccalaureate at The Westwood School?

International Baccalaureate (IB) is a world class educational system because of its rigor, its emphasis on critical thinking, and its graduates being well-rounded students with the ability to appreciate the interconnectivity between subjects. So why choose Westwood for this most demanding curriculum?

The average public school in Texas has over 200 students per grade. At Westwood there is an average of 15 students per grade.

Typical class sizes in Texas are 30 or more students. At Westwood, class sizes range from 8 to 15 students, allowing for personal attention that students need to fulfill their academic potential.

Upon entering their junior year, all Westwood students enter into IB’s Diploma Programme (DP). Unlike schools that require students to test into a demanding curriculum, Westwood does not create an “academic elite” by only allowing the most gifted students to participate in this learning experience. Westwood believes that every student will benefit from a rigorous educational experience.

Diploma Programme students share some core classes that help create a strong academic community where they consider great works of literature and lasting philosophical questions about what it is to be human. DP students also have subject choices from which to design an educational experience that best fits their individual interests.

All of our teachers are trained and experienced in the IB Programme, giving our students expert guidance through all aspects of the Diploma Programme.

In addition to academic subjects, students are involved in a multitude of activities including:

  • Student-driven Projects and Clubs: IBeanery Coffee House, Robotics, Math Club, Quiz League, Model UN, Mock Trial, Life Skills Club
  • House System and Student Government
  • TAPPS Academic, Arts, and Speech Competition
  • State and national language competitions
  • Musicals and plays
  • Athletics: Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, Track and Field, Cheerleading, and more based on student interest
  • Social events such as dances, Homecoming Spirit Week and Prom
  • Adventure Leadership Program for Students (ALPS)
  • Optional international trips to China and/or Spanish speaking countries
westwood-student-3

Graduates
The Westwood Way of Montessori and International Baccalaureate has proven successful as students continue their education at universities around the world. Click here for more information about Westwood graduates.

“If you are looking for a school where your child is known by his first name, by staff and teachers at multiple levels, a school where people firmly believe in independent thinking, self respect, community spirit, multicultural tolerance and understanding, and above all, academic excellence, The Westwood School is your arrival destination! I have been a Montessori parent, and a Westwood parent for many years now, and I have grown a lot, and learned a lot about our changing world, together with my children. This school is set apart from the rest in so many ways…Here children are familiar personalities to their teachers and staff, not just another face in a crowd. The teachers are kind and focused on each individual, finding the best way of maximizing each potential for success. It all begins early, around the toddler age, and it beautifully grows into a place where teenagers feel proud and connected with whom they want to become.This school truly focusses on the child’s world, and the understanding of his needs and potential.”
— S. Patel