Please note, Wollingsford Academy is a registered incorporated private school in the state of Virginia. We follow the curriculum standards of Fairfax County, VA. To view the curriculum standards of Fairfax County, VA, please click here: https://www.fcps.edu/academics
Our mailing address is: PO Box 1991, Alexandria, Virginia 22313
Q. What is the difference between our Homeschool FLEX Program vs. the Virtual Private School?
A. The Homeschool FLEX Program is a hybrid educational program. Part of your child's classes are self-guided and the other half of your child's curriculum is provided via live online virtual classes. The parent serves as the teacher and administrator in this program. For specific information on the curriculum, please visit the "Homeschool" page on the website.
Our Virtual Private School follows the format of a traditional brick & mortar school structure with a lunch period and breaks in between classes. For specific information on the curriculum, please visit the "Virtual Private School" page on the website.
Q. As a Virginia-based private school, why do we follow the curriculum standards of Fairfax County Public schools if we are not required to?
A: Common courtesy. Following the curriculum standards of one of the top school districts in the nation provides us with the assurance that our students are receiving an adequate education. It serves as a reassurance to the local and state school governance across the country that students within their school districts that attend BLE schools are meeting the educational needs that they too require of their students. The courses that our high school students take provide colleges and universities with the documentation needed to ensure that our students took the suggested high school courses that Admissions deems necessary for an entering student.
Q. I'm not a Virginia resident, do the educational laws apply to me?
A: In short, yes. However, the local school district education laws also apply to your child. Not as a student that attends a public school in your local school district, but as a student that is under the age of 18. As a private school student, you are not subject to the same educational laws that are governed by students that attend public school. To view the state laws that govern both Virginia private schools and private schools in your state, please view the Department of Education's State Regulations of Private Schools
Q. Do you offer any discounts?
A. Yes! We offer a Multi-Sibling discount of 10% off of the Live Virtual Online Class Program. We also offer scholarships to our Virtual Private School students who have at least a 3.0 GPA. Please contact us for additional scholarship criteria and scholarship amounts. Additionally, please contact us for any other fee discounts we are offering during the school year.
Q: What are the enrollment/registration fees, and what is it used for?
A. There is a non-refundable fee of $500 per student. This fee covers the administrative costs associated with setting up a new student with Wollingsford Academy. Once the enrollment fee is paid our administrative team will guide you and your student through the necessary steps for selecting classes etc.
Q: Do you offer payment plans for tuition?
A: We offer a split payment plan.
Q: Are BLE schools accredited?
A: Accreditation is pending for both a national and international accreditation. We are currently undergoing the lengthy process an international accreditation.
Q: Can my child go to college after they graduate from Wollingsford Academy?
Yes! Yes! Yes! Colleges do not request high school diplomas. Rather, they request high school transcripts. BLE schools use FACTS Management SIS system to maintain student records and electronically submit transcripts to schools. Admissions departments are very helpful, and some colleges (ranging from Princeton to Biola) have even set up special pages for homeschooled applicants. Most schools put more weight on standardized tests like the SAT & ACT for homeschooled applicants. Wollingsford Academy coordinates SAT/ACT prep courses for students that may wish to take these tests. Most public high schools suggest that if a student does not test well, they may wish to begin their college career by taking classes at a community or junior college to build up a transcript of college-level courses (and save money, since tuition at those institutions is much less expensive per credit hour), which will lessen the weight put on test scores.
The University of Virginia asks that homeschoolers help them to see "their academic performance in the clearest possible context" through such things as "taking courses in a local college; joining organizations in their community; providing samples of academic projects (e.g., essays, research papers, articles) they have completed; sending multiple recommendations from non-family-members who know them well; taking more SAT II Subject Tests than we encourage of all candidates."
(NY Students Only): Students that are residents of New York state should be mindful that although they are considered "out of state" students (similar to students that attend boarding school out of state, they are still required to take the Regents exam so that their diploma issued by BLE schools can be recognized by New York state.
Q: How important is accreditation for a school?
That question can only be determined by each individual family. The bigger question however would be, if the accredited school that my child currently attends with a staff of individuals with college degrees and PhDs was providing my child with what they needed, then why am I looking at another educational option?