Norwood School

What Norwood School does

Norwood School is a private, coeducational, nonprofit day school serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade on a 40-acre campus at 8821 River Road in Bethesda, Maryland. Founded in 1952 by Frances Marsh, the school operates a continuous PK-8 educational model with a 6:1 student-teacher ratio, team-teaching in PK-2 classrooms, and a vertically integrated curriculum designed to prepare graduates for selective secondary school placement. The academic program is divided into Lower School (PK-4) and Middle School (5-8), supported by dedicated programming in visual and performing arts, athletics (the Blue Hawks program with a no-cut policy), the Summit outdoor education program, character education and service learning, a four-day Intersession experiential block for grades 7-8, and student support services including learning specialists and counselors.

The school's offerings extend beyond the academic year through Summer at Norwood, a separately branded camp operation serving ages 3.5-14 across day camps, adventure camps, sports camps, and specialty programs in coding, robotics, ceramics, and digital art. The 40-acre campus includes the Marriott Early Childhood Building and the Rales Athletic Center, and is also monetized through facilities rental and recreational team programs. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring tuition for enrolled PK-8 students, supplemented by auxiliary camp and rental income, annual giving (The Norwood Fund, A Night for Norwood), planned giving, and endowed and special funds.

Distribution is sales-led and regional, targeting families in the Bethesda and broader Washington D.C. metropolitan area through website content, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vimeo), Norwood Magazine, open house events, and parent referral networks anchored by the Norwood Parents Association. Leadership is provided by Head of School Matthew A. Gould, with a full administrative team covering admission, finance, communications, development, technology, athletics, auxiliary programs, diversity/equity/community, and student support. The school's 2022-2027 Strategic Plan provides the current governance framework for institutional priorities.

Name

Norwood School

Legal name

Norwood School

Website

https://norwoodschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Norwood School is a private nonprofit PK-8 coeducational day school in Bethesda, Maryland, serving families in the D.C. metro with a 6:1 student-teacher ratio, arts and athletics programming, and a Summer at Norwood camp operation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Private school tuition revenue from enrolled PK-8 students, including additional programs such as Summer at Norwood camp program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Norwood School is a private, nonprofit PK-8 coeducational day school in Bethesda, Maryland, delivering a child-centered academic program with a 6:1 student-teacher ratio across Lower School (PK-4) and Middle School (5-8), complemented by arts, athletics, character education, experiential learning (Summit program and Intersession), student support services, and high school placement. It also operates Summer at Norwood, a seasonal camp program for ages 3.5-14.

Product overview

Norwood School is a PK-8 private co-ed day school in Bethesda, MD serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school offers a comprehensive educational program centered on child-centered learning with a low 6:1 student-teacher ratio. Programs include Lower School (PK-4) with team-teaching approach, Middle School (5-8) with advisory system, and a full spectrum of enrichment including Arts (visual arts, music, drama), Athletics (Blue Hawks with 12 sports and Summit outdoor program), Character Education, Experiential Education with Intersession, Student Support Services, and High School Placement. The school operates Summer at Norwood as a seasonal camp program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lower School (PK-4) Lower school program serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade students, implementing a team-teaching approach in grades PK-2 with a 6:1 student-teacher ratio and differentiated instruction for individual learning styles.
• Middle School (Grades 5-8) Middle school program for grades 5-8 featuring an advisory system, intersession experiential learning, community service opportunities, and high school placement support for graduating 8th graders.
• Arts Program Comprehensive arts education including visual arts, music (with band, orchestra, and Lower School violin program), and drama; students have performed at events such as the Kings Dominion Festival of Music.
• Athletics - Blue Hawks Athletic program featuring soccer, basketball, lacrosse, kayaking, rock climbing, cross country, volleyball, baseball, softball, and track and field, with a no-cut policy and integration with the Summit outdoor education program.
• Summit Outdoor Education Program Signature outdoor education program featuring kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, white water rafting, and orienteering for middle school students.
• Character Education and Service Learning Program focused on character development teaching values including pursuit of knowledge, integrity, respect, responsibility, diligence, kindness, cooperation, and service through community service projects.
• Experiential Education and Intersession Hands-on learning program with off-campus field trips and a four-day Intersession program where seventh and eighth graders explore new interests through experiential activities.
• Summer at Norwood Summer camp program for ages 3.5-14 featuring Junior Day Camp, Day Camp, Middle School Academies, Adventure Camp, Sports Camps, and specialty camps including Coding, Robotics, Ceramics, and Digital Art.
• High School Placement Program assisting eighth graders and their families with the transition to high school, including practice interviews and guidance in selecting appropriate schools.
• Robotics Program (Green Hawks) Competitive robotics program (Green Hawks team) that has qualified for the FLL International Invitational Tournament, using the LEGO EV3 platform and led by Director of Technology Juan Ramirez.
• After School Programs After-school care and enrichment programs available to enrolled families, supporting working families and extending the school day beyond the academic schedule.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of resources serve students during all-important elementary and middle school years
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sidwell Friends School: Elite Washington D.C. private Quaker coed PK-12 school. Highly comparable to Norwood as a premium independent school in the same metro, competing for the same affluent DC/Bethesda families with a strong college-preparatory track record.
• Georgetown Day School: DC's first integrated independent school, PK-12 coed. Directly comparable to Norwood as a progressive, child-centered private school serving similar DC-metro families with a comparable tuition band.
• Maret School: Independent coed K-12 school in Washington D.C. Comparable as a similarly sized, tuition-driven private school emphasizing whole-child development and strong high school/college placement outcomes.
• Bullis School: Independent coed K-12 school in Potomac, MD — adjacent suburb to Bethesda. Directly competes for the same Montgomery County families and offers a comparable signature outdoor/experiential and STEM curriculum.
• The Holton-Arms School: Independent girls' school grades 3-12 in Bethesda, MD. Same Bethesda micro-market as Norwood, comparable tuition band, similar whole-child and signature-program positioning.
• Washington Episcopal School: Independent coed PK-8 school in Bethesda, MD. The closest PK-8-only competitor to Norwood by grade-band and geography, competing directly for the same elementary/middle-school families.
• The Lab School of Washington: DC independent school serving students with learning differences through grade 12. Comparable as a private DC-area school using differentiated instruction and individualized learning — though specializing in learning support.
• St. Albans School: All-boys independent day school grades 4-12 in Washington D.C. Sibling-school relationship with National Cathedral School; competes for the same DC-metro families at comparable price points.
• National Cathedral School: Independent girls' day school grades 4-12 on the Washington National Cathedral close. Sister school to St. Albans; competes for the same DC-metro families with comparable tuition and college placement.

Regional players

• The Flint Hill School: Independent coed PK-12 school in Oakton/Vienna, Northern Virginia. Comparable in program breadth and tuition band, but located across the metro from Norwood and serves Virginia-side families.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user3113163/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/NorwoodSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/norwoodschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/norwoodschoolbethesda
• Xx.com/norwoodschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Norwood School