The Woods Academy
The Woods Academy is a private Catholic independent school in Bethesda, Maryland, serving approximately 320 students from age 3 through Grade 8. Founded in 1975, it combines an AMS-accredited Montessori program with traditional K-8 curriculum and daily foreign-language instruction.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersBethesda, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Woods Academy does
The Woods Academy is a private Catholic independent day school located in Bethesda, Maryland, serving approximately 320 students from age 3 through Grade 8 on a single campus. Founded in 1975, the school is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its core academic product combines an American Montessori Society (AMS)-accredited early-childhood program with a traditional elementary and middle-school curriculum, supplemented by daily Spanish and French instruction, a 1:1 tablet/laptop program, and an Innovation Lab featuring robotics, coding, and 3D printing. The school is among only seven AMS-accredited institutions in Maryland.
The Woods Academy differentiates on credentials and student outcomes: AMS accreditation, a Catholic independent-school identity, and reported results including 100% first-choice high-school placement and $240,000+ in merit scholarships awarded to the Classes of 2025 and 2026. The school employs 67 staff, with faculty exhibiting a 10-year average tenure and 70%+ holding advanced degrees. The continuous 11-year enrollment arc (Toddler through Grade 8) is reinforced by long-tenured faculty and a service-learning program, supporting family retention across the full primary-school journey.
The business model is tuition-based subscription revenue, with published annual tuition ranging from $18,330 in early childhood to $32,830 in Grade 8. Revenue is supplemented by extended-care, enrichment, and summer-program fees, and by philanthropic contributions and endowment income. New Head of School Dr. Jessica Palladino joined in July 2023, and the school is approaching its 50th anniversary in 2025. There is no external investor or ownership stake; the institution is a tuition-and-donation-funded nonprofit.
The Woods Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Woods Academy
- Legal name
- The Woods Academy
- Website
- https://woodsacademy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Woods Academy is a private Catholic independent school in Bethesda, Maryland, serving approximately 320 students from age 3 through Grade 8. Founded in 1975, it combines an AMS-accredited Montessori program with traditional K-8 curriculum and daily foreign-language instruction.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Woods Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private K-8 Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Montessori K–12 Schools (EDAJABAD)
Keywords
Where The Woods Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bethesda
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Woods Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition payments for Montessori preschool (ages 3-K), Lower School (Grades 1-4), and Middle School (Grades 5-8). Additional revenue from application fees ($100 per application), extended care services, and after-school enrichment programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | 1st Year Montessori (3 years old) |
| Subscription | Annual | 2nd Year Montessori (4 years old) |
| Subscription | Annual | 3rd Year Montessori / Kindergarten |
| Subscription | Annual | Lower School (Grades 1-4) |
| Subscription | Annual | Middle School (Grades 5-8) |
| Other | Annual | Kathleen Piwko Merit Scholarship |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels12 records
The Woods Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Woods Academy is an inclusive Catholic private school offering a continuous Montessori-through-Grade 8 education for students age 3 through Grade 8, organized into three divisions (Montessori Preschool, Lower School Grades 1-4, Middle School Grades 5-8). The program integrates daily Spanish and French language instruction, an Innovation Lab for STEAM learning, athletics, arts, and comprehensive high school placement services. Tuition is the primary revenue mechanism, with supplementary income from application fees, extended care, summer programs, and the Annual Fund.
Product overview
The Woods Academy is an inclusive Catholic private school offering a unified Montessori-through-Grade 8 educational program that nurtures the whole child through academic excellence, spiritual enrichment, and character development. The core educational program spans three divisions: Montessori Preschool (ages 3-Kindergarten), Lower School (Grades 1-4), and Middle School (Grades 5-8). Supporting programs include an Innovation Lab for STEAM education, daily World Language instruction in Spanish and French, Athletics, Arts, Learning Support, Guidance and Counseling, the RISE Scholars enrichment program, Grade 8 Capstone project, Summer programs, and comprehensive High School Placement services. The school serves 320 students with small class sizes (average 15 students) and a 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Montessori Preschool (Ages 3 - Kindergarten)
- Lower School (Grades 1-4)
- Middle School (Grades 5-8)
- Summer at The Woods
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of graduates accepted to first-choice high school
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Woods Academy
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Woods Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
The Woods Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)minorNational organization serving Catholic schools.
- Educational Records Bureau (ERB)minorMembership for educational assessment and testing services.
- Middle States Association of Schools and CollegescoreAccreditation body providing individual accreditation to The Woods Academy as an independent school.
- Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS)coreRegional association providing accreditation and representing independent schools in Maryland.
- American Montessori Society (AMS)coreAMS provides Montessori accreditation and resources; The Woods is one of only seven AMS-accredited Montessori schools in Maryland.
- FACTS Grant & Aid AssessmentcoreFACTS provides tuition management, payment processing, and financial aid assessment services for families and the school.
- Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW)minorRegional membership organization for independent schools in the greater Washington area.
- National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)minorNational membership organization for independent schools.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Woods Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Norwood School: Independent K-8 school located minutes from The Woods in Bethesda, MD. Most directly comparable peer: similar enrollment scale, similar tuition band, similar 7:1-ish student-teacher ratios, and overlapping DC-metro feeder high schools. Both schools compete for the same Bethesda and DC-metro family pool.
- St. Andrew's Episcopal School: Private K-12 school in Potomac, MD serving the same DC-metro private-school market as The Woods. Comparable faith-rooted identity (Episcopal vs. Catholic), similar size band, and overlapping high-school placement outcomes. Direct competitor for Bethesda/DC families evaluating faith-based private K-8.
- Washington Episcopal Day School: Independent Episcopal K-8 day school in Bethesda, MD. Direct competitor in the same neighborhood with similar age range (PK-8), faith-rooted identity, and comparable tuition band. Overlapping admissions cycles, faculty recruitment, and feeder high schools.
- Bullis School: Independent K-12 school in Potomac, MD serving the same DC-metro market. Larger scale but directly comparable in mission, academic rigor, and college/high-school preparation positioning. Competes for the same upper-middle-class Bethesda/DC families.
- Green Acres School: Independent K-8 school in Rockville, MD serving the same Bethesda/DC corridor. Comparable progressive/child-centered pedagogy, similar enrollment scale, and overlapping feeder families. Direct competitor in the same weekly admissions cycle.
- Lowell School: Independent PK-8 school in Washington, DC. Directly comparable in age range, progressive pedagogy, and DC-metro private-school positioning. Competes for the same families willing to cross jurisdictional lines for private education.
- Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School: Catholic PK-8 school in Bethesda, MD. Most direct faith-based comparator — same neighborhood, same Catholic identity, similar age range, and significantly lower tuition. Represents the parochial-school alternative for cost-sensitive Catholic families in the same Bethesda market.
Broad incumbents
- Georgetown Day School: Large, well-established DC-metro independent PK-12 school with a broader program footprint than The Woods. Represents the upscale end of the same market — overlapping admissions, faculty, and feeder high-school networks, but operating at materially larger scale.
- Sidwell Friends School: Premier DC-metro independent PK-12 Quaker school. While larger and broader than The Woods, it sits at the top of the same competitive set for high-achieving Bethesda/DC families evaluating private K-8 options and competing on academic outcomes and placement.
Regional players
- Harbor School: Independent K-8 school in Bethesda, MD. Same neighborhood and catchment as The Woods, with overlapping admissions funnel and similar progressive/child-centered orientation. Direct local competitor for Bethesda families.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Woods Academy social profiles
Digital presenceThe Woods Academy compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
The Woods Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Woods Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Woods Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Woods Academy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Woods Academy
What does The Woods Academy do?
The Woods Academy is an inclusive Catholic private school offering a continuous Montessori-through-Grade 8 education for students age 3 through Grade 8, organized into three divisions (Montessori Preschool, Lower School Grades 1-4, Middle School Grades 5-8). The program integrates daily Spanish and French language instruction, an Innovation Lab for STEAM learning, athletics, arts, and comprehensive high school placement services. Tuition is the primary revenue mechanism, with supplementary income from application fees, extended care, summer programs, and the Annual Fund.
Is The Woods Academy a public or private company?
The Woods Academy is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Woods Academy founded?
The Woods Academy was founded in 1975.
Where is The Woods Academy based?
The Woods Academy is headquartered in Bethesda, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Woods Academy make money?
One revenue line is on record: tuition and Fees.
Who are The Woods Academy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Norwood School, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Washington Episcopal Day School, Bullis School, Green Acres School, Lowell School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. Broad incumbents are Georgetown Day School and Sidwell Friends School. Harbor School is listed as a regional player.
Does The Woods Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Woods Academy.
What industry is The Woods Academy in?
The Woods Academy's product category is Private K-8 Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJABAD, Montessori K–12 Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.