What They Take With Them
So much of what happens during a child's years at WHPS is designed with a longer view in mind—not simply what they need to learn now, but what they will be able to do with that learning later.
From the earliest years, children are learning how to approach something unfamiliar, find a strategy when they get stuck, explain their thinking, understand another perspective, and recognize what helps them learn.
The WHPS Graduate
Everything we build across the WHPS journey becomes increasingly visible by fifth grade. Our graduates don't simply know more. They know more about themselves and know how to use what they know.
They Read Beneath the Surface
Read increasingly complex texts, develop their own tastes and interests as readers, consider perspectives beyond their own, draw nuanced inferences, and support interpretations with evidence.
They Write With Voice and Purpose
Write across genres with sophistication, pursue ideas and subjects that matter to them, shape writing for audience and impact, revise substantially, and develop a voice that is recognizably their own.
They Solve Complex Problems
Approach complexity with confidence, break difficult problems into manageable parts, identify patterns and connections, test assumptions, compare strategies, and apply what they know when the path forward isn't obvious.
They Speak With Confidence
Express ideas with clarity and conviction, explain and defend their thinking, listen genuinely to others, disagree respectfully, and engage thoughtfully even when perspectives differ.
They Know Themselves and Advocate for Others
Recognize what matters to them and what they stand for, advocate for themselves and others, engage thoughtfully across differences, navigate conflict, and turn concern into constructive action.
They Own Their Growth
Know their strengths, challenges, interests, and emerging passions. They set meaningful goals, seek and use feedback, take pride in who they are, and understand what helps them keep growing.
Knowing It Once Isn't the Same as Knowing How to Use It.
A child can answer a question correctly or demonstrate a skill on a test. The deeper question is what happens later: Can they recognize when that learning is useful again—and apply it independently in a new situation?
Teaching for transfer is central to the WHPS curriculum. Teachers help children understand what they're learning, why it works, and where they might use it again. A reading strategy becomes something to reach for with a harder text. A mathematical approach becomes a tool for an unfamiliar problem. Understanding perspective can help a child navigate a conflict or see another point of view.
Prepared to Flourish Beyond WHPS
Middle school brings greater independence, new teachers, new friendships, and higher expectations. WHPS graduates arrive with strong academic foundations and the ability to communicate what they need, seek help when they need it, and take increasing responsibility for themselves.
Different Children. Different Next Chapters.
One of the advantages of raising a child in Los Angeles is the remarkable range of schools available for what comes next. Our families span the Valley—from roughly North Hollywood to Calabasas and surrounding communities—and their next schools are just as varied. There isn't one “right” middle school for a WHPS graduate. We help families find the environment that best matches their child's strengths, interests, learning needs, and personality.
Independent & College-Preparatory
Archer · Buckley · Harvard-Westlake · Oakwood · Sierra Canyon · Viewpoint · Wesley · Wildwood
Small, Progressive & Individualized
Country School · Fusion Academy · Manzanita · Qualia · Woodcrest
Gifted & Specialized
Mirman · REVO Academy · Westmark
Independent Religious Schools
Berkeley Hall · Campbell Hall · Chaminade College Preparatory · Heschel Day School · Milken Community School · Oaks Christian
Public, Charter & Magnet
A.C. Stelle Middle School · A.E. Wright Middle School Gifted Magnet · CHIME Charter · Hale Charter Academy Gifted STEAM Magnet · Louis Armstrong Middle School · Medea Creek Middle School (GATE) · Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (SOCES) · Valley Charter Middle School · Woodland Hills Academy & Humanities Magnet
We Know the Child. We Help Families Find the Fit.
By the time middle-school planning begins, we often have years of history with a child. Our Principal and Dean of Students work individually with each family, bringing that knowledge to the search for the right next school.
Individual Counseling & Interview Preparation
Families receive personalized guidance throughout the process. Each student also receives individual interview preparation, helping them talk comfortably and authentically about themselves, their interests, and what they hope to find in a new school.
Our Annual Alumni Parent & Student Panel
Each year, alumni students and parents return to share what the transition is really like—from academics and friendships to workload, independence, school culture, and what surprised them along the way.