It's a Great Day to be a Canterbury Woods Cougar!

10 Reasons Canterbury Woods Elementary School Stands Out

Canterbury Woods Elementary School serves students in grades kindergarten through 6 and is part of the Woodson Pyramid. Known for its strong academics and diverse programs, the school emphasizes both academic excellence and personal growth and provides an equitable, rigorous and inclusive environment for all students.

Our Students Achieve at High Academic Levels

CWES has commitment to academic excellence and preparing students for future success by increasing opportunities for advanced learning. In 2024 more than 60% of our students in grades 3-6 participated in advanced math.

Project Based Learning is Embedded 

Our students in kindergarten through sixth grade participate in Project Based Learning opportunities that challenge them to find innovative solutions to driving questions as they explore the concepts being studied.  This approach allows students to select a focus of interest adding to their engagement and providing an authentic, real-world applicable learning experience.

CWES Celebrates the Environment

CWES is proud to have a thriving Get2Green and outdoor garden program, where students learn about sustainability, environmental stewardship, and healthy eating through hands-on experiences.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program

CWES is a site-based program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, utilizing three communication modalities: auditory oral, cued language, and total communication. We are the only site-based DHH program in FCP

Center for Advanced Academics

Canterbury Woods Elementary School is an advanced academic center for students in grades 3-6 from ES in the Woodson and Annandale pyramid. At CWES we celebrate the diverse strengths and perspectives of our students by nurturing their intellectual curiosity and creativity. 

The Fine Arts Thrive

 Band and strings students learn to play an instrument and work together as an ensemble. Alumni return each year to join their elementary counterparts and fellow musicians in the Winter concert.  Singers in the Canterbury Woods Chorus explore their vocal instrument and learn concert performance etiquette throughout the year.  They participate with their choral colleagues at the Pyramid Concert each Fall.  Students create visual masterpieces using a wide variety of mediums and techniques in Art.  Their work is showcased at the Pyramid Art Show each Spring and select art students serve on the Yearbook Committee brainstorming ideas, taking and gathering photographs, and designing layouts for our annual publication. 

The Diversity of our Families Shapes School Culture

In our Family Book Club, students and caregivers read a common book and come together to discuss what they’ve read with other families.  Participants connect to the literature and to each other!

CWES Welcomes Military Families

Canterbury Woods Elementary has been recognized by the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children as a 2023 Purple Star School. The Purple Star designation is awarded to military-friendly schools that have demonstrated their commitment to meeting the needs of military-connected students and their families.

We Build Community

Led by two teachers, the Canterbury Woods ES Bike Bus rides twice a week and is a way for students to have fun while bicycling safely to school. Students and some parents gather at two local pools or join in along the approximately 3 mile loop through the neighborhood. It’s a great way to get some exercise, build community and have fun on the way to school. 

Our Students are Leaders

From student safety patrols to SCA and student ambassadors, at CWES we offer a variety of programs that empower students to take on leadership roles and make a positive impact on their community. We also have teams of fifth and sixth grade students who collaborate to write, produce, design, direct, anchor, edit, and broadcast a morning news show program utilizing the tools, equipment, and software that professionals in the field of broadcast journalism use.  The teams caption the program to make it more accessible to the whole student population.  

Canterbury Woods Elementary School is a caring school community that prioritizes collective responsibility. Collaboration is at the core: when we unite our efforts through teamwork and shared purpose, our students thrive.