Founded in 1957, The Pilot School is an independent therapeutic day school for children ages five through fourteen with normal intellectual potential who experience language based learning differences.
The program is individualized for each student, whole child centered, and taught in small groups utilizing diagnostic/prescriptive teaching.
The student to teacher ratio is 5:1. Strengths are challenged and utilized every day.
Emphasis on the mastery of foundation skills including auditory and visual perceptual, motor, listening, speaking, and social skills, supports growth in reading, mathematics, spelling, thinking, reasoning, and written expression.
The goal is to return students to regular education as independent, active learners who are able to perform successfully at their chronological grade level.
Three to five years is the approximate length of time students are enrolled.
On site therapeutic support includes physical, occupational,
speech, language, and music therapies, a therapeutic art program,
adaptive physical education, a nurse, counselor, and school
psychologist. Science, social studies, swimming, physical
education, library, and technology round out each child's
program.
A variety of both specialized and regular education programs
are available in order to meet each child's individual learning
strengths and challenges.
Grades: K-8 | 83 students14.8 miles 401 Phillips Avenue Newark, DE 19711 (302) 368-7772
14.8
K-8
83
School Reviews
5
Pilot has been a game changer for my child and our family. Our child has dyslexia and dyscalculia but is otherwise a 100% typical child. Her learning differences made her stick out like a sore thumb at her old school and were severely impacting her confidence. After just a few months at Pilot, she gained several reading levels and her math skills improved. Homework that used to be a battle was done mostly at school at extended care and there were no more tears or fights at home! Our family dynamic shifted from us being the "bad guys" trying to get her to do what she needed to do, to us being able to just be her parents. Pilot is giving her the tools and confidence she needs to manage her learning issues long-term while helping her improve her reading and math skills. The small class size, differentiated instruction and individualized curriculums are all things a typical school just can't provide due to a lack of resources and expertise. Pilot has the formula for success for any child with language based learning differences. Moreover, they have incredible PE, art and music programs led by teachers with expertise in learning differences. The facility is second-to-none: a slide from the 2nd floor to 1st floor in the library, a huge zero-entry salt water pool, a rock wall, a sprawling campus...I could go on and on. Just go see it! While we didn't use these services, so I cannot speak to them, they also have on-site OT, PT, and FT Psychologist and therapies can be provided during the school day. What more could you ask for?? And don't let the sticker price scare you off - Pilot will try and meet financial need to ensure all children who need a specialized education can get it. AND, they remained in-person the entire time during COVID!
- Posted by Parent - JDM
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Decades ago private schools could have been accused of being elitist. You had to have money to attend. The student populations were fairly homogeneous. Fortunately that has changed.
The average private school tuition in Wilmington, DE is $14,768 for elementary schools and $18,664 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
