Stratford Friends School stands quietly around the bend on Bishop Hollow Road near West Chester Pike, yet its impact on the lives of neurodiverse learners throughout our region is significant. Rooted in Quaker values and guided by a commitment to meeting children exactly where they are, this small Kindergarten through 10th grade community has become a haven for students who thrive with individualized support, compassionate teaching and a holistic approach to learning. Families who arrive at Stratford Friends School quickly discover a place where strengths are celebrated, differences are understood and every child is encouraged to grow with confidence and dignity.
Stratford Friends was founded in 1976 by Dorothy Flanagan and Sandy Howze, in Lansdowne, PA, and settled into its current location at 2 Bishop Hollow Road in 2009. The school campus has a rich history in serving our community youth, as it was the home to two other schools over the years, Delaware County Christian School and the Alice Grim School. The Alice Grim School was part of the local school district and named after local resident and retired principal, Alice Grim, back in 1951, as a gift from her community for her dedication and years of service in education.
Stratford Friends’ founders have been celebrated for their unique approach to education and for forming the first Friends School for students with learning differences. Dorothy stated, “It was one of those times when you take a leap of faith and know that certainly here was something that needed to be done. We wanted to give whatever teaching gifts we had to students who were falling through the cracks. It was also very important to us that this be a Friends school, a Quaker school, because the spiritual side of children and adults is equally important.” Back in 1976, Stratford Friends opened its doors to four students. Today, under the leadership of Head of School Jill Dougherty, Stratford Friends currently serves 79 students with plans to expand the Upper School to include 12th grade by 2027.
What makes Stratford Friends School unique? Stratford Friends serves and celebrates neurodiverse learners. Stratford student profiles may include a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, receptive and expressive language delays, auditory processing issues, executive functioning challenges and/ or working memory issues, which make it difficult for them to learn in typical classroom environments. Stratford Friends offers research-based academic programs and a holistic approach that integrates speech and language and occupational therapies, and social-emotional support, so students develop the tools to thrive. Class sizes are intentionally small, averaging 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio, which allows dedicated and qualified teachers to meet the unique needs of each student.
Teacher (Tr.) Alex, a 6th-grade teacher at Stratford Friends School, explained that they use what is called The Orton Gillingham approach: a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic and prescriptive way to teach literacy when reading, writing and spelling do not come easily to individuals, such as those with dyslexia. “Applying this approach at Stratford Friends provides intensive, prescriptive instruction in small groups.
Teachers can tailor lessons to the specific needs of each student in the small groups, which allows for close progress monitoring.”
In the words of a current Stratford Friend parent Laura, “My son’s experience with Stratford Friends School has been nothing short of life changing. He is now being taught exactly how he needs to be taught, doesn’t shy away from educational challenges and does it with a smile. I never thought this would be his schooling experience.” Shanna, a current parent of a 10th grader in the new 
Upper School program, expressed that, “Over the past ten years, we’ve watched our daughter grow in confidence, strength, and joy. This school has been a place where she has felt safe, understood and encouraged every single day. We are deeply grateful for the love and dedication of her amazing teachers and the staff who helped her grow in ways that we could never have imagined. As the longest-standing student at Stratford Friends, our daughter has been shaped by kindness, patience and unwavering belief in her. This community gave her not only an education, but a safe space to become her best self.”
Stratford Friends School is a small yet mighty school for neurodiverse students. They not only teach core academics, meeting each student’s individual needs, but also offer a holistic approach to education, incorporating speech and language, occupational and behavioral therapy. In addition to these services, students take Art, Music, Physical Education and Social Emotional classes, which further support their mission of creating a safe and caring learning environment that celebrates students’ strengths, builds self-esteem and develops self-advocacy.
Stratford Friends School is located at 2 Bishop Hollow Road, Newtown Square. For more information, give them a call at 610-355-9580 or visit their website at StratfordFriends.org.