The Westland School (Los Angeles)

Westland School
Address

16200 Mulholland Drive Bel Air, Los Angeles , California USA
Information
Type	Private
Established	1949
Grades	K - 6th
Enrollment	130 [1]
Affiliation	Nonsectarian
Website	Official Website

Westland School is a progressive, independent, private, coeducational, nonsectarian elementary day school located in the Bel Air community of Los Angeles, California, serving students from kindergarten through sixth grade. The school is located on Mulholland Drive across from the Bel Air Presbyterian Church. Westland is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) through 2016.

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History

When Westland opened in 1949 it was the first progressive school on the West Coast, operating under the educational philosophy of John Dewey. One of the founders was child psychologist Marie H. Briehl.^[1] Students were encouraged to explore their subjects hands-on and were taken on numerous field trips to learn about the world firsthand.^[2] Many of the early students were the children of writers and actors under the "Hollywood blacklist", including Charlie Chaplin, Abraham Polonsky, and Ring Lardner, Jr.^[2]

The school opened with 13 students in a couple of rented rooms.^[2] It expanded in 1957^[3] and moved to its current location in 1965, becoming the first school to locate in what has now developed into a major "institutional corridor" in the area of the Sepulveda Pass.^[4]

Today the school has about 130 students and an annual tuition of around $31,000. The students are divided into "groups" rather than grades, which may include children of varying ages.^[5]

Legacy

The archives of the Westland School reside in the University Library at California State University, Northridge.^[6]

References

^ Saxon, Wolfgang (December 22, 1993). "Marie Briehl Dies; Pioneer in Analysis Of Children Was 96". New York Times. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c Wedner, Diane (February 16, 1999). "Pioneering School Marks 50th Year". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
^ "Land Purchased and Plans Told for School Expansion". Los Angeles Times. July 28, 1957. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
^ Jon D. Markman, "Culture Shock: Many Object to the Growing Sprawl of Institutions Atop Sepulveda Pass", Los Angeles Times, May 21, 1995.
^ LaViola, Karen (August 21, 1986). "Children's Dinosaurs in Spotlight : County Museum Exhibits Westland Pupils' Reptile Show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
^ "Westland School Collection, 1949-2014". Retrieved December 13, 2019.

External links

v t e Bel Air, Los Angeles
Geography
Neighborhoods	East Gate Bel Air
Education
Primary and secondary schools	Los Angeles Unified School District Marymount High School Milken Community Schools Mirman School John Thomas Dye School Westland School Wise School
Other education	American Jewish University (Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies) Los Angeles Public Library Los Angeles Community College District
Other
Landmarks	Bel Air Church Hannah Carter Japanese Garden Stephen S. Wise Temple
Category Commons

v t e Los Angeles County Westside Schools
Public high schools/notable schools
Los Angeles USD	Emerson MS Hamilton HS LACES Palisades HS University HS Venice HS Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets
Beverly Hills USD	Beverly Hills HS
Culver City USD	Culver City HS
Santa Monica-Malibu USD	Malibu HS Santa Monica HS
Charter schools Other publics	Ánimo Venice Charter High School UCLA Lab School
Private schools
Secular	The Archer School for Girls Brentwood School Berkeley Hall School Crossroads School John Thomas Dye School Harvard-Westlake School Middle School Lycée Français de Los Angeles The Mirman School Westland School
Religious	Marymount High School Milken Community Schools Saint Monica Catholic High School Wise School