Phillips School-Annandale

Phillips School–Annandale emphasizes supportive, individualized education for students whose needs have not been met in traditional settings, using a strengths-based approach to address academic, behavioral, emotional, and social growth. Instruction is delivered in small, self-contained classes with differentiated teaching aligned to each student’s IEP, supported by a trauma-informed, multidisciplinary team and integrated services (e.g., counseling, speech-language, occupational therapy, and behavioral support). The program also prioritizes collaboration with families while fostering student independence, social-emotional learning, and preparation for life and career skills.

PHILLIPS School–Annandale enrollment is primarily initiated through a student’s public school/LEA: during an IEP meeting, the family and county discuss private placement and the public school sends PHILLIPS a referral file for review. The referral materials commonly include the student’s IEP, relevant evaluations and transcripts, and (when applicable) a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), after which PHILLIPS contacts the family to schedule a free, in-person interview (the student is required to attend). The admissions team then determines whether an appropriate classroom placement is available and provides the placement decision in writing to the parents and county. For private (non-LEA) placement inquiries, families/consultants are directed to contact the Annandale campus directly by phone or email rather than submit an online application. The school does not publish admissions deadlines/key dates, does not describe a waitlist process, and does not list any admissions “priority” categories; it does note it generally serves ages 5–22 and students eligible under categories such as Emotional Disability, Learning Disability, Autism Spectrum, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, and Other Health Impairment, and that it does not usually accept students whose primary problem is active substance abuse/misuse.