Pinewood School

Pinewood School is an independent K to 12 day school spread across three campuses in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, a few miles south of Palo Alto. It began in 1959 as a "little school" in the founders' living room and is still led by the same family. The school also lists two facilities inside Palo Alto, an engineering and robotics lab and an activities center. Its school profile counts about 300 students in grades 7 to 12 and about 300 more in kindergarten to grade 6.

This page covers Pinewood's founding, campuses, programs, admission and the tuition it lists for 2026 to 2027. It goes deeper than the short entry in our private schools guide. We do not rank schools or report test results.

A school that started at home

Pinewood's history page tells the story. Gwen and Victor Riches moved to rural Los Altos in 1955 and settled at 327 Fremont Avenue. Victor, an economist and university professor, had the family plant a thousand pine seedlings around the property. Many of those trees still stand.

In 1959, while Victor was away on a long business trip to Australia, Gwen started a small school at home for her five children and their friends. It focused on building confidence through public speaking and drama. When Victor came back three months later, 65 children were singing, painting, acting and dancing in the house. He moved the school to a properly zoned site on State Street in Los Altos in 1960, where it ran as The Creative Workshop. Gwen added a phonics-based reading and writing program after noticing gaps in her students' skills.

Growth came quickly:

• 1964. Enrollment reached 350 and the family donated its home to the school.
• 1975. The school acquired the Los Altos Hills campus and expanded to a junior high. A new lower school opened on Fremont Avenue a few years later.
• 1981. A high school began with its first ninth grade class.
• 1985. The first class of 17 seniors graduated.
• 2007. The Lower Campus was remodeled.
• 2016. Grades 3 to 6 moved into the renovated Middle Campus on the site of the Riches home, ringed by the original pines.

A grandson of the founders, himself a Pinewood graduate, has led the school as president since 2002.

Campuses

The two Fremont Avenue campuses sit in a residential part of Los Altos a short drive from downtown Los Altos. The Upper Campus is on Fremont Road in Los Altos Hills. All three campuses are a short drive from south Palo Alto, but school-hour traffic on Foothill Expressway and El Camino Real can stretch the trip. Try the route at drop-off time before you commit.

The Activities Center on Fabian Way is on the same street as The Kehillah School. The school's pages do not say which programs meet at each Palo Alto site, so ask on a tour.

Programs and school life

Pinewood describes itself as a nondenominational college preparatory school. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The school profile lists a student to teacher ratio of about 7 to 1 and a maximum class size of 18. Points the school emphasizes:

• Specialist teachers. Each subject is taught by a specialized teacher, from kindergarten through grade 12.
• Daily PE for every K to 6 student.
• Performing arts. Younger students take part in an annual school play, continuing the drama focus of the school's founding.
• Athletics from grade 4 through 12. The school says well over half of students play on a Pinewood team. Upper school sports include basketball, soccer, tennis, cross country, swimming, track, golf, baseball, softball, volleyball and football.
• Service. High school students complete 20 hours of community service a year.
• Happiness Week, an annual week the whole school devotes to joy.

The upper school offers honors, Advanced Placement and its own college-level Advanced Topics courses, such as data science and machine learning. Graduation requires four years of literature, three each of social studies, math, lab science and world language, plus arts, computer science and writing. Clubs include student government, journalism, speech and debate, robotics and choir.

The school sums up its goals for students in five traits, which it calls the WISCRs: well-rounded, insightful and critical thinkers, self-motivated, clear communicators and respectful individuals of character.

How admission works

Pinewood's apply page splits the process into two paths for 2027 to 2028 entry: kindergarten to grade 6 and grades 7 to 12. Each path has its own steps and visit events. Key dates the school has published for this cycle:

1. Financial aid applications for returning families are due Friday, December 11, 2026.
2. Financial aid applications for new families are due Monday, February 1, 2027.
3. Admission and financial aid decisions are released together on March 12, 2027.

Open houses usually run in November. Last year's were on November 8, 2025 for grades 7 to 12 and November 15, 2025 for grades K to 6, with limited spots. In late October 2026 the open house page showed registration closed, so families should check the visit and explore page or contact admissions about tours and viewbooks. The apply page asks families to pick their child's grade for 2027 to 2028 and then shows the steps for that path. Ask the admissions office whether a given grade expects openings.

Tuition and aid for 2026 to 2027

Pinewood's tuition page lists:

All families pay a $5,000 nonrefundable deposit to hold a place, credited toward tuition. Extra costs include uniforms for K to 6, books, optional lunches, overnight field trips for grades 4 to 12 and before and after-school clubs for K to 6. Tuition for 2027 to 2028 was not yet posted in late October 2026.

Financial aid is need-based and runs through Clarity at the same time as admission. A financial assistance committee reviews each Clarity report. The school says awards can help with books, meals and class trips as well as tuition.

Visiting from out of town

Tours and open houses are split across campuses, so plan on driving between Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Hotels on El Camino Real in south Palo Alto and Los Altos are closest. You can compare hotels near Los Altos or see our page on the Residence Inn Palo Alto Los Altos. For lunch between visits, our guide to downtown Los Altos has ideas.

Frequently asked questions