The History of Our School

Woodside International School was founded in September 1976 as Wildshaw School. The core enrollment during its first year came from students John Edwards, the headmaster and owner, had taught the previous year at another small alternative private school.  Others came from families responding to local ads. The school was initially run as a one-room schoolhouse teaching K-10th grades. It was located at 4429 Cabrillo Street near 48^th Avenue in San Francisco, in what had originally been a laundry service store.

In its next three years, Woodside grew from sixteen students to about forty, and limited its enrollment to 6th grade and above. Its first graduating class of five students graduated in June 1980. Woodside re-located to 385 Ashton in 1979. Wildshaw School became both fully accredited and approved by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to accept international students in 1985.  After the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989, the school moved to 1555 Irving Street and re-named itself Woodside International School. Edwards established the Wildshaw Foundation to solicit contributions in support of students enrolled in the school.  

John Edwards has attracted an exceptional faculty of teachers educated in fine colleges and universities from the United States and abroad. Our student graduates have entered such colleges as UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, UCSC, M.I.T., Reed College, Stanford, Cal. Tech., Cal. State Poly, USC, San Francisco State, San Jose State, and the University of San Francisco, to name a few, as well as numerous junior colleges. Woodside International School offers itself as a unique option amongst the choices of private, independent schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the past 30 years our program has proven successful for a ride range of students, especially those who need a small school with a nurturing and inclusive environment.