Windward School

• Name — Windward School • Motto — "A Dynamic, engaging education. A Nurturing, inclusive community" • Type — Independent • Gender — Coeducational • Head Of School — Tom Gilder • Founder — Shirley Windward • Teaching Staff — 78.9 (FTE) (2017–18) • Enrollment — 625 (2017–18) • Ratio — 7.0:1 (2017–18) • Grades — 7–12 • Address — 11350 Palms Boulevard • City — Los Angeles • State — California • Zipcode — 90066 • Country — United States • Accreditation — * WASC • NAIS • CAIS • Colors — Blue and Black black • Athletic Conference — CIF Southern Section Gold Coast League • Nickname — Wildcats • Mascot — Willie the Wildcat • Rival — * Brentwood Eagles • Crossroads Roadrunners • Yearbook — Imprint • Website — windwardschool.org

In 1971, two former Paul Revere Middle School teachers, Carl Parsons and Shirley Windward (for whom the school is named), founded the school in order to open up their classes to young people on the west side of Los Angeles. Shirley's husband, Erv Windward, renovated the studios where they lived into classrooms. Many new students volunteered to help renovate the studios. The school originally had fourteen full-time and part-time teachers who taught 65 students in a small building on Wilshire Boulevard. In 1973, Windward School received its first full five-year WASC accreditation as a college-preparatory institution. As the school outgrew its first facilities the campus moved to 1414 21st Street, Santa Monica in September 1974. In 2012, Windward's co-founder and namesake, Shirley Windward, died at the age of 93. Windward hosts an event, Founders Day, each year to celebrate Shirley Windward. Her successor as head of school was Tom Gilder who held the position for 35 years prior to retiring in 2025. Following his departure, Sarah Beck took on the position and is the current head of school.

The school has 44 teams, six full-time coaches, 2 full-time athletic trainers, and 30–35 part-time coaches. Sports facilities at the school include the Lewis Jackson Memorial Sports Center, Foley Field, and the neighboring Mar Vista Recreation Center. The school's athletic teams have won California State Championships in several sports. In 2008, the boys varsity teams won the CIF Division VI championships in both soccer and volleyball. In 2011, both the boys' and girls' varsity basketball teams won the CIF Division IV State Championship. In 2009, the boys' varsity basketball team won the CIF Division V State Championship. In 2012, the boys' varsity volleyball team won the CIF Division III SoCal Regional Championship (the highest level of state competition for boys' volleyball). The boys' varsity 8-man football team won back-to-back CIF Southern Sectional Championships (also the highest level of state competition) in 2010 and 2011.

• Max Bemis musician, lead singer of Say Anything • Jules Bernard NBA player • Jordin Canada, WNBA basketball player • Jakob Dylan musician, lead singer of The Wallflowers • Tyler Heineman Toronto Blue Jays baseball player • Jenny Johnson Jordan professional volleyball player and Olympian • Mason Gooding actor in Ballers and Booksmart, son of Cuba Gooding Jr • Zoe Kazan actress (matriculated to and graduated from the Marlborough School) • Ethan Kleinberg professor of history and letters at Wesleyan University, editor-in-chief of history and theory and director of Wesleyan University's Center for the Humanities • Andrew Luster heir to Max Factor cosmetics fortune, convicted serial rapist • Imani McGee-Stafford 10th pick in the WNBA Draft, has played for multiple WNBA teams • Darius Morris basketball player, drafted out of University of Michigan, has played for several NBA teams • Charisma Osborne - WNBA player for the Phoenix Mercury. • Shareef O'Neal UCLA and LSU basketball player, son of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal • Anna Paquin actress, Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winner for The Piano, star of True Blood • Wesley Saunders basketball player, former Harvard standout and Vanoli Cremona player • Jason Schwartzman actor, star of Rushmore • Samantha Shapiro gymnast, six-year member of U.S. National Team, and three-time U.S. elite national champion • Anthony Stover former UCLA basketball player • JuJu Watkins USC Women's Basketball, transferred to Sierra Canyon High School after her sophomore year • Malcolm Washington, filmmaker, a son of actor Denzel Washington.

According to U.S. News & World Report, 67.8 of the student population is white, and 32.2 percent are minorities, including 7.1 percent Black or African American, 3.3 percent Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 3.1 percent Hispanic/Latino. Students identifying as belonging to two or more races make up 18.5 percent of the student population.