Pinewood admits academically qualified students without regard to race, creed, color, sex or national origin.

During this time, Pinewood also owned and operated a summer school and camp in the Adirondack High Peaks near Lake Placid, New York.

Beginning in 1981, William S. Coursey, III, served as Head of School for fourteen years, a tenure second in length only to Henrietta Allan.

She and her husband Stephen Ford Allan of Summerville acquired the Brokaw Mansion and opened Pinewood School in 1952 with 52 students in grades 1–8.

While pursuing graduate work each summer at Cornell, Allan became a pioneer in the study of children with high intelligence who were unable to fulfill their educational potential due to "perceptual problems" later more commonly known as Learning Disabilities.

In April 1973, the new board named William E. McIntosh, who was then Dean of Students at nearby Trident Technical College, as Pinewood's second Head of School.

The prime movers in launching the new school were J. Taliaferro Taylor, III, M.D., a family physician, and James D. Martin, a lumber company president.

The Summerville Academy opened in 1969 in the old Miles house across from Azalea Park on South Main Street with 51 students in grades 1–9.

In 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010, Pinewood was awarded the James C. Williams, Jr. President's Cup by SCISAA for fielding the best overall athletic program among South Carolina independent schools.