Private Schools

My son loves it

It is a great school! Our son has flourished. We have great teachers, fantastic and very involved head of school/director, and invested community. Saying "it's like a family" might sound cliche, but it it is really like that.

this place is amazing! my little brother goes to this school. he used to go to a public school where he had trouble learning when there is 30 children to one teacher. this school has changed my brother for the better. gave him a chance to catch up with his studies and they really care about there children and what they are learning.. they also have a great couseling program for your kids. this is not just a school. this is a place where you child can get away from the bullies at a regular school and any other learning problems they have and really get the help they really need to understand what they need in life to be sucessful. they help these kids in every aspect in life not just school. amazing school and even more amazing teacher and staff! thank you for helping my brother with his studies and his life struggles.

My daughter has been at The Berkeley School for five years and she's thriving in this vibrant, progressive school. She's happy, engaged and challenged here, and loves going to school. As parents, we're thrilled to have discovered this gem of a school with superb academic and social experiences, right in the heart of Berkeley. The class sizes are small and every classroom has two teachers, which really sets it apart from other private schools. The kids can't just sit back and fly under the radar. They're seen and supported, and challenged. Thanks to the passionate teachers and staff, we've seen our bright and curious kid overcome her struggles as a reluctant reader to being the kid who's always got a book in her hand. She's learning how to learn, in a creative, engaging place with lots of real-life immersive experiences. Her class just spent two days at Fort Ross on the Sonoma Coast where they stepped back-in-time to be real-life characters from the 1800's. One of the first things we noticed, and continue to appreciate, is the joy of learning, whether it's math, science, history, writing, music, art or Spanish. We've found the family community to be warm, inviting and friendly, (and they love to throw parties!) The Berkeley School has been around for more than 50 years and in our experience, every year it just gets better and better. It's one of Berkeley's best private schools!

Wonderful school with nice teachers such as miss Laila and mr Erik

A place with wonderful staff and caring teachers.

This is a small, independent (WASC-accredited school). It is college prep, but in a collegial not competitive way. Students have a lot of say in how the school works. They sit on a rules committee and propose classes. They also have a cool camping trip at the beginning and end of each school year, so students really bond with the teachers and their fellow students. In the spring they have special programs and may travel internationally. But the real strength of the school lies in the teachers. They are super and really connect with students. Classes are all seminar style and the average class is 12 students. It's not the school for you if you want a football team, but if you are into Futsal, they've a co-ed team! Students leave Maybeck well-prepared for college and are admitted all over the country to Ivy Leagues, liberal arts, and state schools. The point is more about learning and creating independent learners. It's very inclusive and welcoming. Check it out.

I've been with BASIS for 3 years, and here is my opinion: The curriculum is far more advanced or intensive than any other school I have seen or known. The teachers try their best to help out struggling students, and their specialization in their subjects allows them to easily ease any confusing areas. Especially recently, BASIS has started getting rid of some lower quality teachers and replacing them with higher qualities ones, something which just about all students can support. The only problems I really have with BASIS are non-curriculum/teaching based, i.e. the building... those are minor anyways. But we really only come to BASIS only for the curriculum. Note: There are so many people at BASIS who complain about “stress,” which I fail to see a reason to. The main source of homework problems is not that there is too much, but rather people just don’t do it until right before they sleep. As far as I know, the majority of people who complain about homework just stay up till 1 browsing Snapchat or watching TV. If people choose to put no effort into their work, they can leave. Everyone else is perfectly fine with that. But it gives them no justification to complain about homework loads. -Salty Minty

Best school

The best experience! This was a great program for me! Thank you Parkridge!

So far this school offers exactly what s advertised on the website. Small class Skilled educated teachers. Strong parent presence. My daughter is so happy to have joined this school after 4 years attending another private school close by, where the teachers were lacking teaching experience. The kids are happy friendly and the school principle has many years of experience. field trips and hands on learning. A lot to offer

My experience, with Basis as my new school for my daughter, has been very positive. My daughter comes home bursting with new information and new things she wants to learn. She has created a set of very nice friends there, who share similar values as my family. Her love for learning is alive and well and I really have Basis to thank for bringing that back into my daughter's school life. It isn't about memorization and test scores, it is about stimulating children's minds and making them so eager to learn that the test scores are high but very secondary to the purpose of the education. I am glad we made the shift. A few standout things: 1) They are not just a zero tolerance on bullying in words, but in action. They have bully experts as part of their staff. 2) Their teachers teach from just the subject matter in which the teacher loves and is passionate about and has in depth knowledge about. Long gone are the days of asking one single teacher to teach all topics. I love the method of a subject matter expert teaching. Those teachers teach from the heart and soul about what they love. 3) The administration is easy to reach. There is no barrier to reach them. Call and see. It is really that easy. 4) The 2nd report card: The school does an academic report card and a social report card that looks at the student's whole being, not just academically. This helps identify things like stress factors, behavioral norms, and gives the parent(s) an opportunity to see the child's emotional well being too. Every school has things that aren't what you want exactly, Basis has those but they are all so minor like busing schedule that it seems petty to even mention them. I am so glad to be a member of the Basis community.

My daughter started pre-kinder last year and we've had a great experience. Can't wait to start Kinder this year. Teachers are great, small class sizes, affordable and care until 6:30pm.