Archway School

Archway is a great school and I highly recommend it! My two children (elementary and middle school ages) love school and are challanged and inspired daily at Archway through its hands on learning approach. It's academics are strong and their teachers are 'incredible'. My kids are bright and I am so grateful for Archway's commitment to smaller classes (particularly in today's education climate). Archway students and their families are diverse, smart and talented. It is a close community and the kids develop a strong sense of community and leadership. This is not a school that will be overly formal or 'teach to the test', but rather one that will deliver an enriched, memorable education. It is a school for smart, curious kids and their families that want more than a traditional education.
--Submitted by a parent

This is a great school not just for children with emotional problems. It is very Diverse much more so then most. You will not find a more diverse school. All the kids in my daughters class are normal children without learning problems. I am not sure what is meant by they are too sheltered in another review. The children go on field trips on public as well as school bus, they do community service. In kindergarden my daughters class sang at a home for the elderly, they took a feild trip on a public bus and walked through China town. My daughters has several best friends who go to public school.
--Submitted by a parent

Archway School has been a godsend to our family. The teachers are supportive, caring and focus on academics and social development, while truly caring about the students at their school. The classes are small, and the community is tight. I would wish for all kids to have as supportive and learning-focused an environment as Archway has to offer.
--Submitted by a parent

Archway School is NOT for students with emotional and/or learning challenges and has diversity in both its staff and students. We prepare learners for life through academics, responsibility, community and hands-on learning. Our graduates go to their first choice high schools, and their school experience is filled with engaging projects, hands-on learning, and fulfilling relationships. Please come see for yourself!

Not sure which Archway School the student in the pervious review attended. It couldn't have been our school. Archway is one of the most diverse independent schools in Oakland. The school's ability to provide a top-notch hands on learning experience to all students, not just those who find school easy, is a sight to see. The small class size allows teachers to truly give each of their students the individual attention that all students deserve no matter their emotional maturity or intellectual acuity. The true beauty of this approach can be seen each and every day as you look on the play yard or visit a classroom and see the confidence each student has in themselves and their ability to learn. This school believes in and offer an exceptional education to ALL Kids.
--Submitted by a parent

Archway is a small wonder of a school. The teachers have a warmth that I think is hard to find, even among the warm and fuzzy 'alternative' schools of Berkeley and Oakland. The small class size means that students don't get lost in the shuffle and that a child who's under performing gets individual attention - all students get more attention then they would otherwise. I think it can attract 'shy' kids and the parents who worry about them, because of these small classes. Kids who thrive in bigger social scenes might find all this 'smallness' too restricting at some point, but it hasn't been a problem for our relatively social son. Academics are strong and while it isn't quite as diverse as it has been in past years, it still reflects the neighborhood it's in. The presence of both really great male and female teachers is a strong plus.
--Submitted by a parent

This school lacks diversity, and is mostly for students with emotional and/or learning challenges (at the elementary level). If one were a single child household, the learner styled education and montessori structure work well to provide children with the sibling experience, however the students tend to be sheltered beyond reproach and the academic standards soft.
--Submitted by a parent

Archway did a great job of preparing our 17 year old daughter with ADHD for a tough college-prep high school. And she loved Archway. She's graduating this year with a scholarship to her first choice college. Our younger daughter (12) also loves Archway and is doing well academically.
--Submitted by a parent

If you want your child to attend a diverse school that is academically challenging with staff and teachers who take a personal interest in your childs education and welfare, this may be the school for you. They have a K thru 8 program where the teachers meet regularly to find a way to interlink the student studies throughout the week. They have excellent teachers in all the key courses. Including an explarary science and math program in the middle school.
--Submitted by a parent

Archway school is a very supportive school which focuses on a safe environment and puts the kids first.
--Submitted by a parent