The Laurel School

The Laurel School is a fantastic school! It was absolutely the best decision I have made to send my son to Laurel School! The school definitely exceeds expectations in every aspect of learning.
--Submitted by a parent

This school is amazing! The faculty, curriculum and campus, fairs and everything are fabulous. My son has really blossomed here!!!
--Submitted by a parent

Very happy with this school as a preschool . Very clean and supportive environment. My 3 year old is learning some spanish having fun singing new songs, meeting new friends. Great little school.
--Submitted by a parent

The school has sadly gone downhill, largely due to the current administration. Communication is often unclear, and certain problems fail to be addressed effectively.
--Submitted by a parent

The Laurel School has been a wonderful experience for my child. The academics are challenging and engaging for her. And the Teachers do a wonderful job enriching the curriculum . I find the communication between parents and teachers to be terrrific. This has been a great fit for my child and our family. Students learn traditional curriculum while being able to express their creativity . The Laurel School offers a wonderful learning and community experience. R. Sigel
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter had the most fantastic year at Laurel. I am so thrilled with the quality of the teachers, the responsive administration, and overall warmth of the school community. As a new family, we were embraced and my daughter immediately felt comfortable. She has separation anxiety, and her teacher and the Head of School have been incredible in helping with this. She feels safe and secure, and I always feel confident that she is getting the best care and education available. The academic and creative curriculum far surpasses other schools I've seen. As a former educator myself, I highly recommend The Laurel School without hesitation.
--Submitted by a parent

This school has a good pre-school and kindergarten with many nice teachers. However, there was a significant bullying problem in grades 1-5 which the administration chooses to deny. As is typical with bullying, the administrators are unable to detect what is happening because it is done in subtle ways by some of the most popular children (whose parents are most involved in the school). It was not uncommon for us to pop in around lunch time and see our son sitting by himself or with a table of only girls despite both his and our complaints. In the morning we'd often see our son be told to get out of the way by the older boy whose locker was adjacent to his. Not only did the principal deny the bullying but she condoned it as an "important social developmental process with kids that don't have older siblings". We have since enrolled our son in public school where he is thriving. There were positive aspects about the school such as the art program and public speaking skill development. In our opinion, the problems with bullying far outweighed these benefits.
--Submitted by a parent

My child had an exceptional year at the Laurel School. I noticed the difference in philsophy immediately. At the Laurel School, it was all about what my child needed, and what they could do to encourage her to learn and explore. It is not a "fancy" school, the philosophy and learning are based on teaching kids to be good learners and good people: to respect and get along with other people. The teachers were excellent (tough at times, but appropriately so), and my child was really able to learn with the structure and safety they provided. I always felt that I could discuss my daughter or her progress with the teachers or the administrator at any time. Jacqui Beebe
--Submitted by a parent

Laurel has really gone downhill. Send your kids to another private school or to public school instead. I'm so happy to be taking my child out of here.
--Submitted by a parent

While there are a few good teachers at this school, others are absolutely terrible. I have also encountered some of the rudest, most unprofessional educators I have ever met at Laurel. The progressive, open - minded philosophy is really just for show. Additionally, many of the programs that were promised when we enrolled have been cut. The foreign language class, for example, is a joke. I was also told that my child would take yoga and music classes on a regular basis. It's just a few days before the end of the school year, and my child's class hasn't taken any yoga or music. There are plenty of other school options in the area, and I am planning to send my child to one of them next year.
--Submitted by a parent