Southampton Montessori School

This is a great place for kids to learn and have fun. The teachers love what they do and they like to see the kids grow. They also have half yearly parent-teacher feedback session. Like in every place, there is an initial adjustment process between student and teacher for a few weeks or so; but once you get over that hurdle and be patient, it pays off very well in the end. For those who complain, I would suggest be patient, learn from the process and talk to the teachers and accept that every child goes through similar steps. Our kid looks forward to school everyday - what else can I ask for.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. My 2 children have been at this school for the last 6+ years. My daughter's teacher was wonderful and she was in the percentage when she tested into HISD Vanguard for kinder. The teachers are excellent and all care about the children and do a great job communicating with me about how my little one is doing (he is in 3 to 6 room). I think some of the negative reviews are because some kids just cannot work in a Montessori environment - but it works great for my kids.
—Submitted by a parent

We hesitated to put our child in this school, manly because of the bad reviews and the distance from our house. Our child was accepted to Southampton, and also another academy, and we chose the academy because of the two reasons stated above. The academy messed up and told us they had no openings until June and thus we decided to go with Southampton. I cannot tell you how glad we are that the academy made a mistake. Southampton s teachers are great. Our child is so happy; he doesn t want to leave the class when we pick him up. The facilities are clean and a great environment for learning and playing. The office staff has been very helpful and we have zero complaints about them. Again, you will interact with teachers 90% of the time and all of them are great. Parking can be complicated, but we are lucky to have a room right next to the office so it is easy to access. I have never had issues with parking either on the street or the curbside (although you cannot be gone for more than 5 minutes, which it is plenty of time) If you have any doubts, based on these bad reviews, think about it twice. We took a chance and cannot be any happier.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a current teacher at this school and I have worked there for nearly a decade. I must say that the teachers I work with are truely dedicated. We put our heart and souls into our classrooms and do all we can to meet the needs of each child. Montessori classrooms may appear chaotic at first but when you understand that each child is able to move about the classroom and work independently you will understand why the classroom greatly differs from a traditional classroom. I love teaching here and have no intention of leaving anytime soon!
—Submitted by a teacher

Our daughter has gone here since she was 1 and she just tested into the Vanguard at West University Elementary for kindergarten. We have loved our experience at Southampton. The academics have been excellent AND fun for her. The teachers are energetic and conscientious. They do an excellent job of involving parents from parent teacher conferences to picnics. We feel so lucky to have picked this school and highly recommend it,
—Submitted by a parent

As a teacher, the Texas recognized schools that I have taught in do not even begin to compare to the achievement in learning I see here at Southampton. The Montessori materials and its methods set the child up to excel by giving them more hands on /concrete experiences in their lessons. Learning does not regress during the summer: Southampton has an all around school year which allows the children to retain the information they have learned during the year and advances them even further. The teachers here do not just care about a paycheck , like you would find at many other schools, they are so patient, always looking for a teachable moment, and genuinely love children. The administration here is AMAZING, they are always willing to listen to a parent concern and act on it immediately, they know every child and parent by name (past and present!), and they treat their staff as if we were family. As a teacher here, I can honestly say that I have the most precious children, wonderful parents, supportive staff, and you would not be able to find one teacher here at Southampton that would say differently.
—Submitted by a teacher

One of the best (if not the best) schools in Houston. I have one child enrolled now, and one child go through four years there. It surprises me how vindictive some review are, but in reality there are bitter parents on the wait list, envious competitors, and angry former employees. The most successful people and businesses in any field have detractors. I think that comes with the territory. And, as it happens, reviews are primarily written out of spite - not content. So, I urge visitors to take negative reviews with due consideration here. My experience and observation of the administration, teachers, and environment of Southampton is and has always been wonderful. And, I highly encourage any parent looking at schools to at least take the time to visit and make up their own mind.
—Submitted by a parent

I would definitely like to share my experience for those considering employment here.The lady who interviewed me was great and very friendly. The owner was also very polite. However, the owners daughter who basically runs the show there is not so polite and has created the worst work environment ever. Teachers are literally afraid of everything. They walk around like zombies afraid to say anything. Her and the staff she deems worthy of anything are snobby and rude. They treat the teachers and assistants so horribly. I've heard them make fun of employees based on their weight, what they're wearing, their hair, etc. I felt like I was in high school all over again. I would walk into the office and no one would acknoledge me. I would say "bye" each day after signing out and no one would even look up. Maybe they wouldn't have to throw craigslist ads up every week looking for new staff if they could treat everyone with the same respect.

We have had our kids here for 2 years. The lead teachers are great, and most of the assistants are also. And yes, the grounds are beautiful. But..... (1) The other reviews about the 3-5 year classrooms are accurate. There are far too many kids, and my daughter had the bad luck of being placed in a room where 90% of the kids were 3-4 years old. It is frequently chaotic and emotional. Yes, the administration carefully walks the maximum line regarding teacher:student ratio regulations, however they do not adhere to Montessori standards that call for a lower ratio. My daughter does not receive the Montessori experience that I am paying for. There is one Montessori certified teacher in a room of 31 small children, and she is only there for the first part of the day. (2) Interaction between parents is passively discouraged. There are no parent events, no "room moms", no option to include your contact information in a registry or class list. The reason is simple - a group of parents has a louder voice than the single parent walking into the office with a concern. The administration does not want to hear it.
—Submitted by a parent

With two children at SHM I can only be grateful for all the wonderful and beautiful and safe environment my children enjoy everyday. The food offered is of excellent quality and the times are terrific for working and busy parents. Since I enrolled my children I enjoyed continued support from the management Gloria, April, Theresa and Jennifer. The school has a 42-years tradition thanks to the vision and passion of its founder, Gloria. Gloria is very intelligent and I sought advice from her more than one time and I am grateful for it. Jennifer gets everything done!The school also does a great job hiring excellent and loving teachers with a challenging academic program. My 4 -year old is reading and writing!! SHM has prepared my children well and as a busy working mom I feel my time was always respected and valued and we do have a strong parent group that organizes parties and celebrations, so I rate parent involvement 5 stars. In conclusion, I highly recommend SHM for their excellence and commitment in education, teaching in a very beautiful and carefully maintained environment.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has been the worst experience ever for my daughter. The teachers are not qualified and my daughters teacher was extremely inpatient. The office staff are very rude and I would say the school administration is extremely snobbish. Can certainly get better value for your mony elsewhere.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an established school that keeps improving. Every time I look around more money is spent on the classrooms and the grounds. My only theory for people complaining about the owner and office staff is that they don't like following rules. The administration here is very fair. If you just talk to them, they will help you with generosity and understanding.

I have 2 kids in SH right now. I am very pleased with the school. I do not find the office staff to be rude, in fact they are attentive and friendly. They are busy though, so patience is necessary to have a quality conversation. My kid's teachers are great. I LOVE the baby cottage and think that the care is unsurpassed anywhere. The Primary classes are very good, but as one other person commented, if you have a heavy 3-year old class it can be chaos at times. The school could do a better job balancing ages in the primary classrooms.
—Submitted by a parent

I still remember the day we received the call from the school's founder to let us know we could start in their summer class, that was 3 years ago. I believe she was just as excited as we were. We now have both of our girls there and it is the best decision we could have made. Every teacher and administrator have always been available to us at any time. They have guided us and given our children an incredible foundation for there academic careers. Our girls look forward to going to school each day. We have several friends and neighbors who are now part of the Southampton family also. They have all taken part in keeping us informed of anything going on at school, whether it be a bump on the knee or that they didn't feel like eating all their lunch. Every little thing is important to us, and we appreciate them looking after all the little things from each and every student they have. If you are looking for the best possible school with an incredible staff for your children, you won't find a better place than Southampton. All you need to do is visit once, then you, too, will be thrilled to get that phone call.
—Submitted by a parent

I was puzzled by these so polarized reviews until my son entered the school. To my experience, I would say my son just loves everything here---the most important thing to parents. Teachers are very nice and everything runs efficiently even we don't have a lot chance to talk to them. Who cares the administration as long as your kid is happy everyday? Besides, I think these ladies in office are just friendly.
—Submitted by a parent

A very disappointing school experience for our daughter. Starting from a young age she liked the school. Since moving up to primary classroom we have had large number of problems. The classroom was over crowded with more students than they said in the parent handbook. Large classrooms are not a problem but teacher would complain about it. Teachers did not want to spend time on social and emotional learning. Crowded parking area in mornings. One day I over heard teachers complaining about students. Not professional.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the parents who are dissatisfied with this school. We pulled our two kids out in 2010. The owner and daughter are selective in who they treat with professionalism or acknowledge. Good if you are one of those but otherwise you will be ignored or even worse, be rudely treated. The teachers we got were ok. Nice but one was inexperienced. Large class sizes are fine if your child gets the attention they need, but it was always hit and miss here. For the money, get better value elsewhere.
—Submitted by a parent

It is very upsetting to see such bad reviews for this school. We had three children go through the school from 12 months - Kindergarten. We left in 2008 and are still friends and in regular communication with many of the children's friends, families we met whilst there, the childrens teachers and even the owners - they do care. The large classes and high student:teacher ratios is an aspect of montessori education, not a fault of the school, do your homework about Montessori education before critisizing the school. Finally, don't be put off by the Pottery barn catalogue look, be attracted by it. We loved our Southampton experience and will treasure those years for many more years to come.
—Submitted by a parent

The buildings are cute and the landscaping and decorations look nice, but the school is appalling.I was disappointed by the unprofessional behavior of both the administration and teachers. They make very little attemp to understand or teach the children in their care.
—Submitted by a parent

Racists, they don't really care if they disinfected the toys because if there are more kids sick is less work for the teachers. If your toddler is still wearing dipper they will change him(her) until they cant take it anymore... (to see if the other one will change him(her) before they say anything.) The main office will treat you like if you are a queen but on your back they will say so many things... :S