Eton School

I have 2 sons in Eton. One in 1st grade and one in Pre-K. Both have wonderful experience at Eton. My older was reading before he started school and the teacher kept him challenged. He is never bored with school and it is a pure joy to see him take charge of his own learning! My younger is nothing like his brother. He is very active and less focused than his brother but we are amazed at how well he is doing at school. At 4, he too is reading now and more importantly have so much self confident and self esteem! I can't say enough of the dedication and professionalism of the teachers at Eton. And make no mistake, my boys are no angel but the teachers know how to work with them and build on their strengths.
—Submitted by a parent

My 4 year old came home horribly stressed by her experience at Eton. The teachers and staff made it clear that kids are expected to perform at a certain level and when my daughter exhibited some separation anxiety the kicked her out after one week! I asked them to help work with us to get her over this and they flatly said no. We took her to another school who worked with with us and our daughter to help her over come this. It was very clear that Eton was more interested in making money and their academic reputation then actually teaching kids and helping kids learn to be in a social/school setting. Shame.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had 2 children attend Eton from grades 1 through 5. Like any school, the parents must get involved with the teachers and staff to ensure that their child is working at his or her full potential. The teachers do an excellent job getting to know each child and their learning styles. They build on the strengths and work on the weaknesses, nurturing a confident, curious and creative student. Another gift of the Montessori method is that the children learn to be very organized and self-motivated. They utilize their planners so that they know what they need to do, when they need to do it, and how to ask for help if necessary. The sense of accomplishment they feel knowing that they have organized and done their own work is priceless. The environment is very respectful - they study and embrace different world cultures and positive ways of resolving conflicts. To my knowledge, there are no bullying issues and each child is made to feel welcome and an integral part of the school community. The school has done an excellent job preparing my children to be compassionate leaders and problem-solvers and for their future educational endeavors.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughters aged 14 and 5 attended summer school at Eton. We live in London UK. This was an extremely positive experience for all of us. Dr. Feltin and her staff were fantastic in supporting me acheive the experience I wanted both girls to have. The Montessori approach of Eton with age groupings, enabled each of my children to find and develop their own sense of self. This was difficult for my 14 year old as the emotional demands were so different from school in UK . The emotional lessons of the experince helped her understand that she knows who she is, what she needs and that she must voice these to achieve. The little one loved it and reported to her headmistress that she liked learning for herself. As a mum, I learned how to support their growth in a new way. I strongly recommend the school and the experience.
—Submitted by a parent

Not very impressed vis-a-vis the hyped-up image. Academics is great. The environment for social/emotional development is not very strong . Morals are not strongly emphasized. Every child is different and the school could do better by working creatively around obstacles. Bullying for popularity should be curbed. P.S. Not all kids have behavioral and learning problems. And even if they have, a good school is one that will brainstorm and figure out creative solutions to help the child develop to his fullest.
—Submitted by a parent

I am an Eton school Alum. I attended Eton School from early childhood development through elementary school. The foundations built in Montessori education can still be seen today when I prepare my studio space here at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where I am pursing my Masters in Architecture and a Masters in Historic Preservation. Eton is strong supportive environment that encouraged me to explore my education on my own terms yet providing excellent structure to ensure as well rounded education. I would highly recommend Eton to any family looking to instill a love of learning at an early age, while unknowingly building in the tools needed to be a successful organized student of life.

The reasons I did not continued with first grade after preschool is the big difference between their philosophy statement and reality. Eton does not foster healthy emotional development and assumes that children should be emotionally stable at age of three while he is facing lots of bullying from bigger kids disguised in leaders. At that age most of small kids are not able to recognize a good leader from a bad one and often time follow the inappropriate role model. Facilitate cooperative learning means letting bigger kids discourage the small ones or letting kids gather in groups during class and chat nonsense without teacher intervention. Facilitate independent learning means let a kid poke paper for three years over and over again. Facilitate teacher learning is not in the curriculum because the teacher assistant may not speak proper English and therefore cannot help with certain tasks.
—Submitted by a parent

I ve been with Eton for eight years and it s proved a wonderful environment for my two sons because Eton is providing a custom education. Both of my sons are strong academically but they are different in their individual timeframe in mastering certain skills. They re also different from an emotional development perspective one s quite mature, the other needs emotional encouragement. Each receives exactly what he needs to be a motivated, independent, caring child. The teachers, specialists and even the administrative staff know my children his interests, his friendships, his personality. The children are respected as individuals, appropriately guided along given their mastery of a skill. Everyone gives an extra hug when needed or holds back help when the child needs to try it on his own. Eton is upfront about its mission and philosophy. If you fundamentally agree with it then you ll be very pleased with Eton as I am.
—Submitted by a parent

My two children attended Eton School from ages 4 and 6 through ages 12 and 13. I have been so please with their overall development. They love to learn, willingly take on challenges and love school. Eton is a place where parents and teachers can work as a team to help a child reach his or her full potential. My children experienced caring and nurturing teachers and staff at each level. As a parent I will be sad to leave at the end of this year. Our family has felt very much a part of the Eton family throughout our entire time at Eton School.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a daughter that is 3rd year at Eton - I agree that the teacher that she has is wonderful - also academically they are wonderful. However, most of the time feel out of the loop and correspondence between school and parents is below average. They have an 'Eton is the best ' school attitude and not a 'we know we are a great school, how can we be even better' attitude. They say that they take any suggestions from families, however, they get very defensive when we are to suggest something or even share our concerns. They also lack in the safety dept. Anyone can come in and out of the building- doors are locked - but parents let others in, even if they do not know them. Lighting in the evening is not good at all - difficult to see where the drive to turn in is.
—Submitted by a parent

My child was at Eton for two long years. She does not have any behavioral or learning problems, however, she was stressed out to the point of having no confidence and crying every day after school. The lack of direction/self direction philosophy combined with a major academic push and intense competition really did not work well for her. Though she was doing fine academically, it was clear that emotionally, she was struggling. She has been at a new school for 5 months now and her whole person has vastly improved. She has confidence and friends. I would also add that the parent community at Eton is quite weak. It has a very diverse demographic, which is wonderful, but it is very hard to make connections and feel a part of the school.
—Submitted by a parent

I believe that the vastly different impressions of Eton are a result of the extremely variable abilities and styles of the teachers. Our two children had vastly different experiences - one positive and one negative. Unfortunately, the negative experience cost our son his confidence, and the rebuilding process (at another school) has taken some time. Eton is unquestionably focused on academic achievement, despite current educational studies and Maria Montessori's philosophy which support different emphases.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a very satisfied parent of the program at Eton. My daughter is in her third year at Eton following two years in a fantastic Montessori school in another state. Before enrolling my daughter here, I did my homework. I visited school after school. I spoke with administrators and visited classrooms. I was familiar with the Montessori philosophy and Eton has delivered nothing but the best for our daughter. She is bright, enthusiastic about school and displays a love of learning that goes on and on. Don't select this school without doing your due diligence. Understand the program. Participate in all informational opportunities for parents. Understand and take part in your child's education. Don't choose Eton without investing yourself into your child's education only to wonder what is going on. It is not traditional. It is not status quo. Your child will benefit if you support the process.
—Submitted by a parent

Privately owned by Director Felton. Tuition not commensurate with results. No Parent Teacher meetings to discuss results or concerns over poor classroom management and absentee teachers. Recommend Open Window, Chestnut Hill, St. Thomas and local private schools that can share entry and exit test scores with prospective families.
—Submitted by a parent

My family has been very fortunate to be involved with Eton School ever since we moved here 12 years ago. Seeing the benefits that my daughter enjoyed - wonderful work ethics, respectful attitude, and a love for learning all in a nurturing environment - it was a no-brainer to send our son here too. We have never regretted it.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter is in the pre-elementary program at Eton. I attribute a lot of her recent social growth to the Eton environment and the student/age mix in the classroom. We found her teachers to be very receptive in meeting and partnering with us to resolve any issues. We've found the administration to be very professionally managed, compared to our previous preschool experience - and open to parent feedback and participation at the school. For parents seeking a quality Montessori education for their child, I would recommend their pre-elementary program.
—Submitted by a parent

Eton School is a great school for parents who want their children to succeed academically and socially. I have two children at Eton who have been at the school since age three and are now both in the upper elementary division. The teachers are caring and supportive and are very willing to work with a child that does not fit the normal mold taking into account that every child is unique. They also provide additional academic challenges for kids who want to push themselves beyond the average as well as offering many creative afterschool activities. I would recommend Eton to any parent who wants a school where parental interaction is not only welcomed but valued. You will find that it is well worth the cost (which is quite reasonable when compared to many of the area private schools).
—Submitted by a parent

Wow, these reviews are almost exactly opposite of one another! It's confusing to me since my son is in his first year (first grade) and is already doing fractions, multiplication, foreign language, science fairs and reading at an accelerated level. I don't blame folks who have kids who struggle at this school, it is challenging. But i know public school wouldn't teach my son the same things he's learning here. His teachers are very approachable and he's happy. I guess it's not for everyone.
—Submitted by a parent

Eton is the great school for parents that want to drop their kids off at school early morning and pick them up at night not knowing what the kid was taught. If you are a caring parent and want to be involved in your kids education this is a dangerously wrong set up. We pulled our kid out like many others after one year.
—Submitted by a parent

Eton is not for everyone. For parents who use school in lieu of actual parenting, Eton is the wrong choice. For parents who coddle their children and expect the teachers to be babysitters, Eton is the wrong choice. The teachers here are fair and caring, but they expect you to TRY, and they will help you succeed. Eton is the right choice for kids who can handle adversity. My kid has failed and picked herself back up and succeeded time and time again. Her self confidence grows with each day and her passion for learning is truly blossoming. Most people in this day and age expect to be coddled. But there are a few of us out here who still believe in the value of self-reliance and rising to challenges. For those of us, Eton is the right choice.
—Submitted by a parent