I also looked at this Montessori school and it's decent. The location is their best feature. There…read moreis staff turnover and the materials are just OK. The reviews I've read are good but it's more of a first impression from my visit a few years back.

Since our son had just graduated from Monarch this year, I feel it's time for me to update my…read morereview on this school. This school is definitely one of the best decisions we have ever made for our son, and this was specially evident in his transition to his elementary school education. Not only does he flourish in mathematical and analytical thinkings, his behaviors at home and at his extracurricular activities have also demonstrated his improvements throughout his life at Monarch. The principal(Ms. Grace) and the teachers(Ms. Paige and Ms. Julia) have put so much time and efforts into their kids, and the community there(among the parents and kids) is just fantastic! Just like what we have told Ms. Grace, it's really sad that Monarch doesn't have classes after kindergarten, otherwise we would leave our son there for as long as he could.

My daughter attended Sprouting Minds at 2.5 years old. She Loooooved it there and we are so…read moresaddened that I have to move her to another preschool this year because of my job constraints. Miss Manaal, the owner/teacher is very patient, very loving and caring to all the kids. My daughter talks about her all the time and how shes going to miss her. The prices is also fair, considering the amount of time and money Manaal spends on DIY projects for the kids as well as providing healthy snacks! When we first toured the preschool, I loved loved the space indoor and outdoor! It is so inviting for all the kids, lots of different toys to explore. I also loved that there are only 8 students per teacher ratio. The fieldtrips and outdoor trips weekly are My daughter's favourite, she learned to explore the woods and its creatures, one of her favourites is the banana slugs. Also, Manaal takes photos of the kids and activities they have done for the week, which I thought was thoughtful as I never really get an answer when I ask my daughter what shes done in class. I can't say enough good things about this place! We will definitely miss Manaal and miss Karen Kristine M

We are so impressed by Sprouting Minds. Having been at a different daycare before, we didn't…read morerealize it was possible to LOVE the place where our kids spend their day. The staff is so caring and it feels like a family. The activities are always focused on learning but fun for the kids. Our toddlers are learning every day and appear to be farther ahead than their peers who stay at home or go to other facilities. We couldn't be happier.

This review is for Oakridge Montessori School. My child went through most of the Junior…read moreKindergarten year. Unlike teacher communication at OMS, this review was written 100% without the use of AI. OMS, if you would like to respond, please consider not using AI. Prospective parent: Unless you are ultra-wealthy and have at least one caregiver who does not need to work, stay away! (You might also like to own a Tesla). You will need all of the above to shuttle your child back and forth to many field trips and special events (not on the school calendar) that last ~2-3 hours in lieu of actual school, plus you will need to pay extra for every single one of them (plus up to $10k more for auctions...as the principal said, "It's Report Card Season!"). Essentially this is an (aspirational) feeder school for elite private schools in the area, and tries to behave like one. Oh, and you should also read/write Mandarin and have the WeChat app in order to participate in the parent group. This school has absolutely nailed their target demographic. I don't think the school needs to change, because it works well for said population. I'm writing this review so that those who don't fall within this particular demographic can go in with eyes wide open. We didn't, clearly - because who can really be that choosey about childcare in Vancouver? - but I think a heads up might have helped. OMS is a self-proclaimed "organic Montessori" school. They do screen time, and they seem a bit light on some other parts of Montessori (my kid reports that they don't really clean their environment, for e.g., though I take their report with a grain of salt). What concerned us early on was the use of reward/points systems to motivate behavior in the classroom through their ClassDojo App (which, btw, suits the school well - always asking for money - and which we hate with a passion). To the school's credit, when I raised this issue with the teacher, the school principal(?)/"Director of Education" called me and addressed it, claiming it was a communication error and that the points were not to be used with this age group, only Grade 1 & up. They did seem to stop using it after this. (Though are points really appropriate for Grade 1 & up in a Montessori school?) Continuing to give credit where it is due: Teachers and staff have taken the time to answer our concerns, and have called us during what I am guessing are their lunch breaks. While the AI responses really rub me the wrong way - because these are the people teaching my child to read and write - I acknowledge that being in charge of 16 4ish-year-olds is really no mean feat. I do believe that the staff and teachers care about the students. Moreover, my child did learn to read and write quite willingly during their time at OMS. IN SUM: Our family is an outlier at OMS - we don't own a car, we aren't trying to send our kids to elite private schools, and having to pay $55 per adult to attend my child's "Spring Tea" concert (which is 1.5 hours long with no regular school) is a bit painful. And so attending this school has been a bit awkward and logistically burdensome for us. You might say there was a mismatch in values, but of course no daycare or school is going to mesh with our family's culture completely. No irreparable damage was done, we did our best to make a few friends among the parents, my child has been mostly happy......but we will not be continuing our "OMS journey".

Expensive! 2.5 hours a day! 3 programs running a day. No wonder the teacher turnover is high. It…read morefeels like a prep school for private schools with charges for every extra detail. Fees are going up $5000 next year, insane.

Montessori school in south Vancouver close to Granville and West 70th Ave near Fraser River Park in…read morea light industrial area. They offer Pre-School from ages 3-6 and Elementary from grades 1-7. My kids went here from pre-school all the way through grade 5 and it was an incredible experience. A early Montessori education really helped them develop their hard-working and inquisitive personalities. French is offered from pre-school on and their level will exceed most public schools except for French immersion schools. Both French language and culture is taught which is nice so the kids have a practical reference for use of the language. They have both class observations where the parents can observe their kid in the normal class environment and parent/teacher conferences. Year-end show is fun where the elementary kids all present skits, songs and plays for the parents at a nearby theatre. Competition to get into the pre-school program is quite stiff so register early to get on the waiting list. Dedicated, long-term teachers and staff, highly recommended!

We have been lucky enough to put our 3 children through Extra Steps, first discovering this gem…read moreover 10 years ago. Teacher Robb made our eldest, and us, feel comfortable leaving him for the first time. Our son took a few days to get adjusted, then didn't want to leave. The 3.5 hour duration and choice between am or pm classes are such a benefit. Our daughter attended a year later and loved teacher Christa. Our youngest is now in his final year of preschool and he loves Larry and Nicole (and Christa too!). The preschool space is bright and fun, teachers take the kids to the nearby parks and/or senior centre everyday and our kids always tell us how much they enjoy/ed the school. The teachers support each child's development, offer to assist with any learning requests and instil the confidence and love of school which led to our older 2 thriving in private school kindergarten. We have recommended Extra Steps to numerous families over the years, even those who have been hesitant due to poor experiences at other schools, and they have all been so grateful for sharing this wonderful preschool with them. Kids are all treated with kindness and respect, which allows for personal development. As our time with Extra Steps will end at the close of this year, we wish to express our appreciation to the teachers for the love and support our kids have enjoyed- we really can't recommend this preschool enough. Larry and Nicole also run the most fabulous outdoor program on Saturdays, which our youngest loves and will continue to do next year.

My son used to go to preschool here and he loved his teachers a lot. Originally he attended…read moreanother preschool half of the week but the head teacher at the other preschool was terrible and treated him like he's challenged kid and she even talked to him like one. At Extra Steps Learning, they helped him to come out of his shell and helped him improve with his personal development without judging him any different from other kids. He improves tremendously ever since he attended preschool here 5 days a week. He's now in Kindergarten and he still talks about his teachers especially Ms. Christa. I like all the educators there but my favourite one is Ms. Christa. She really helps my son to develop social and personal skills there and always treated him with kindness.

the school is staffed by exceptionally competent, amazing and caring staff. All of my kids have…read moregone through the school so I have lots of diverse experience of the school. The school is bright and divided into 3 connected pods, great-sized library, computer lab, and a gym, with state of the art stage and sound system, and wheel chair accessibility to the whole school and bathrooms. The Principal, along with the PAC have managed to create a resourceful Community that supports the students and their needs. I just wish the school was designed with air-conditioning.

Great school for families who see the their kids as future as LGBTQ+ non-profit workers or BLM…read moreactivists. From the kindergarten grade kids are emerged in a world of gender studies, trans awareness and race activism. Each year school dedicates more and more academic hours to social justice curriculum, moral and political Issues. Kids are encouraged to explore and discuss their gender and sexuality. The school is dedicated to provide the goal of turning young minds into good global citizens. The curriculum is strongly influenced by Critical Race Theory and SOGI pedagogy. School library is labeled as "Safe space" and holds a wide range of feminist literature.

After going on tours a numerous preschools the moment I walked into Adventure Preschool I knew it…read morewas the one for our family. The teachers are so great and the school itself is so clean and the backyard playground is the best. Could not recommend this or school enough. Both of my sons have gone here and absolutely loved going everyday!

This preschool had a major impact on my daughter. The healthy independence she gained from the days…read morein the forest and the healthy free play were incredible. We absolutley loved Branches and were very sad when our daughter graduated. We highly recommend this school and only wish they offered kindergarten.

Thought this was a good preschool until I witnessed a severe breach of my child's privacy and care…read moreplan. Multiple attempts were made to rectify the situation by me but instead Alisha decided to kick my child out of the school with 3 months left in the school year. Alisha admitted that my daughter's privacy was not maintained as per her care plan and my agreement with her on multiple occasions. Her treatment of a child with special needs is disgusting and I do not recommend this preschool to anyone especially anyone with a child with special needs. I have begun and will continue to pursue this matter as a health violation, human rights violation, discrimination, and civil matter. UPDATE: Fraser Health Authority has confirmed an investigation took place and that there WERE violations in regards to this matter.