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Guidepost Montessori at Foothill Ranch

4.5 (53 reviews)
Open 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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Total Citations for Guidepost Montessori Foothill Ranch per California Department of Social Services website

Based on our personal experience of having our child enrolled at Guidepost, I would not recommend this school to any parent. While we are extremely grateful that our child's teachers were outstanding the entire time we were there, we cannot say the same about the corporation that owns all Guidepost schools, Higher Ground Education, Inc. Our child was enrolled for 10.5 months; and during that short period there were a total of 3 Heads of School, several teachers and other administrative staff resigned, and abuse allegations were made against one teacher. On March 9, 2023, we received communication from the Head of School that a teacher's aid was put on administrative leave. The e-mail was very vague and spoke about how the individual needed a break to recharge for an undetermined period to reflect on her journey in education and take some time to herself and her family. Within a week, more information came out through other parents (not the administration) that there were allegations that several children were affected by abuse from this teacher. Trigger warning: Per the police report filed with the Orange County Sheriff's Department (Report DR# 23-008774), "On 3/9/23, [head of school's name redacted] was approached by seven of her employees who were concerned about a teachers aid named [teacher's name redacted]. The employees felt [teacher's name redacted] was being both physically and verbally aggressive towards the students. The employees stated [teacher's name redacted] would verbally abuse the children by calling them "losers" and telling them to "Hit other children because they deserve it". They also alleged [teacher's name redacted] would also slam kids down on their feet hard and slam them on bicycles seats when asked to ride a bicycle." Unfortunately, several teachers reported these allegations to the prior administration sometime at the end of 2022, but due to the administration turnover, these allegations were not taken seriously until March by the new Head of School. This negligent oversight enabled the abuse of children to continue for months after the first allegations were made. We are extremely lucky that our child was not directly affected by this teacher; however, after the abuse allegations came to light, we had severe anxiety dropping off our child to school. Every day we worried that a teacher outside of our child's two teachers would harm our child. There was one day that both the lead and assistant teacher were out, so we did not have our child go to school that day because we did not trust anyone other than our child's teachers. During the 10.5 month period my child was enrolled, the school received 3 citations. One citation was because a child was left out in the play-yard without any supervision from staff (4/10/23). Another parent, who was picking up their own child, had noticed the child was alone on the play-yard without any staff present. Please visit https://www.ccld.dss.ca.gov/carefacilitysearch/FacDetail/304371143 to view citations and reports filed for Guidepost (Type A Citation Total: 1, Type B Citations Total: 6). As for security, there were no working cameras. In fact, there weren't any cameras installed in the front exterior or playground area. We received communication on May 17, 2023, that front exterior cameras were installed and that two exterior cameras would be installed in the playground. It took two months after the abuse allegations to get the cameras installed and working. Also, to enter the school only a short numerical code is required to enter and most of the time, no employees were monitoring who was coming into the school. The lack of monitoring made us fearful about the ease in which someone could gain access to the classrooms. Our child's teachers were outstanding despite all the challenging events that occurred, but it was difficult to see them not being taken care of by the administration. We truly hope Higher Ground Education will provide better benefits for the teachers because they are the heart of the school. The only reason we did not leave after March was because we trusted and loved our child's teachers. They showed better leadership skills than the administration throughout those 10.5 months. The administration has demonstrated a complete and utter disregard for the safety of children. Enticing parents to leave positive reviews in exchange for raffle tickets further demonstrates that the priority of the school is rooted in preserving its reputation, and not in the safety of children. Guidepost knows no parent is going to write a bad review in exchange for a raffle ticket and intentionally uses raffle tickets as a mechanism to garner positive reviews. I am deeply disappointed at the administration for the way they handled the abuse allegations and in the way they have handled the safety of children at the school and the well-being of their teachers.

Foothill Ranch Guidepost!
V P.

Carnival day at school! Thank you team for hosting. Our kids had a blast! Bouncy houses, artwork, painting, popcorn, cotton candy, were all great!

Edgar A.

I highly recommend this school. We have 2 little ones here and both have grown and learned so much. They teach everyday skills to help them be independent and we couldn't be happier being here.

Gabriela E.

My two daughters and baby boy love going to Guidepost Montessori at Foothill Ranch! They always come home happy and sharing everything they learned. They have a wonderful infant program called "Nido",(nest). My 4 month old baby loves his guides and smiles during every drop off. Definitely very loving and nurturing environment. Parent-teacher communication is great!!. I am always well informed about everything that is happening both with my children and at school! The environments are beautiful and clean, arranged always thinking in the children's Independence having beautiful material available to them and at their reach!

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Ask the Community - Guidepost Montessori at Foothill Ranch

My daughter's birthdate is Feb 9th,2019. We are looking for preschool during 7/29-8/9, is this timeline acceptable?

Hi Bonnie, We can potentially assist with a short term enrollment. Can you please call our office at 949-340-1695 and I would be happy to assist you!… Read more

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Review Highlights - Guidepost Montessori at Foothill Ranch

. I'm so grateful to be a part of the Guidepost family and highly recommend those considering it, give it a shot

Mentioned in 4 reviews

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The Goddard School of Lake Forest - Baker Ranch

4.6(58 reviews)
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Goddard is a wonderful preschool for your littles, from when they are tiny tots until they are…read moreready for kindergarten. The admin staff are warm, kind and welcoming. Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Lana and Ms. Delmy know all the children's names and take the time to really interact with the kids as well as the parents. The teachers treat the children with such love and care, and they also give attention and communicate well with parents. Daily reports are shared along with photos so parents can stay in the know about their child's day to day. Parent teacher conferences are useful as teachers share the progression of work when it comes to academics. There are also tons of wonderful activities brought to Goddard like basketball camp, reptile day, water/foam day (for summer time) plus visits from professions that teach about music and the importance of brushing your teeth. I love the fact that everything is onsite so your children never need to leave the school (compared to public school/elementary school). The facility is clean and bright, and the seasonal decor on classroom doors are fun to look at (designed by teachers that sometimes include the children's faces). Kids come home with art projects, drawings and some academic work (letters and numbers for their appropriate ages). AM and PM snacks are now provided (lunch must be brought and labeled with names and dates). That was nice because we had to bring in our own snacks during Covid and for a long while after Covid. Goddard is a great preschool and I highly recommend it. As a note, they do have a mandatory rest period from 12:30pm - 3pm and most kids nap. They turn down the classroom lights, play calm music and have the kids lie down on cots with blankets. If you don't want your kids napping, this can be problematic. I've had conversations with the teachers and Ms. Parina (the owner) about securing more staff to allow non-napping kids to have other things to do (ie quiet activities like coloring) but no solution was ever reached during my 3 years there. I've heard pricing for babies is pretty high and babies are required to come in 5 days a week vs part time. I saw prices rise a few times during my time there as well. That said, you get what you pay for, and I believe Goddard has set the bar pretty high. I'm very pleased with the education my kids have received (heartfelt thank you to Ms. Vivian and Ms. Chetana) and I wish public school was as excellent when it came to the level of service and care we've seen at Goddard.

We love this school! Our son loved coming to class everyday and looked forward to all the learning…read moreand activities. The school was very accommodating to our son's serious allergy restrictions. We also appreciated the level of communication to the parents - constantly keeping us in the know with detailed reports/updates on what our son is learning. We highly recommend!!!

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The Goddard School of Lake Forest - Baker Ranch
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4.5(35 reviews)
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We definitely wish we signed our son up here sooner. Our son has learned so much and the small…read moreclass size allows our son the extra help when needed. They provide a loving environment and I drop off my son daily knowing he will be cared for and will learn. Everyone knows our son my name and he always loves to tell us about his day. They have farm animals (a pig and a tortoise) but the pig is not for play but the tortoise the kids get to feed. If you're on the fence, please give Country Village a chance. Thank you Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Yuta, and Ms, Mary I will be sad once our son leaves for Kindergarten

I am so glad that we found Country Village! When we enrolled Onyx he was speaking very little. It…read morewas also very hard to get him to follow directions. He has been in Ms. Sucell's class for five months now and it's like he's a completely different child. He has grown his vocabulary so much, he is following directions much easier and he loves saying his ABCs, numbers and reading books. Their staff is amazing Miss Jutta and Miss Baja were so patient with him because he used to cry when it was time to go into school. They calmed my mind and assured me that this was a normal part of the transition and sure enough he quickly began walking into school without tears. Ms Jennifer is always sending me pictures and I love that! I also love that they take temperatures at the door every morning and I have no idea how they get Onyx to wear his mask but every day he comes out with it on! They are child whisperers :) I couldn't have chosen a better school to help develop our Onyx!

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Country Village Preschool & Kindergarten - Playground fun!

Playground fun!

Country Village Preschool & Kindergarten - Onyx making his Gingerbread house

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Lunchtime smiles

Scholarshine Lake Forest Montessori - Our students had a blast at the petting zoo and pumpkin patch! A day full of smiles, cuddles, and fall fun!

Scholarshine Lake Forest Montessori

4.9(70 reviews)
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A Truly Wonderful Montessori School -- Highly Recommended!…read more My daughter went to this Montessori school since she was an infant, progressing through the toddler and preschool classrooms, and we couldn't be more grateful for the experience she's had over the past three years. The growth we've seen in her socially, emotionally, and academically has been remarkable. The teachers, especially Ms. Shelby, Ms. Chloe, and Ms. Sal, have been nothing short of amazing. They create a warm, nurturing environment where the kids feel safe, encouraged, and excited to learn. My daughter absolutely adores them. One of the things we appreciate most is how the school follows a thoughtful Montessori curriculum that helps children learn independence, discipline, and responsibility through hands-on activities. They sing, explore new materials, and learn to manage things on their own all of which has supported our parenting at home, too. My daughter loves going to school every day and enjoys spending time with her friends and teachers. We truly miss this wonderful community created by Ms Richa and Ms Prerna and wholeheartedly recommend this Montessori school to any family with an infant or young child in Lake Forest. It has been such a positive and meaningful part of our daughter's early years.

I chose this Montessori over others because of the loving environment (not corporate as other…read moreMontessori's and the staff have been there for years if not decades). The cost was very reasonable as well! My daughter was in the infant room age 6 months to 2 years. They took all of my concerns seriously and fostered her learning as much as I could ask for. I'm very happy I sent her here :)

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Scholarshine Lake Forest Montessori - A spooktacular Halloween parade filled with costumes, trick-or-treat fun, and joyful moments with our students and parents!"

A spooktacular Halloween parade filled with costumes, trick-or-treat fun, and joyful moments with our students and parents!"

Scholarshine Lake Forest Montessori - Our kindergarten Students did a fascinating science experiment! They learned that a candle needs oxygen to burn.

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Scholarshine Lake Forest Montessori - "Spooky,silly,and oh-so-adorable!Our students bought the halloween spirit with their colorful costumes-what a delightful celebration ."

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We started Bella about a year ago, being a little unsure; however, I have to give credits to all…read morethe incredible teachers here! My sons love love Bella Montessori. They came home everyday being so happy and we could tell they've learned so much from school. Special thanks to Ms. Agnes, Ms. Preetika and Ms. Antonella. My sons have moved to a new class recently, but they truly miss their old teachers. Ms. Agnes is just amazing - she is firm but so loving. She is very organized, knowledgeable and establishes positive habits in children. We absolutely love Ms. Agnes' style! Ms. Antonella is a warm and passionate person. She makes learning fun! Ms. Preetika is very patient, caring, supportive, and super sweet to kids. My kids are very grateful that they got yo spend the last year with them. We adore these wonderful teachers! You'd be very lucky if your kids end up being in their classes.

My baby started daycare a few weeks ago at Bella Montessori and I can tell you this was the best…read moredecision ever! The Teachers (such as Ms. Iman, Ms. Jenny) are so loving, you can tell they really care so much about all of the children and also for the parents. The Admin Team (such as Ms. Simina, Ms. Alexandra, Ms. Ildy, Ms. Stefanie) are very personable and kind - they always make time to talk to you and answers any questions. You can tell that everyone here loves their jobs. The facility itself is also beautiful, clean, and organized. Plus, there is also a big indoor gymnasium for the children to run around and play. I am so happy that my baby will get to spend many years here and be surrounded by such wonderful people.

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Heritage Montessori School of Lake Forest
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Our son started at this daycare shortly after turning one, and the transition was much smoother…read morethan we ever expected. From the very beginning, he adapted quickly and happily. Every day when we pick him up, he's in a great mood, and it's clear that he genuinely enjoys his time there. In fact, after being away for a while, he actually misses his teachers, which says so much. The two teachers, Mandy and Danni are incredibly caring, attentive, and responsible. You can truly feel how closely they observe and care for each individual child. For parents, that level of attention and thoughtfulness makes a huge difference. The activities the school organizes are also wonderful -- engaging, age-appropriate, and thoughtfully designed. Our son is often fully focused and immersed, which is not easy for toddlers at this age. We highly recommend this daycare to other families. It gives us so much peace of mind knowing our child is happy, well cared for, and engaged, especially during the workday when we need to stay focused. We feel very grateful to have found this place.

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Colorful Dreams Family Daycare
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Foothill Ranch Elementary School - Working on parking lot too

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1.9(18 reviews)
0.4 mi

Many things could be improved. There are many good teachers but some bad, the principal is also…read morereally nice. The good ends there. First of all one of the supervisors is genuinely the worst, She has gone into the boys bathroom even though she's a girl, got mad at my friend for leaning on the Gaga ball wall, and yelled at a kid with autism. Her name genuinely scares me. There is also a bully problem with just one kid, who thankfully has gone to middle school. He has made 3 kids leave the school and made them want to hurt themselves. The boys bathroom is never clean. There are toilets that removed from the ground. The toilets are always clogged. All in all this school is okay. Try to avoid it if you can though

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Foothill Ranch Elementary School - December 2022

December 2022

Foothill Ranch Elementary School - August 2022

August 2022

Foothill Ranch Elementary School - Construction in progress

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Construction in progress

Guidepost Montessori at Foothill Ranch - preschools - Updated May 2026

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