I worked there for 13 years and only left because I got married and relocated. It is truly a community. My realtor was a former parent, our campus manager was our officiant. This place is a family and I miss it every day. Every child is known by everyone who works there. read more

The quality of the guides varieed drastically. Given the cost of tuition I would expect all the to be top notch. Took my kid out of this. Public school was much better. Don't recommend sending your kids to here. read more

I registered and paid for a camp for my daughter. The camp was canceled due to low enrollment, which I understand. In the cancellation email it was stated that a refund would be automatically processed. I waited over 2 weeks and no refund came through. Since then I have called and emailed twice and have received no response and no refund. It's now been one month since the camp was canceled. I now had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. Cancellations can occur. They need to be professionally handled. Update 7/22/2024: I received notice from Headwaters today that they have refunded the fees for camp. I am thankful the issue is resolved. However, I do question why it took one month, a phone call, and 3 emails to get this done. It also doesn't go unnoticed that this issue was only resolved after my last email in which I stated I was left with no choice but to dispute the credit card charge and leave a public review. read more

Two of my sons attended HS and were very poorly prepared for college. They had good grades in Headwaters but there is very low academic rigor. We regret our decision. read more

Headwaters has been a life-changing experience for our daughter and our family. From the moment she came home after her first day, beaming and saying, "I found my people," we knew this was the right place. Over three years, she blossomed--not just academically, but emotionally, socially, and creatively. The school's culture of trust, open dialogue, and authentic learning helped her grow into herself with confidence and joy. She especially loved the vibrant classroom discussions, the freedom to explore downtown, and unforgettable experiences like the Bioneers trip and jazz band competition in Philadelphia. We're deeply grateful to the dedicated teachers and staff, and especially to the head of the high school, who went above and beyond to support her Spanish studies while leading the school--and welcoming a new baby! Headwaters was worth every mile of our daily commute from Cedar Park. It's a place where students are truly seen, supported, and inspired. read more

Just attended their online campus tour, not impressed. Too large class size. 25 students in one class room even with two trained teachers, that is way too much. My son attended another Montessori school and it had 21 students and that was too many, too much noise, not enough space, very distressing, u imagine Montessori being a place of calm, peaceful and engaged learning. Impossible when u have an incident with disruptive child(ren) and that absorbs all the attention from teachers and the environment Visit the class for an extended period of time, and u will see the amount of disruption when so many kids are crammed in one class. I appreciate they try to cram as many kids as they can to make more money for the school, but the children are the ones that pay the price for this. Also, they don't offer at least one scholarship per grade level to increase diversity, to talk about taking diversity and inclusion seriously, it is all talk, unless you put your money where your mouth is. I am Mexican American and do not appreciate when people do this, they talk about diversity but don't take serious actions towards that. We can afford to attend this school and have sponsored children in the past at other schools, but they don't even have a program set up for this. The Owner of school responded, and his reply indicated they offer a scholarship for high school, which is not true, I was told by the admissions department that it was paid for by a parent not the school. Also, I highly recommend anyone considering sending their child to this school with such a high student teacher ratio, they should watch the class in non-tour hours for an extended period of time and make up your own mind. read more

Please do yourself a favor and read all the reviews here to seriously reconsider whether this is the place for your family.   We had two of our kids at Headwaters for several years and in fairness, we had a couple of great guides in the YCC and Primary Programs (Madicyn and Elizabeth, in particular). On the administrative side, our story is exactly the same as Joy (below) re: 30 minute zoom calls for 3 year olds, full tuition rate, and bullying over contract obligation for the next school year despite their failure to fulfill contractual expectations in months prior; unacceptable, unethical, and an utter and complete disappointment.  We have since moved our preschooler to a Montessori school in West Lake Hills off Cuernavaca, and in a wonderful twist of fate, we have been completely thrilled with the move.   Not only is the administration both warm and professional, the guides are incredible. She has been SO well-supported with a small student teacher ratio and class size (9 kids versus 25 at Headwaters), she's reading and performing basic math functions in just two months time. Don't be fooled by the Headwaters marketing fluff as the other reviewer, Shameem, mentions here as well.  There are much better options out there. read more

Update 2: Not much to add to my previous reviews. Kiddo is now in first grade, second year in the "K-1" group after 2 years in preschool. He's continuing to thrive and love school. Attentive, engaged, loving guides are supplemented with well loved "specials" teachers in PE, gardening, music, and Spanish. And the educational model allows each kid to progress at his own rate without isolating or stigmatizing the differences. The parent community is engaged and generally quite pleased with the school. Is it perfect? No, because it involves humans. But the administration seems to look honestly and regularly at its own strengths and needs, and makes improvements in a structured way. For our money, Headwaters continues to offer our little guy a great start in education, and that feels like the most important investment we can make at this age. ---------- Update: It's been over a year since my review below and things keep getting better. Thanks to the combination of attentive, loving guides and Montessori based curriculum, our little guy has really blossomed. He's headed into kindergarten in the fall and he's both socially and academically ready. And I mean really ready... he's already reading at the complexity level of "Elephant and Piggie" books, and doing addition and subtraction,all before spending a single day in K and with admittedly very little prodding at home. Mostly we're trying to keep up! (Side Note: if you're a parent of littles and haven't yet discovered Elephant and Piggie, you're missing out! But I digress.) Unsurprisingly, we're staying with Headwaters. It's a commitment and a significant expense, but given what they've done for him so far, and what we see coming based on several visits, it's an easy decision. By my reckoning it's one of the best parenting decisions we've made, and that counts not letting him run with scissors and hiding the chocolate syrup. ------Original Review--------- Headwaters is the new name for the school which operates three campuses in Austin, together spanning pre-k through 12. This review is for the "Springs" campus on Manchaca and Berkeley, which serves the preschool population. Our son started in another local, well-regarded school, but we pulled him out because it was such a "strict" Montessori program that forced our bright, happy, highly verbal little one to work in solitude for hours at a time. I am so glad we got a spot here. The guides are caring and knowledgeable, and strike a balance between kids working alone and working together. The Montessori approach we wanted is here, but in a "follow the child" sense, as opposed to a "dogmatically do exactly what you think Maria Montessori did a hundred years ago" sense. Since MM's fundamental idea was in fact "follow the child," for my money, this is more authentically Montessori than the other program which boasted more certifications. There's even more to love here. The program includes mental, physical, and social & emotional development, but without pushing kids past what's age appropriate. They're encouraged to challenge themselves but also to play and be kids. After 7 months, the positive effects on our kiddo are apparent. He's learning, he's being guided and cared for, and he loves it. As I write this, he's on spring break and asking daily when he gets to go back. As an added bonus, we've also enjoyed the parent community and the many opportunities to join the class for some holiday songs and a party here and there. We have one more year on this campus before moving on to the early elementary level. But all indications from parents and my own investigation is that it's as good over there as it is where we are. I think we're in it for the long haul. read more

My children have been at Headwaters since they were 5 and 3, and they are now a senior and 10th grader respectively. We are now in our 13th year at Headwaters, and could not be happier. My kids consider Headwaters to be their home - which says a lot coming from teenagers. In my opinion, the biggest strength of the school is the guides. They are outstanding in their respective fields, but more importantly are inspired, inspiring, and engaged teachers and learners, which translates into passionate teaching. The guides have unique, individual, first-name basis, relationships with their students, and know them as humans as well as students - which is so important because kids learn best from people they like. And my kids love their guides. My 10th grader does not have a favorite subject because he loves them all, and does not have a least favorite subject *at all.* The guides really seem to want what is best for the students, and the kids learn to academically self-advocate (as needed) in a safe environment. The school really tries to embody and live up to the PACT values (embodying the qualities of being a peacemaker, advocate, creator and thinker), making these living values within the community, which is beautiful. My kids have participated in all of the after school and extracurricular activities over the years, and they are also excellent. There is always more to do, and a need to grow into the future. The school is aware of some gaps in living up to their potential, and is actively taking action to grow more deeply into the vision of who they want to be. They have shared this vision and plan with the community, and it is ambitious and aligned with the school values. Not every school is a fit for every learner. And, not every day is perfect. This goes without saying. But Headwaters is a match for us, right now, and we are grateful every day that our kids are here, and that Headwaters exists. read more

I wish there was a lower rating than this. We have had issues with this school throughout the school year and following the Covid crisis we have continued to be disappointed. Rather than unenrolling our daughter when childcare ended in March we were bullied into paying the remaining part of our contact, under the guise of protecting the teachers income. That was charity and the school did receive payment protection to pay their teachers. After reduction in salaries and possible layoffs in the near future we unenrolled for the fall which we had been forced to put a deposit down on in early February or risk loosing our spot. We figured that given the crisis and our early notice that this would not be a problem, especially since they cannot even guarantee if school will happen in the fall or in what capacity. Our daughter is 3 and is 100% disinterested in zoom calls. Currently they are expecting us to pay nearly 4k for next year's tuition, and in order to even be considered for an exception we need to submit personal financial documents including: termination paperwork, proof of decreased salary, our current expenses and our bank statement. DO NOT SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THIS PLACE. YOU WILL REGRET IT. read more

~14% unvaccinated rate at the preschool/preK. This is only disclosed if you ask, and even then, I didn't get the sense it was a formal #. They just "know which kids are unvaccinated." I think the illusion of the "admissions process" is to make the school seem more selective than it truly is. Very involved admissions process. Long forms to fill out, then parents HAVE to tour, then you tour again with your child on their 'observation'/interview. I attended college and medical school without this many tours and so much hand holding. So time consuming and boring -had to take two mornings off from work for this to sit in a circle with other "interested" parents to hear why they want "private" or "montessori" for their kids as parents enumerate flaws of all other school systems to a captive audience. (sorry, other kids, our kids are just super special and we want the best for our vegan child). The website had several kinks when I tried to submit my form. Delays, etc. I think any observation of a 3 year old in a vaccuum makes no sense, even if our kid did fine, it could have gone the other way, as 3 year olds are not predictable. Difficult to get staff on phone. This is NOT an accredited montessori school. If that matters to you, dig deeper. They are montessori "affiliated." When we went for our observation, at least 2 staff members seemed exasperated at something, and there was some disarray as to which "guide" could stay with kids and had to go out and vice versa. The school staff seems predominantly white and female, no diversity. read more

My kids have gone to Headwaters (formerly named Khabele School) since 2012, and our experience with this school has been nothing short of stellar. Their Montessori-based approach provides a more experiential learning environment, which we prefer for active kids who would get bored sitting in a desk learning the old fashioned way. The staff is professional and friendly, and the school does an outstanding job of going beyond just a school to more of a community. If you are looking to invest in a private school in Austin, this one should be on your short list of candidates. We've been more than happy with the experience. read more

Our experiences over the years at this school have been overwhelmingly positive. We have history with the school since 2007. Our two children transitioned from this stellar Montessori program to public elementary school and one of them came back to Headwaters for high school. I work in education, and between our two students we've experienced a range of different school environments (a very small public elementary, a large public middle school, a huge overcrowded public high school, and a relatively small public 6-12 magnet program). The staff at Headwaters is incredibly supportive of each student. My student is so much more motivated here than in a large school, in part because the teachers can get to know every student. The school provides great personal attention for high schoolers preparing for college. During remote learning they did an incredible job and exceeded our expectations. read more

I feel very blessed to have found Headwaters for our middle schooler. The school is tiny, with only a few dozen kids in each grade and being so close-knit with individual attention for each student is one of its strengths. They have an impressive amount of resources for a small school- for example, a dedicated counselor and a good amount of electives. During virtual learning, the kids were very engaged with their classes and in interactive courses throughout the day which was not the case at AISD or at a lot of the other private schools. We get very specific feedback from teachers like notes when our student goes above and beyond in class or isn't meeting expectations. One thing that sets Headwaters apart from other middle schools, especially private ones, is that it is open and welcoming to kids who are different and there is not the pressure to fit into a clique or stereotype. If you have a child that is bullied or struggling socially for being "different" in any way, I highly recommend checking out Headwaters. My middle schooler likes school and is excited to go each day, which says a lot! read more

My child has gone here for 6 years. Our experience has been wonderful and my child continues to grow both emotionally and academically. We are looking forward to next year. read more

Our daughter has attended Headwaters School for the last four years. We are going on our fifth year. The school has a tremendous community, thoughtful teachers, and strong academics. My daughter looks forward to going to school everyday. read more