My baby daughter was in PICU & I was coming from the hospital to drop off my older daughter for a field trip at the school. I was 10 minutes late so the school gave away my daughter's spot away & also refused to return my trip money. I tried to explain that I was coming from the hospital but they still refused. They didn't want to 'disappoint the child' who they gave my daughter's spot to. They didn't care about disappointing my daughter, who had been looking forward to the trip all week. They then accused me of 'arguing with the teacher' & gave me a warning. The people who run this place are horrible & heartless. They will steal any money you pay them (this is only one of several instances). If you have any concerns about anything going on with your child, you are not 'allowed' to voice them or they will kick you out of the school. Bend over & take it. You have no voice as a parent. If you leave, they will keep any tuition money you've paid. Only if they kick you out will you get it back. I highly advise you send your kids elsewhere. They are a nightmare. Seriously, I'm warning you, DON'T go to this school. We then went over to Pine's Christian- night & day difference. They are wonderful. Highly, highly recommend you go there. read more

Today marks the last day our kids will attend Hickory Tree and words can't express the amount of gratitude we have for this school and this staff in helping us develop our children. We had the greatest experience here for both our children as the staff has done a great job in fostering an environment for kids to grow, while also allowing them to be kids. I grew up in suburban America with great schools and a big community emphasis. Seeing my kids go through the program here reminded me a lot of my childhood. I read another review from a parent complaining about hickory having structure for the kids. The truth is, kids need structure. They need to learn manners and how to play with others. Michelle Obama said it best when she said her parents raised her to eventually be an an adult one day. I personally don't think I'm doing any favors to my kids if I'm not preparing them to be an adult in this world. In todays fast past environment, so often are values lost and forgotten that it was really nice for our family to be able to allow our kids to also have that for their early schooling. They allow kids to be kids while still learning boundaries along with curriculum to keep them ahead academically. Both our kids have really come into their own during their time there and we have hickory to thank for that. So Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. read more

I love hickory tree, my son has learned so much. The teachers are caring and come up with fun art projects and activities. Mrs Rosie and Ms Brenda are great and truly care about the kids. My child went in not really grasping vocabulary and now he's speaking very clearly and expresses his happiness with words. Overall a great school. read more

My nephew graduated! The school and the staff totally made the day special. Such a great ceremony! read more

Hickory Tree School - Graduation - Elementary Schools Near Me - Torrance, California

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I had the same unfortunate bad experience of many other parents. I enrolled my son there because I thought the school had a good reputation and it was conveniently located next to where I live. My son had some hard time getting used to the school policies at first for many reasons but after two months it looks like everything started to work out fine. Than all of the sudden the teacher started to complain about the most stupid things ever: seating without crossing the legs, being fussy, saying no to the teacher, not wanting to participate in the activities, not sharing toys, etc... So my wife and I had a first consultation with the teacher two days before my son (3 and a half years old) was literally kicked out of school! I could call this review: Policies. Hickory tree has many policies that you are not told about until you are in trouble with them. We started with the potty training policy that if you don't pay extra they don't help cleaning your baby: school policy! My son came back home dirty more than once. They don't help your kids cleaning up his/her shoes after having played in the sand box. My son was left with sand in his shoes all day until the afternoon when I went to pick him up: school policy! They don't give any kind of medication, even over the counter, if not with a doctor note, school policy! They don't take your kid to a school trip if he doesn't have a the school T-shirt and if you forget it they don't take another one and give it to your kid, but they simply leave the kid at school, despite the trip was already paid for: school policy! If a kid gets injured they let the kid bleed until the parent come to pick him up: school policy. They day my son was kicked out of school he was left unattended playing with a toy potentially dangerous with which he injured another kid that was left bleeding until the parent didn't come to pick him up, causing a trauma to both kids: school policy. When my wife went to pick our son up at school, she found him on a chair at the front desk with his cloths in a plastic bag, just like after been arrested and booked by the police, without having the possibility tom have any contact with anyone like he was some kind of a criminal. They just forgot to acknowledge that their lack of flexibility led to this point!!! My son was punished many times for the most stupid reason like not sharing a toys or nor been interested in their activities that is absolutely normal for a three year old, according by a therapist that we went to the day after our son was kicked out of school, yes we had to do that to make sure nothing was wrong with our kid. According by the school a three year old is supposed to be fluent in one language and have a normal conversation like an adult but my son is bilingual so it will take more time for that and he doesn't have any delay as the school was trying to imply, still according by the therapist. According by the teacher he was supposed to color and follow the lines because kids his age can already do that, but when I saw the other kids drawing that did not seem true to me. The day after our son was kicked out of school he was enrolled in a Montessori one. Since day one he was helped getting used to the school policies that were clearly communicated to us in a booklet. The new school asked me if I wanted to sign a consent to give my son medication and first aid, in case needed, they help my son cleaning after he uses the potty, the T-shirt is not mandatory for school trips. He was not punished for his behavior because teacher were trained to deescalate the situation contrary to Hickory Tree where the teachers were entering in a power struggle with a three year old! Few weeks after my son was coloring papers within the lines, even most impressive he started to write some letters and read them in books too! read more

We have had a very positive experience at Hickory Tree. My daughter started in their two year old class last year. We loved her teacher who was the best combination of loving and firm. The energy and thoughtfulness the teacher put into her lessons was amazing (and I am a teacher). She recently moved to the three year old room and we are equally impressed with her teacher. We also take advantage of the before school care program and again the staff/teachers are amazing with the children (even with kids who have a hard time at drop off). The school is a full time pre-school, five days a week. Lunch is provided for the students. It is a very efficiently run school, clean and well kept classrooms and playground. The administrative staff is kind, understanding and helpful. We can't say enough about how much we love the school and how great our daughter's experience has been. read more

I'm a mother of a student attending Hickory Tree. When reading these reviews , keep in mind we are judging an establishment based on a relationship that involves our children and we all know it's a challenge to be neutral when it comes to our precious babies. I absolutely love this school and there isn't a teacher or staff member that I don't like. In fact, just the other morning I was chatting with two teachers about my daughters progress and how I'm so thankful she's surrounded by caring people of integrity and high standards. We all teared up. In my opinion, the faculty have high standards and strive to groom well behaved, respectful, educated young people. They are strict and structured but very caring and kind. They have a great balance of learning and fun! I have gotten to know many teachers and staff and I trust them implicitly to help me develop my child and I wouldn't want anything less. First few weeks of summer program of Pre-K, I got a note sent home to get flash cards and practice letters and numbers, she was benched several times for throwing sand and noted for talking too much in class. My initial reaction was to make excuses for her but after a few shorts conversations with myself, I quickly refocused and acknowledged she didn't know her numbers and letters that well, she was 100% wrong for throwing sand and she needs to learn how to behave in a classroom. We raised the bar at home, I took more of a team approach with the teachers and within a short time she was dramatically improving. At one point, she came home and was teaching us table manners! look, I knew from the first meeting it was a fairly strict environment with high expectations of our children as well as the parents. That works for us. It's challenging at times to not make excuses or enable because we don't want to see them uncomfortable. But the the skills she's learning there will take her far. She has risen to the occasion and is better for it. They have lots of fun programs for the kids too The point of this review was to show my support for an excellent school and staff. And to thank them for caring about my child's future. read more

My daughter has been going here for a year now and I'm very pleased with the school and staff. They challenge the kids yet give them plenty of opportunities to express themselves. I have never had a bad experience with any of the staff and I have found that the staff truly enjoys their time there. The kids have plenty of opportunities to learn, play and become socially strong. Parking is a challenge, but walking the 1/2 block from the adjacent Ralphs parking lot is no biggy. Go in, get a tour, and add Hickory Tree School to your Top 3 schools for your child. read more

I started my 4 year old son here a little over a month ago. This was his very first time being exposed to a school environment. I have been very pleased with the transition. Hickory Tree's teachers hold high standards to the children, and in return, my son has progressed to quickly. In less than a month he now knows how to write his name, and can identify his #'s. My son now begs me to come to school. Overall, my son is learning, the teachers are all great and I'm pleased to with our experience here so far. I highly recommend Hickory Tree School. read more

Hickory Tree School - Excited to go to school! - Elementary Schools Near Me - Torrance, California

My son attended this school for pre-K and the only reason I am giving two stars is because his teacher, Mrs. Adrienne, was amazing. The other teachers make this school a terrible choice, unfortunately. There were numerous times that he was publicly humiliated by the other teachers- as a 4 year old or any other age, this is NOT okay. My son would tell me about which teacher yelled at kids on the play yard when I picked him up each day. The owner/administrator hardly greeted me as I would pick my son up each day, as well. You would think that she would be happy to say hi to patrons that are paying to keep her school open. Some red flags that concerned me: -The first week that my son was at this school, he came home with bruises on his back which were quite alarming. He told me that some of the older kids were being mean to him on the playground, which was never corrected or addressed by any of the teachers although I mentioned it quite a few times. By law, preschool students and older students shouldn't be on the playground together at ANY time. -My son had brought a bracelet to school to share for "Share Day". He threw it up into a tree while playing with it on the yard, and the teacher supervising refused to help him get it down. Upon arriving to pick him up, he told me about the bracelet and I simply took a broomstick to get it down. It took all of 30-45 seconds to get, yet the teacher told me she didn't want to get it down because he probably would just throw it back up there again. Try some positive behavior management, please! -I attended the Halloween parade, and was greeted by a teacher asking me with the snarky comment, "So you're another lucky parent that doesn't have to work today... Must be nice." This same teacher never had anything positive to say, but one would hope that, on a day where many parents were visiting, she would be somewhat cheerful. Nope, not a chance. Looking back, I partially regret not pulling my son and placing him in a better school; only partially though, because Mrs. Adrienne made up for all the faults I could find within the rest of the school. She is truly a gifted teacher who has a genuine love for kids. read more

This is a school that produces great followers. As a lot of people have reviewed, yes, they focus greatly on the academics and they do also filter out children who are not "academically ready" to their standards. The school has a lot of pros for sure, but the cons are so serious that you should read my review to see if this is a right place for your child. Pros: - inexpensive by private school standars around south bay - long hours (great for working parents) - very minimal school closure - lunch is included and cooked fresh daily (for the money you're paying, I think there's not much to complain about. Don't expect gourmet, organic food. It is relatively good.) - Pretty advance reading & math (however if your child is very advanced, they will not work with him/her to get further) - excellent administrator - Ms. Andrea Cons: I can't simply list the cons as they are complex issues. Our major problem with the school was the teacher's lack of care toward our child's emotional well being. The school's main focus was to make sure all children follow the rules and they had zero tolerance and flexibility at all. My child loved going to school for the longest time, but when he transferred here, he started getting time-outs on a daily basis - most of them I found absurd - not putting his shoes on fast enough, not standing still in a straight line, asking too many questions in the classroom, not coloring inside the line, trying to read during nap time... The teacher was treating the kids like little soldiers! The school imposed a solid 2-hr nap time and you would not be allowed to read quietly - YOU MUST LAY DOWN AND NOT MOVE! When we first toured the school, we saw a pre-k kid got sent to sit alone in the back because he didn't sit up totally straight; another kid got in trouble for distributing pencils to his classmates because it was not his job. Your kid can be doing a lot of good deeds, like helping friends, but not getting any praise for it, instead, the teacher would immediately punish the child if he/she doesn't do exactly as told. The elementary school portion has an obvious imbalance of male:female student ratio (barely any male students). We had originally hoped to have our child here all the way through 5th grade (the main reason we picked this school.) After 1 miserable year in the PK class (my child was upset on almost daily basis that he couldn't please his teacher no matter how hard he tried - really broke our hearts), we finally understood the reason of such gender imbalance. The school basically filtered out kids who are not docile. Check it out, it's the truth. If you find yourself asking, "Is there something wrong with my kid? Are we not good parents? Why doesn't the teacher like my kid?" NO! The only thing that is wrong is the environment - we tried and tried and finally the best decision was to leave. If your child is bright, creative, and has leadership quality, the child will not fit in here - he/she will get in trouble for being too proactive, too inqusitive. This is a school that grooms excellent followers, but has no place for leaders. There are definitely other schools that care about each child's unique temperament, ability, creativity and personality instead of using a cookie-cutter approach. Our son started kindergarten in a different private school and is back to his old "I love school" self. read more

Hickorytree school is a fine upstanding example of what a private school is all about, strong academics and caring professional teachers. Parents must be advised that this program is an advanced program and if your child is not prepared to immerse his self in it it will be of little value to him or her. The school uses advanced reading and mathematics and students will begin in preschool will quickly find themselves operating at a grade level above those who are attending public schools. The school offers a fair and balanced discipline when there is a problem and makes every effort to resolve it with parents. The school could more professionally document injuries creating a form to send home to parents want to child is injured on the playground, etc. rather than a sample and written note. However, every time a child is injured even a minor scrapes or bruises the school does communicate with parents how the injury occurred and what first aid methods were applied. This school fosters a loving environment encouraging the children to embrace relationships with one another, encouraging athletic activity and providing entertaining field trips that are both fun and educational. When parents have a problem with the program it is usually because their child is in capable of fulfilling the great expectations and high standards set by the school administration. One cannot expect a child who is undisciplined at home to come to school and know how to sit still, be quiet, and learn the material that is being presented. As a former administrator of a private Christian school I can honestly say Hickory school does a fantastic job of educating children and preparing them for their life experience. read more

If I could give this school 10 stars I would!! I have two children attending, one in Pre-K and one in Kindergarten. They have both been at the school since Moon jumpers (Toddler class). I LOVE LOVE LOVE Hickory and can't imagine having had my children anywhere else. The core of the school is amazing because of the loving, sweet and extremely intelligent people they have working with the children. From the front desk, Mrs. Andrea, you are kindly greeted EVERY morning with a smile and a "good morning", my children run behind the desk and hug all of the staff, THEY ARE THAT HAPPY TO BE THERE! I don't ever recall being that happy to go to school. From there the teachers, not just the ones that are my children's teachers, say hello to me and my kids, what? how do they know my babies :0), because they are that kind of school. Then my children's teachers, Mrs. Marilyn and Mrs. Donna, OMG I love these woman and I know that my children will NEVER forget the positive, uplifting and caring imprint they have left on my children. I'm also extremely impressed by the director Mrs. Jennifer and the Principle. They are so involved with every accept of the kids daily lives and make sure that every experience will enhance their education and make them better students and people. The curriculum is an amazing balance of fun and learning. I must address the poor reviews here, please don't be swayed by these reviews, it's true that unfortunately not enough parents who also LOVE this school write a review. To that effect, I CALL ALL PARENTS of Hickory to write a review and tell everyone how amazing this school is. If people write to complain that the parking is bad, they are looking for convenience and not a top-knotch school who values academics and structure. If your child wasn't accepted as a good fit well then that makes me happy. I am glad that Hickory is selective about who attends the school. Why would anyone want to deal with a difficult parent??? That means that the focus will be taken off of the academics and that won't help the child or the parent. So to say someone isn't a good fit is a favor, they saved your time and the schools time. I see Mrs. Andrea at the front desk giving breathing treatments to multiple children throughout the day. I walk on the playground and see teachers sweetly comforting crying children or simply holding a toddler on their hip as they sing the ABC's. Mrs. Marilyn and Mrs. Donna have both gone an extra twenty miles to help my children when they were struggling with concepts by moving their desks closer to them and dedicating one-on-one time with them. I have been able to talk to both teachers anytime I needed and they have actively sought me out if they had concerns. WHERE ELSE DOES THIS HAPPEN!!! Hickory fosters and nurtures children in a way that no other school I have encountered has. They take great pride in feeding the kids healthy food, offering extracurricular activities to enrich their learning as well as at school and off campus field trips throughout the summer to keep the children active. They have Fun Fridays like crazy shirt or hair day, pajama day etc. They have contests like guess how many candy's in the jar and then the closest guesses when baskets filled with goodies. On every holiday my children bring home a special and thoughtful gift their teachers have helped them construct, the most recent was a fingerprint pendant necklace for Mothers Day. There is a class party for many of the holidays and teachers thoughtfully put together baskets, boxes and buckets of goodies for them each time :) . I leave any reader who is considering Hickory Tree as a school for their children with this. If you are blessed enough to get into this very in demand school then you will not be disappointed. However, remember that JUST because we pay for the school that doesn't give us the right to nit pick about EVERYTHING, be realistic, be kind and realize that Hickory TRULY treats the children like their own. Hickory has ALWAYS accepted my children, my children tell their teachers they love them everyday. Every day I drop my children off and I KNOW that they will be cared for. They take care of my babies and give them an amazing education to top it off, for that I love them and am eternally grateful. read more

The school is advertised as a private school with a preschool program. I have no experience with the school portion, only that the lunch options provided all involve unhealthy options - processed foods, junk foods, etc. My child was enrolled in the preschool last summer. The rooms, the playground - everything looked nice enough. But then when we started attending, we were more and more unpleasantly surprised: 1) we were told they had a movie night every Thursday. This was a red flag, but ok, we went with it as these were supposed to be educational movies. What it really meant was that every Thursday the kids were placed in front of a tv and we're made to watch cartoons until they got picked up. Needless to say the kids were all restless and extremely cranky. What's more as the summer went by, my child came home and said they watched a movie that day. At first I thought she was confusing it with another day, but then I asked the receptionist about it and she said they had to do it because it was a rainy day. There were like 5 rainy day in the entire summer, yet they watched tv several times a week each week. 2) My child was supposed to be in the class with the principal as the teacher. At first we were impressed that she'd have access to the principal. What it meant in reality is that the principal had to combine being in class with her other duties, so she was there only for a couple hours each day, with the rest of the time the kids being randomly distributed to other classrooms. Every morning we came in and had no idea where to drop her off, as there was no plan in place to distribute them, and I've actually heard other teachers complain when they were told by the receptionist they'd have to take another kid. 3) They has some sort of celebration and asked all parents to pitch in. I have not realized this was happening because at pickup no one has any idea what's going on and the communication was in their classroom while we picked her up in a different class every night. The day before the party she got told by a teacher that she would not get to participate in the celebration because she didn't bring anything for the party. That was outrageous and non-inclusive! Think of families hat do not have the means to contribute to every party and their kids being blamed and excluded from the group. 4) when we picked my child up, nobody could tell me about her day as she was being moved from class to class so much that she didn't have a consistent teacher during the day. I don't know if the regular school year is different, but if you do want to place your child there for the summer, prepare for a disorganized mess and lots of TV. read more

My youngest son has attended this school for 6 great years. I have older children that went through the public school system & I wish I could have had them graduate from hickory tree also. My older children needed help with there homework every night and that made it hard for a working mother, but my youngest had no problem doing all his homework by himself. Hickory Tree School has a great academic program & the smaller class sizes makes it great for the students to get all the help they need from thier teachers. read more

My two boys go to Hickory Tree, one is in kindergarten and the other is in 2nd. My boys love going to school and love it at Hickory Tree. The staff is wonderful and it's very much a family environment. I'm so lucky that I know my boys are getting a great education with great teachers. read more

I tried enrolling my son into kindergarten and was told he didn't "qualify"??? He didn't qualify because he couldn't add and write his name very clear.Mind you he was 4 1/2 years old trying to go into kinder. I actually had the NAACP investigate my case. I felt the principal and the administration was very racist. I wouldn't have my kids there even if it was free. read more

I was looking for ZERO stars but will give them 1 star since zero is not available. This school does not protect children. The school staff will protect teachers at all cost even if the teachers they hire abuse students. We have enrolled our children at this school since 2009. My 4 year old was enrolled in this school and he was hit by a new teacher with an object and reprimanded for not doing his school work correctly. When we confronted the teacher and principal to sort out the facts, the principal said that children tend to "stretch the truth" and dismissed my son's recount of events. They handled this situation very poorly and did not once try to see both sides. There was NO corrective action taken against the teacher and she still works there. We filed a police report to make sure it gets on her record. Be very careful if you are a parent with children enrolled in this school. Your child is not safe with that teacher still there. I used to be a walking advertisement for this school because they have a very strong academic program but after this incident I withdrew my child from the school. No need to sponsor a school that condones child abuse and protects the abuser! read more

This preschool is absolutely fabulous! My daughter loves her teacher Ms. Adrienne! The whole staff is very personable and caring about your child's well being. School is very well maintained, clean, organized, and with a good curriculum. My daughter is 5 and she is learning Spanish already. AWESOME PLACE! read more

My two daughters attended preschool and kindergarten at this school. They absolutely loved their experience, and my wife and I have nothing but great things to say. The staff truly cares about the students and students work a grade level ahead of the California standards. My children were both very well prepared to start first grade and are performing well above grade level. This school does not nickel and dime you like some other places. You basically just drop your children off in the morning and they feed, educate, exercise, and care for them until you can pick them up. We never once worried about their health or education during their entire time there. It is on the smaller side, but safe and well maintained. You should check it out. read more