My daughter started at Wildflower when she turned three, and she's been loving it! The kids spend a…read morelot of time outside everyday, not just at the playground but also in the woods, at the mud pit and bike path. She has so much fun, coming home tired and content. The teachers are nurturing, loving and attentive. I especially appreciate how they educate kids to be wholesome human beings, care for each other and solve conflicts among themselves.

The teachers are the most patient and positive human beings I have ever come across, and have made…read moremy daughter's first experience with out-of-home care the best I could hope for. Her imagination and confidence have both blossomed since she began there. I only wish the program extended to kindergarten and beyond.

We recently moved away from Durham and leaving Indigo was the hardest part. As a new mom, I was…read moreterrified of making the wrong daycare choice. From Day 1, Ms. Luisa and the rest of the staff made me feel so at ease. Our girl attended Indigo from 7 to 12 months and she never had a bad day. She LOVED going to see Ms. Luisa every day - I can say with confidence that she loved our daughter like her own. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. We miss you, Indigo!

Oh, my ickle baby is growing up! Greer started school last week, at a mere eleven weeks old. She…read moreis by far the youngest baby in her class; her classmates are all over a year old, and move up to a classroom for older babies next month, and then Greer will be all alone, so please send new friends for her to play with! I cannot bestow enough praise on Indigo. Last summer, my husband and I toured a few daycare centers, and Indigo blew away the competition, as far as we were concerned. The school practices the Montessori philosophy, which fosters a loving environment where children can grow and learn at their own pace, allowing them to spend extra time on the activities that interest them most. I found this much more attractive than your average (or above-average or even excellent) state-licensed daycare center (and I used to work at one several years ago, so I have an insider's knowledge), where the state's early childhood curriculum---and not necessarily the child's strengths and interests---rule the school. The director and teachers are loving and capable, and there is very little staffing turnover, unlike at the daycare center where I used to work, where conditions were unpleasant, and we teachers were rarely allowed to call in sick. I recall, in the short year that I worked there, nearly everyone---adults and children included---having strep throat, myself as well, and I am rarely sick. When Greer first started, her teacher, Ms. Michelle, was out sick for two days. You might think, eeks!, the teacher's sick!, but I considered this a very positive statement about the working environment at Indigo. If you're sick, stay home, get better, then come love on these kids. I think that's fantastic. Indigo Montessori and Wonderland Enrichment Arts are two separate entities that are located in the same historic building near Brightleaf Square in downtown Durham, that function as one. Wonderland operates from 8:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., then it's Indigo from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. (which is when I pick up my bebeh), then Wonderland again from 1:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. These four-hour-or-less blocks allow Indigo and Wonderland to function with needing state accreditation, which means more freedom in their curriculum and lower costs and a more flexible schedule for parents and their kids. I drop my baby Greer off at Wonderland at 8:00 a.m., then pick her up from Indigo at 1:30 p.m. (I then work from home until 5:00 p.m.). In the summer (June through August), Indigo is closed, and Wonderland operates its own summer camp, with full or half day options.

Both of our children, our son and daughter, attended The Goddard School of Durham, and we have…read moreconsistently been impressed with the quality of care and education they received. The teaching staff is knowledgeable, caring, and skilled at fostering each child's development. Our kids grew tremendously in confidence, social skills, and academic readiness during their time here. The teachers took the time to understand each child's individual needs and learning style, which made a significant difference in their progress. The curriculum is well-structured and age-appropriate. Daily communication kept us informed about our kids' activities and development. We also loved the constant stream of photos we received through their app; it helped us put faces to the names of our children's friends and sparked conversations at dinnertime. The facilities are clean, safe, and well-maintained with great outdoor play areas. As working parents, we appreciated the reliability and peace of mind that come with quality childcare. The staff treated our children with genuine care and helped create a positive foundation for their future learning. Our son is transitioning out after several years, and we are confident--just as we were with our daughter--that the skills and preparation he has gained at Goddard will serve him well. We would definitely recommend this school to other families seeking quality early childhood education.

I have visited the Durham Goddard several times and this particular teacher in the Preschool is not…read morevery friendly with the teachers that is her classroom and she is very rude and disrespectful, she believes in yelling at her students and the teachers and wonder why she doesn't have a teacher in her classroom

I love this School. My kids have gone here and it is truly amazing. The teachers are so kind and…read morehave the kids best interest in mind.

Summer Camp Review: I think the young adult counsellors are not implementing the program as on…read morepaper. Such a disappointment as it really missed the mark. Of course, not all counsellors but the few we experienced have put on movies, and are kinda immature in interacting during parent interaction. Don't get me wrong nobody is mean but the place isn't worth the price at all. YMCA is running laps around Duke School summer camp in terms of fun energy and don't tell me it's educational and cut out half the stated activities b/c suzie q didn't remember. Overall Duke School is a master a marketing an illusion of what it thinks it is. Maybe 20 years ago dude...

Absolutely love OPH. The indoor space is lovely, clean, and engaging - but the outdoor space takes…read morethe cake. Huge trees, way more outdoor space than any other preschool/daycare nearby. The teachers and staff are all incredible. They really get to know the families and treat all the children as their own. Highly recommend!

PLEASE READ before you enroll with Our Playhouse Preschool…read more The philosophy is a dream and it all looks and feels picture perfect when you are there BUT the Owners are NOT trustworthy and have wreaked havoc on the Lexington KY community- where they opened a school in 2015 and suddenly closed it with a 2 week notice in January of 2019. To make a very long story short, the owners, without warning to parents or teachers, closed the school with a two week notice in January of 2019. They never paid any of the parents back their deposits, which they require for each student that enrolls unless you pay in full for the entire year. They never paid any of the parents back that had paid in full for the school year (through May). Mostly though, they crushed many people and good hearts in the process. They broke the contracts they had with each family and have never paid them back the money they are owed. Please, don't let this happen to your family! With the best intentions, I warn you about these people. Please, look out for yourselves!!

Tammy is the most heartless Head of School who openly shows no care for students and their…read morefamilies, neither the well being of her staff members. This school has no regards on separating families whose lives changed due to relocation and can't afford to break contract because they want parents to pay for a whole school year, even when they are not providing the educational services. Family dynamics change, families get relocated, and they have no concerns on the separation anxieties on their students about the parents, or their mental health. They have 0 empathy and unwilling to work things out to keep families together. She also mistreated staff members that she doesn't like and keep things behind parents knowledge.

Ask yourself how would you want your school to act during a crisis?…read moreHere is our experience ... On January 2020, we signed a 5 months contract with MSD for both our kids - a 20m old baby and a 4y. Despite missing half the school year, MSD refused to prorate the admission fee of $2,200 per 2 kids. We were a little surprised how much the kids struggled in the first 2 months. The 4 years old had experienced physical and emotional bulling from older boys, and we had to intervene time and again. The toddler could not express himself. However, every time we picked him up we were terribly disturbed. Our baby was waiting for us every day outside in the playground in the cold days of January and February. Standing alone, he was motionless, looking visibly cold and uncomfortable. His bib was always dirty and terribly wet, making his chin red and irritated; his hands and nose red and very cold to touch. It was so stressful to see, we had to complain several times but things improves only a bit. Sadly, just as the children begin to settle in a bit, the school had to close due to coronavirus. When it was clearly a long-term situation, the school tried to adapt the framework of higher education institutions and move to distance learning. With an email a day per each kid, the school has tried to offer its distance learning for toddlers and preschool kids as a fair replacement for in person/ class learning. And without mentioning any official change to its policy nor a discussion of the contractual agreement between us, the school began to reframe its digital effort as an interchangeable learning tool to the traditional Montessori experience. A friend described the irony to me in such elegance: "a virtual Montessori classroom is an oxymoron ..... Providing digital services to you as a parent is the exact opposite of what you paid for". We told the principal that ultimately in our case, the distance learning the school has offered fails to address our family needs. At the developmental stage of toddlers and young preschoolers, distance learning requires unreasonable level of parental engagement and it puts an overwhelming burden on working parents like us. We acknowledged that perhaps this is useful learning tools for their K-6 graders who are older and can better study and follow instructions independently with limited need for parental oversight and engagement. But it fall on deaf ears. MSD has pushed back against any claims we made for getting a refund. And with with just an email, they moved to charge us tuition for distance learning in the same rate it had charged us for its traditional 5 days schedule in-person program from 8-12pm. And so, we have now unwillingly found ourselves having paid Montessori School of Durham $18k for as little as +2 months of school. And if this not enough, now we had to worry also about next year. Having signed a 2020-2021contract with the school in Feb 2020, we have been weary of similar outcomes in the likely event of a second wave of the virus next year. Making several attempts via emails and phone calls, we asked MSD to clarify its financial policy for next year and an update to the contract accordingly. The Principal has refused to answer. So we asked to withdraw our kids enrollment from next school year 2020-2021 since we do not agree with the current change of term and their refusal to update us with next year policies. The Principal responded with a threat to sue us for the full yearly tuition of both kids as well as the school legal fees. Apply to MSD and this will be your partner in a time of crisis.

Both my nieces strolled through this establishment. They turned out ok, so, i guess DA has…read moresomething to do with that. Ya feel me?

Durham Academy is one of the top private schools in North Carolina. The focus is on building…read moreleaders, not in just educating. The preschool is a warm and enriching environment. The lower school starts the educational journey, which continues progressing through High School. Classes are roughly 16-20 students, with daily enrichment classes across all disciplines. 100% of graduating seniors go to college, with most going to first choice schools.

Our family's experience with IMS Durham has been deeply disappointing and frustrating. We enrolled…read moreour three-year-old expecting a safe environment and constructive communication with parents, but repeated injury-related incidents and the school's responses ultimately caused us to lose confidence in both. And as it turned out that IMS is not licensed, it is unclear what governmental or other oversight bodies are responsible for oversight of student safety. Among other incidents, our daughter cut her finger while provided a manual pencil sharpener with a metal blade in the classroom to use independently and later came home with unexplained scratches near her eyelids. In another incident, according to the school's own account, a staff member took her hand while redirecting her to sit down, after which she began crying. She reported an arm injury and requested ice. After pickup, she was in significant pain and unable to lift her arm; she was subsequently diagnosed with nursemaid's elbow and required medical reduction. On another day, she sustained a significant tongue injury during nap time. When we picked her up, her shirt and blanket had substantial blood on them, yet we had not been contacted beforehand. We were told that approximately 16-17 children ages 3-6 were in the room and that one of the two people supervising them at that time was a 15-year-old girl on her first day. What troubled us most was what happened when we repeatedly raised safety and communication concerns. At our first and only in-person meeting with the Head of School, which primarily concerned our child's safety, our recollection is that she told us early in the discussion that if we were uncomfortable with the school's practices, we could look for another school before discussing the concerns. We followed IMS's own Handbook process and ultimately escalated our unresolved concerns to the Board Chair. We met with the Board Chair online to discuss them, but before receiving follow-up, IMS terminated our three-year-old daughter's re-enrollment only days before the new school year began. Our daughter had not been accused of misconduct or behavioral problems. The termination letter instead cited the frequency and nature of our communications--including concerns about injuries, supervision, parent notification, and regulatory status--as part of its reasoning. We were left scrambling to find another school at the last minute. In the previous two years in a daycare in another city, our kid was doing quite well. Based on our family's 7-month experience with IMS, we cannot recommend IMS.

Incredible dual-language programming in a Montessori setting with experienced and caring teachers…read moreand admin. Strong and vibrant parent community.

I attended Emerson Waldorf School for 10 years. To say I loved my time there is an understatement…read more I went from crying everyday at my charter school in first grade to thriving academically, socially, and artistically. At Emerson, students are not only seen as learners, but also as whole people who have thoughts, ambitions, and capacities beyond memorizing formulas. In elementary school I learned through stories and to this day I am able to remember the content of the lessons- the math activities that helped me learn all my times tables forwards and backwards, the stories I wrote in cursive, the doll I knit in second grade. In middle school, I wasn't taking tests to measure my knowledge, but instead I was writing stories and drawing depictions based on the lessons of Ancient Egypt, Geography, History, etc. Thanks to Emerson I can write college level essays (I got A's on all of my first semester college papers), I play the cello, I sell crocheted hats and knitted socks, I love sports thanks to my years on the volleyball team, I honestly love math, and I have still kept the friendships from my years at Emerson. I think that is what I love most. The students are so kind and everyone is able to be their truest self without shame. There are no expectations to conform to what society (or social media) thinks is popular at the time. Every child deserves to attend Emerson Waldorf School.

Academics is delivered in a unique and creative way here. Using the Waldorf approach has proven…read morehighly effective for our son who has been there for 9 years now. Grateful to his teacher Mr. Wiley.

We are halfway through our second year at RUMC Preschool and it has been a great experience! The…read morestaff are very kind and responsive, and truly care about all the preschool families. It's a small community, which I enjoy and which allows great accessibility. They also allow and encourage parents to be as involved as they would like to be. My daughters are well cared for, loved, and have thrived in the school. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Both of my sons attend this preschool and I can't say enough good things about it. All the teachers…read moreare so incredibly caring and engaging and the director (Amy) is amazing! My kids absolutely love going to school which is a big deal to me as a previous teacher. I knew preschool would be their first introduction to the school setting (even though the majority of their day is play based) and I could not be happier with our choice!