I visited this quintessentially uniquely designed elementary school by Evoke Studio Architecture in…read moreDurham NC - to watch a family member's performance. At first glance - the quality of this building is evident. The value was in being outside - enjoying the festivities while observing this location. Complimentary water -fruit & snacks available & food trucks were on the other side of the building. This school is located on an incline - seemly semi secluded for optimal security. It was a picture perfect day - sunshine - just a light jacket or long sleeve shirt day - the building is sprawled over a cleverly designed landscape- it is a multi level very large building with protected outside playgrounds spaces and a lower level walking trail.It is also authentically pleasing to the eye -generous outside spaces for children to run & jump & play for outside activities.I was told there were elevators and stairs for options for accessibility. I look forward to viewing the interior at another time. It was a beautiful experience- this location is minutes away from major interstates - a major mall- accommodations - numerous restaurants-

We love this school, and whatever happened with the 1 star administration, we have felt nothing but…read morekindness, respect, and professionalism from the current administration. This school us beautiful in every way, with such heart and soul. I want to invent a time machine so I can go back to being a kid and enroll myself here. Enough said.

This is an excellent Montessori school. We're sending our son to pre-school there. Although it is…read morepretty expensive ($8k+), he has really developed there and the educational staff there is top notch. Montessori schools can be a crap shoot since Miss Montessori in her infinite wisdom never trademarked her school name or philosophy. So any joker can call themselves a Montessori school. There are a few in Chapel Hill like this. However this school is a legit Montessori school. It's accredited by one of the big Montessori organizations and they take their training seriously there. I think all of the teachers are Montessori certified, most of the helpers too. What really impressed me on the tour was that all the teachers have been there for many years. They're all really dedicated to the children and letting them explore their world. The facilities are ridiculously nice. They have wonderful playgrounds and the middle school is new. They have a new music and art building which is amazingly nice. You get what you pay for in this case. They have very active parents who organize multiple fundraisers for the school. I've got no reservations about sending my son here.

We moved our children to Global Montessori Academy ( off Hwy 55 but close to West Cary and the RTP…read morearea ) due to the school's proximity to my work place. It was the best decision we could have made for our children that year. The Director Ms Mary and all the teachers there are wonderful , approachable and very hardworking. My children learnt so much at GMA in the 1 year that they were there that I wish I had sent them to GMA right from the beginning -we really miss the school. The school has a curriculum which they set out for the year( they email the schedule at the beginning of the year). The children enjoyed many field trips . My children learnt complex science terms, history, music and much more. GMA does not advertise much. Its mainly word of mouth publicity. I am glad to see they finally made an appearance on yelp which is why I am posting here. GMA is also open to newborns and toddlers but I do not have experience with those teachers so cannot really say much. They also have a school bus in case you cannot pick or drop off your children to school and I liked the fact they are open almost all year except during the December holidays ( a blessing for working parents). One area of improvement is that I wish they had a better play yard but overall that was less of a concern for me.

I have so many wonderful things to say about Greenwood Forest (GFCC)! I have no hesitations about…read moreleaving my son in the care of the GFCC staff. We are going into his third year of enrollment and I'm constantly amazed at how much he has bloomed and what he has learned in his time there. The teachers are absolute gems, the administration is attentive and personable, and the whole school feels like a community. I love that my son is exposed to things that I can't expose him to on an everyday basis, especially other cultures and traditions. We live about 35 minutes from the school and the commute is totally worth it for the school. I could not have asked for a better fit for our family!

GFCC has been wonderful for our 3 year old. We first checked it out on the recommendation of a…read morefriend and it is a loving, warm place for kiddos. Our "slow to warm up" kiddo loved it on the first day and was always happy and excited on "school" days. They really let the kids be who they are, meet them where they are, and foster their interests. He was able to paint everyday and they have a music teacher, which is great. The playground is lovely and the kids/other families are kind. I highly recommend. Also, they are associated with Greenwood Forest Baptist church, but it is a non-religious pre-school and GFBC supports LBTQIA and BLM.

The best preschool around, hands down! I cannot say enough great things about this school and…read morestaff. When we toured this place, I knew it was the perfect school for our children. There are no words to describe Arts Together, it is just a very unique and wonderful school with phenomenal staff.

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

Our family's experience with IMS Durham has been deeply disappointing. We enrolled our…read morethree-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. Among other incidents, our daughter cut her finger while independently using a manual pencil sharpener in the classroom 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. During summer camp, 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 was 15 years old. What troubled us most was what happened when we repeatedly raised safety and communication concerns. We followed IMS's own Handbook process and ultimately escalated our unresolved concerns to the Board Chair. We met with the Board Chair to discuss them, but before receiving substantive 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. Based on our family's experience, we cannot recommend IMS.

We love St. Andrews ECC! So much so that even with options closer to my house we are staying here!…read moreThe teachers invest so much into the students. My son skips down the hallway to his classroom. His speech and language has blossomed. He's also learned how to interact with others socially. It's extremely clean. I've never had any negative experiences with staff. In fact, staff is accessible and even go out of their way to insure we're having a positive experience. I highly recommend!

I saw the previous reviewer had an unpleasant experience with the gatekeeper. I just wanted to…read morewrite that I had the opposite experience. Everyone I have spoken with has been friendly and helpful. My kids don't go there (yet) but I'd be happy to give ECC a try.

Your child's safety is not a priority at this facility. On 9/1/21, my 1-year old was injured due to…read morethe negligence of the staff. They allowed three toddlers to be on a climbing toy meant for one child at a time. Two of them fell on my child and he busted his lip. In video footage, a staff member walks right past them shortly before the accident occurred. We were very disappointed in the initial response from the staff at all levels. Which did not match the gravity of the situation. When I was informed by Ashley Litchfield (Director), I told her I would be there right away. However, when I arrived to speak with her 25min later, she had left. The teachers in the classroom showed little remorse. So, I had to take my child home with inconsistent information on what happened. It was difficult to reach someone in leadership to address our concerns that evening. It wasn't until my husband called to escalate the situation and request a meeting, that we received more details from Ashely & Lynn (Owner). I won't even get into the issues we had with Grant (Owner's son) and his unprofessionalism on different occasions. We had to request that an actual accident report be done. Only after we filed a complaint with the regional office was an investigation and additional "safety training" conducted. Although we already had a few complaints about this facility, imagine the horror of finding a bloody shirt in your child's bag without notice? My son has not returned since that day, and I don't recommend sending your children here. At least Lynn was "gracious" enough to say "we will not financially hold you to our policy of a thirty-day written notice of disenrollment." Are you kidding me?

Horrible location and staff. There is no one-on-one attention and the classrooms are jam packed…read morewith little staff.