My son went to all 4 years of high school at Ojai Valley school , and it was a wonderful experience…read moreand a great decision for him. The small classes and the attentive teachers were wonderful and made all the difference compared to a public high school. He was able to excel academically with knowledgeable teachers and AP science, math, Spanish, and English classes, he participated in leadership activities, participated as a drummer in a band all 4 years, lead an archery club, played soccer, acted and sang in plays that were well directed but also did not overwhelm his academic schedule, and he made friends in lots of social settings. The visual art classes and the ceramics classes were also superb. Best of all , my son had a wonderful college counselor who led us through the whole college application process . My son applied to 14 universities and got into 12 with scholarships. All the high school graduates with my son went straight to 4 year universities, among them, UCSB- my sons choice - UC Berkeley, UCSD, UC Santa Cruz, Boston University, Whittier College, and other great private liberal colleges as well. Ojai Valley High School was also very strict and they even expelled a few of my sons classmates who were using marijuana. Children leave this high school as young men and women ready to take on the challenges of universities and the next phase of their lives.

School still sucks. I graduated but those experiences still stayed with me. It's horrible there. I…read moreespecially wouldn't recommend anyone to attend boarding, it's just horrible. Education is tolerable for the most part that I could remember, sixth grade was a breeze for me. However the boarding aspect is horrid.

I hope this review will force the Board of Trustees to seriously question the school's current…read moreleadership. It needs to change; the sooner, the better. Until then, spare yourself and your child the endless frustration and misery of trying to communicate with people who simply do not respond. It's unfathomable to think about spending this kind of money only to be ghosted by a school's top administrators. Yet, since enrolling in early May, that is what has happened to our family. As a local Ojai resident, the many scathing reviews in recent years puzzled me having heard rave reviews from local friends and parents when our family first moved here in 2016. Besant seemed to have so many positive aspects, and my child was drawn to these strengths. We applied and were accepted, hoping the scathing reviews were wrong. The reviews were not wrong. We were. In choosing Besant Hill. Since I enrolled my child in early May, I have been trying for three months to have one simple 30-minute conversation with the Director of Academics about course selection. I called. I emailed. I reached out to other administrators for help. When, and if, I would receive a response, it would lack any substance often offering to set up a time to talk, only to be ghosted upon any attempt to follow up. This deeply unprofessional administration showed our family in these three months since enrolling that they cannot competently do their jobs so there's no way that I can send my child there in good conscience. We waited beyond a reasonable amount of time to hear back from them with answers to our basic questions. I have withdrawn my child from Besant Hill and enrolled them somewhere else. I received more answers to questions in four days of applying to my child's new school than I've gotten in three months from Besant Hill since paying tuition. I am confident that the new school community we just joined is thriving and the administrators and faculty there will be able to meet my child's needs. This is what private school families are seeking and deserve.

In my experience, Besant Hill School did not provide the supportive environment I was hoping for. I…read moreoften felt that certain students were treated unfairly, and I found the discipline process to be inconsistent and unclear. Communication from the administration left me frustrated, and I did not always feel that student concerns were taken seriously. I was particularly disappointed with how student affairs issues were handled. From my perspective, there was a lack of empathy and understanding when students raised concerns. Rather than feeling supported, I often felt dismissed. Every student's experience may be different, but based on my time at the school, I would not recommend it to others looking for a positive and supportive school environment.

Oak Grove School is such an outstanding environment for a child to learn, develop and flourish…read more It's faculty and staff are top notch and truly believe in the mission of the school. OGS provides excellent college preparatory education in an environment that allows the individual to discover, question and explore. - Former Staff Member

Oak Grove is a place where every child is met exactly where they are. This is one of the most…read morepowerful ways to raise inquisitive, healthy adults. OGS is a caring, inclusive, open-minded community. Students are given opportunities to explore nature, the world, and themselves in ways few other schools are able to offer. It was my home for 8 years, and I still feel at home when I visit campus. Keep doing what you do best, and go Lizards!

The best was so fun to see and send my kids to All the staff…read morewas nice and the place is always clean

The campus is beautiful! All of the Freshman are loaned a horse to take care of and learn to ride…read more After their Freshman year, they can continue with their horse or let it go to next year's incoming Freshman. The Freshman dorms are "singles" so they don't have to share their bedroom with anyone else. Several of the teacher's have dogs, so you'll see some dogs around campus. The staff and administrators seem to genuinely care about each individual student.

I've been here for only five weeks so far in the 9th grade but I already love it. Two weeks in and…read moreI found the person I'd like to believe is my soul mate. While some teachers might be on the stranger side, they all have your best interest at heart. The snacks aren't "heathy" but you wouldn't really expect health from a public school. There is little to none bullying. Spanish 1 isn't good this year on the count of the fact the my teacher is very undisciplined and I constantly getting migraines. But over all this school is awesome, is better than most private schools accept for thatcher and Villanova but they are quite expensive and you would expect excellence from a highly expensive school (not counting ovs)

Nordhoff did a great job educating me and preparing me for college. A lot of my writing skills that…read moreI have to this day were honed at Nordhoff by the great English teachers. A lot of the advanced classes, especially history, were more in depth than college classes. I have fond memories. Great sports and extracurriculars too.

oh happy chap…read more.. this was a great school for all those who could not hang with the scene/douche bags at nordhoff. being within walking distance from my house, i was able to catch up with all the backlogged requirements in my HS education, keep a parttime job and play in a punk rock band....all while keeping a 3.6 GPA. god bless the guy piasco experience! "first i get to drinkin....then i get to thinkin....then i get to a drinkin and a thinkin...." the man loved cooking italian food, JFK, playing piano, drinkin and teaching kids everyone else gave up on.

My experiences with this school are over the years when they've hosted parking for shuttles for the…read moreOjai Music Festival's Holiday Homes Tour. Many years, the gym has also been the site of the Marketplace gift boutique. This year they moved the Marketplace to another venue, but kept the shuttle destination at the school. Parking is not that plentiful, but they had an overflow solution available. We don't live in the area, so aren't up on the school's ratings or general reputation. Judging by the Quonset hut style gym building, it's a historic campus. Situated in a largely residential neighborhood, it is away from the town's core, which makes it a good location for shuttle ride staging for special events.

Beautiful baseball fields and scenery. The school graciously allowed Ojai Valley Little League and…read moreCalifornia District 63 to use their fields as back up after a rain event flooded our usual venues. Parents, teams and umpires were very appreciative.

The cross country track is really bad. The restrooms are unclean and mid. Would not recommend using…read morethe bathroom at this school.