June 7, 2026 Parent of a new Walden grad here. Walden's priority is to foster a love for learning and to support children in a nurturing environment through arts, academics, and community. Walden is simultaneously a safe place for children to try new things and a competent and professional environment where students receive individual attention to progress objectively. As a professional in healthcare, I had my initial concerns about not having grades, but I've since been converted, seeing how positively the kids interact with their teachers and each other. 1. Coursework: a. Reading/Writing: The literature they choose is level appropriate in difficulty and has content that spans the globe, sparking discussion about issues the kids may not be exposed to in their East Bay lives. b. Math: My child is advanced in math and likes solving puzzles, and he was shown good habits for organization. Many American kids struggle with math, so in my opinion the pace of the class is a little slower than my child could have gone. But I think they need to teach to the class's pace, and they do a great job of showing math's applications in the world to make it both fun and practical for the kids who are more math-averse. c. Science: There is didactic and experimental material in life and earth sciences. Every year, the whole school does science projects, where students pose a research question, design a study, collect data, and then present a poster to the whole community on science night. d. Social Sciences/History/Current Events: Students learn about both US and world events and reflect on the shared points of humanity. During drop-offs or pick-ups, I might have had news radio on in the car, and my son would inquire about or contribute to conversations about Palestine, for example. There was a period of a month or two where there was a ceasefire, and my son was so initially overjoyed, followed by sadness when the ceasefire was broken. It is through true caring about the people involved that he wanted to know more about the complex history of the region and do what part we can to promote tolerance. e. Spanish: The kids read books aloud, sing songs, and explore cultural themes in Spanish-speaking culture. Their dia de los muertos celebration of ancestors is a powerful event. f. Visual arts: The art room has weaving, drawing, painting, sculpture, beadwork, digital and analog art. Student work is all over the school. g. Drama/Movement: Students learn to be confident in front of others and express themselves through their bodies. h. Music: Each student's vocal range is documented, and they work on pitch, rhythm, instrumental music (recorder, mallets). They have opportunities for performance for the community. The Upper Group puts on a Broadway style musical theater production each spring - a truly spectacular event, with live accompaniment from a pit ensemble. 2. Community: One central theme of the school is how volunteers from the community can make beautiful and incredible events. Highlights include a winter gala, a spring fair with games, prizes, food, music, and a darling cake-walk, where children pick out a cake to take home. Parents meet each other and the kids through the community events. Sleeves are rolled up to keep the campus clean and events bright. 3. Field Trips: They go to plays, dance performances, on 3-day camping trips, museums. We shed many tears of joy throughout our Walden experience and give it the highest recommendation for yours. read more

We absolutely love Walden!!! I have 2 kids that attended Walden from kindergarten to 5th grade, one graduated in 2023 and the other just graduated in 2026. Walden is a truly amazing place and my family is so lucky to be a part of it. The community is tight knit and always supports each other. The students are prepared to succeed in middle school and beyond by integrating arts and academics, while also being taught how to advocate for themselves and stand up for each other. The teachers are kind and understanding and know how to support your child in their individual learning style. The kids feel loved and seen as who they are . When a new kid joins they get immediately accepted into the community, which is something so special about Walden. I was a teacher for 7 years and coached teachers at numerous schools, and I can confidently say Walden is the best one. My kids are obsessed with Walden and are so grateful that they had the chance to go to school at Walden for many years. I highly recommend Walden for any student. read more

Walden has been a life-changing experience in the best possible way for our family and our neurodivergent, nonbinary child! We joined when they were in 3rd grade and stayed through 5th grade. Our child was welcomed with open arms, supported with their sensory and other challenges and celebrated for who they are. They started out not being able to go to music class because it was too loud....and then finished by performing on stage in two end of year musicals. We started with a plan for our child to miss a day of school once a week and slowly decreased to every other week, once a month, until they were attending the full school week consistently. We started with our child getting to school on the back of our cargo bike and finished with them being able to bike round trip (5 miles total). This has all been because of the slow, consistent support and loving care from the Walden community. Because of Walden, our child identifies as an artist, has grown as a scientist, enjoys math and has moved from only reading graphic novels and refusing to write more than a sentence to reading chapter books by choice and writing long stories, persuasive essays and even a graduation speech! Our child is now ready to head to Middle School with confidence because of the support they've received from Walden. read more

I went to Walden for 6 years it changed my life. It is the best school ever and everything about makes you feel like you belong. It's like a family for me and everyone is a very tight knit community. Everyone is really welcoming and you can always find a friend to talk to. When I joined Walden it felt like everyone wanted to be my friend and that made me love it so much. The teachers are very kind and considerate and I have very close bonds with a lot of them. A lot of kids including me are friends with kids from different grades and the students treat them equally. There are so many great traditions to look forward to like spirit week and pizza day. Students learn how to solve conflicts and tackle social justice challenges to make the world a better place. I really could not express how much gratitude I have for this school. The academics set me up to thrive and exceed expectations in middle school because I learned through fun and play. Walden teaches so much but kids don't even know they are doing school because the work is so fun. Walden inspired me to want to be a teacher when I'm older because I had such a great time at Walden. my dream is to work at Walden because I had such a wonderful experience there. Walden teaches students to make the world a better place and set them up academically for later life. Walden is truly the best place ever (I'm not exaggerating) and any kid would be so lucky and grateful to attend Walden I really recommend applying to see how much of an amazing school it is. The teachers truly care about the students and want them to be successful in later life. I really hope people see how amazing this school really is. read more

My first grade son has only been at Walden for about a month but he is so in love with the school that I can already confidently write a review. We did our elementary school research over a two-year period in the midst of COVID. We applied to four different private schools and got into all four. Ultimately we decided on Walden because of the unique co-op model of governance that infuses a strong sense of community and engagement, the incredibly integrated arts program, the small classes, and the inviting environment. It is not the most modern looking buildings or high-tech space but it has soul (and is well-laid out with mature fruit trees and nooks and crannies for the kids to play in during their generous outdoor free time). We are so happy to hear our child already developing an awareness of social justice issues (see his spontaneous illustration that he drew at home this week!) and to have already developed strong relationships with his teacher (who he ADORES) and his friends. Like the other reviews also said, our son looks forward to school everyday. The other day he told me, "mom, Walden was such a good choice." I will say it's probably best suited for a family that enjoys being involved in their child's education and wants to be part of a school community (there is a 50 hour work commitment). Thanks to the parent involvement and the general co-op model, they are able to keep the cost of the school more affordable than other private schools. Highly recommend everyone to check out Walden! read more

Walden Center and School - "We believe in justice!" A spontaneously drawn illustration by my first grader who started at Walden a month ago. - Elementary Schools Near Me - Berkeley, California

I can't say enough good things about Walden. We (or, more specifically, our elementary kid) joined the school mid-year, after mixed experiences with the public system. Walden (faculty and students) were exceptionally welcoming and caring and made this an easy transition. The school is strong in agency development, art, and drama; and also academically is solid in sciences and liberal arts. The school is pretty small, and so are the classes, and there is a strong sense of community. I highly recommend Walden school. read more

Our daughter is now a fourth-grader at Walden and it's been the perfect school for her creative, expressive personality. The school has a stellar arts program that offers the kids multiple classes in art, music, and drama each week. The school is small, with about 80 children total and around 12 kids to a class. 2nd and 3rd grade, and 4th, 5th, and 6th grades are combined into groups (middle and upper) that let the kids mingle and mentor each other, with breakouts for grade-specific lessons. The program combines personalized, no-grade academics with strong progressive social values and the arts. The drama program in particular is off the charts, with a year-end performance that upper groupers rehearse and work toward all year. If your child has a creative side that you want to nurture, and a socially progressive side you want to encourage, this is a great school for them. read more

I am a parent of first grader. My wife and I looked at many different schools before choosing Walden. We have been delighted with our choice and, more importantly, so has our daughter. Often times "going to school tomorrow" is what she is most looking forward to. The Walden learning experience isn't just based in theory, but a living, breathing experience for the children. Differences in background and learning style are appreciated. My daughter, who is already artistically inclined, thrives in the art, music and drama classes. Social justice is a real topic at Walden. The teachers seem employ teaching theories that inspire learning from the inside. Whether it's science, reading, math or social studies, my daughter's internal drive to learn is nurtured. We couldn't be happier. read more

Walden is an amazing community! My daughter is in 5th grade and has been there since kindergarten. Our son is now at Walden in kindergarten. Walden's teachers are so amazing. They are kind, and develop a solid level of trust with the kids, which allows the kids to really learn, grow and take academic risks. The campus is sweet and has tons of plants and trees and grass for the kids to play on. Outdoor time is incorporated into the school day. The drama, art and Spanish classes occur several times a week, and are excellent. We have found real friendships with the students and parents at Walden. The school also focuses on social justice learning and helps the students see themselves as responsible citizens in our global family. read more

For me, the most important quality I looked for in choosing a school was whether or not it would nurture and grow the unique spirit of my daughter. The most important thing to me in raising my daughter is to help her become her best self, to know her own soul and have the tools, clarity of mind, and connection that allows her that access and expression. Walden is the only school we found (and we looked at a LOT) that works from the inside out - knowing children are unique sparks of light that when curious and embodied will soak up learning avidly and also acquire the tools to express their individuality. It is not a school of drills, worksheets, memorization and tests. To me, those serve only to prepare our children to be cogs in a machine, a very destructive one at that. At Walden learning is experiential - children learn with their bodies; math is a concept they understand intrinsically because of their dance and music classes that teach them rhythm and meter. Art is vibrant and wide-ranging where mistakes are opportunities for new ideas. Watching the children be so confident in their bodies and self-expression in the drama/dance classes is truly a treasure I wish everyone could witness. But of course the only thing that really matters...is my daughter happy? My easiest answer is that today - nearing the end of Feb break, she says, "I'm so so so so happy we have school tomorrow! It's been soo long!" read more

First off, right out of the bag, I must confess my 3 sons do not attend this school. We have several friends who have kids, and they attend Walden. We are also friends with a family who are members of the founders of this fine place. So, with an eye based solely on a community oriented event, herewith my observations... An absolutely lovely environment with the child as the focus of the curriculum (gee! what a concept for a SCHOOL!!). We came here today to participate in the annual Spring Fair, and we had a blast!! Not only was the food amazing (grilled meat, veggies, bar b q), there was an entire room of salads, side dishes, and vegetarian options. All of them were really good! There were lots of options for cold drinks, and beer as well! Lots of booths, a dunking stand, prizes galore, and events for kids. There was a Maypole Dance, musical selections which were outstanding, and loads of books donated by Moe's Books to select from. Annie's Annuals held a sale with beautiful plants offered for ridiculously low prices. There was an old fashioned Cake Walk, with all the cakes being home made & decorated outrageously. This is what a Spring School Fair should be! We had fun, we ate well, we saw our neighbors, and enjoyed a fabulous afternoon. This is an independent, private school, thus not affordable for families with more than one kid for the most part. While I strongly believe in and support public schools, this is a sweet spot & I would happily support them in all future endeavors. If you're considering a private school, I heartily endorse this one. read more

My daughter is in her second year at this arts and academics school. She's been exposed to sign language, spanish, visual arts, music, voice, drama, movement & dance, math, reading, social sciences, social studies, knitting, and just about every other topic I could imagine that a now six-year-old could absorb and retain. The school population is rich in diversity, and the parents have a strong PTA-like presence in the school. Communication (in my experience) is transparent between the teachers and families, and parent participation is encouraged. She's challenged every day in such an amazing, well rounded fashion. The teachers are first rate, and tailor the academics to each student depending on where they are in math, science and reading. There are many applied academic opportunities with field trips, camping trips, art projects, performances and school themes that tie the material to real-world examples. I believe that Berkeley Public Schools are academically solid and don't believe that kids need a private school education. The turning point for my family was that we wouldn't need to supplement (and by extension... pack her day) with arts, physical education and other outside of school activiites. She gets a rounded education, and we get time as a family! read more

What a gem of a school Walden is! So happy we chose it for our daughter who comes home singing and dancing, her spirit alight. We chose Walden for its focus on the arts and on nurturing empathetic young humans. And it has exceeded our hopes ten-fold. This past weekend we got to see the Upper Group play for the first time. Holy wow! Watching fourth, fifth, and sixth graders sing, dance, and act their hearts out in a three hour extravaganza filled me with awe. I only wish I'd had the opportunity to express such joy when I was growing up. Russell Wright, the Drama and Movement teacher who writes and directs this amazing show every year, is a marvel. He opens up a whole world to his students, showing them they can do and be more than even they dreamed possible. I'm already excited for next year's show!! read more

I chose Walden for my son 3 years ago and that was the best choice I could have made! My son loves the arts base curriculum. He loves dancing, singing and playing instruments. All the teachers from kindergarten to second grade have being so nice and so knowledgeable in their fields. This school teaches the kids to listen to their hearts. And my son is learning a lot about who he is! I feel very welcome and that parents have a voice at school. I am also very happy with the way that they are a school that have an anti bias, and social justice curriculum. It's in the core of each teacher and staff at school. They have a very hands on academics what makes it so interesting and pleasurable to learn! And, the tuition is not as high as must of the private schools in the area! I am so satisfied with my choice, and I absolutely recommend Walden for your family too! read more

As a former student of Walden, I can say from first-hand experience that I grew creatively throughout grades K through 6. However, when I was attending Walden, they had a very irresponsible bullying policy, if it can even be called a "policy" at all. I was targeted and verbally abused during the entire seven years attending Walden because the students knew they could get away with it virtually without any consequences. The most a teacher would do was reprimand the student responsible. When it became apparent that I was specifically being targeted, the teachers started to get bored of my constant pleas to prevent the abuse. One teacher even rolled her eyes and told me to tell the bullies myself to stop what they were doing, as if I weren't telling them over and over to please stop. The teachers tended to either turn a blind eye or neglect to realize how powerless I was as a targeted child, fostering a "blame the victim" attitude. That being said, I went to school at Walden over ten years ago. I sincerely hope they have since created a bullying policy that brings together both the bullies, victims, and their parents for discussion. read more

My son just finished his first year at Walden, and I am thrilled with the school. Here is just a short list of some of the wonderful things about this school: * inquiry-based learning is fun & engaging - kids are motivated to learn * plenty of movement and play time * attentive, caring, thinking, experienced teachers & staff * dance, theater, visual arts daily * spanish & sign language * different learning styles embraced * peer interactions - my kinder son knows the names of most students in the school (K-6) * low student-to-teacher ratios so each student gets plenty of attention * non-judgmental cultural environment (yes, boys in dresses are OK) * an atmosphere that truly nurtures the individual child * a small, sheltered environment with just enough freedom for exploration This is a modest facility compared to other private schools I've seen. A sweet place with a strong, principled backbone! read more

This school lost it's edge years ago. The staff here are lazy, disorganized and are more concerned with keeping their jobs than educating children or evolving with the times. There is minimal structure and supervision; and the buildings appear to be held up with duct tape. If you want your kids to be far behind their peers academically, technologically and developmentally. This is the place for you. read more

I am the father of a current Walden student. This school stands out with a constellation of truly unique attributes: 1. It is a teacher collective - thus no staff solely dedicated to administration, but instead all staff work together to run the school. Therefore, teachers are all extraordinarily dedicated to their mission. (In my own opinion, the lack of dedicated administrators appears to remove the typical rules-for-rules' sake atmosphere found in most other schools.) 2. The campus is open to parents and strongly encourages parent participation in various roles - there are office parents on-site during the school day, a parent assists the music teacher, and everyone has a role to help support the school, right down to cleaning the bathrooms. 3. There is a strong focus on an integration between arts and academics - the three subject areas of drama, music, and art each have a dedicated teacher that the various grades share (Spanish too). The annual upper group drama production is said to be a sight to behold; striking in its ambition and reach. 4. The educational approach is holistic - right down to encouraging kids to learn from each other. After first grade, there are mixed-age classes team-taught by two teachers each: 2nd and 3rd grades form the middle group; 4th, 5th and 6th grades form the upper group. The lower group (K) students have reading buddies paired from the older grades. The after-school program encourages mixed-age play through athletic and artistic group activities. 5. The after-school program is extremely flexible - students are welcome to stay after school without any fees when one of their parents is present. If your family needs some sporadic after-school care, your child can stay and your family is billed a very reasonable hourly rate. You may also make the after-school care a regular thing, of course. 6. The educational approach is truly developmental - meaning to me "focused on the individual child." Grades and testing are not emphasized, in their place is a truly individualized focus on the needs of each child. How is this possible? The school is small and reaps the benefits of this scale with close relationships between teachers and students. 7. Walden has a wonderful history - celebrating its 50th anniversary during the 2008-9 school year. The school was founded by a group of thoughtful pacifists and war-resisters who wanted to cultivate in their own children a well-rounded education that empowered them to live their lives freely and to their fullest expression. That tradition lives on at Walden today. In short, if you have a child in the K-6 grades and your family is looking for a place for them to thrive, check out this unique community and what it has to offer. read more

MUST READ I went to walden 2 years ago, 4-5th grade and my experience was terrible. They claim to be academically advanced and also claim that their is no bullying at walden but I got psychical bullied by 3 kids and the worst punishment was a week away from school, I will talk more about this issue later. In the third grade I was getting A's in math English and science but once I moved to the Bay Area and attend walden my grades dropped hugely and they told me and my parents I was doing "great". They lied I was 2 years behind. Instead of doing pre algebra in math we HAD to play math games and we talked and learned about multiplication once a month. If you or your child doesn't know multiplication before and they will only learn their 2s 4s 6s and 8s multiplication facts. My sister was in the second grade and instead of learning how to read she learned how to knit. And instead of you reading they read to you even when you say you can read on your own. And their science program is terrible because they do no science. Now back to the bulling, I was on the 5th grade camping trip where you spend 2 days in the woods with your school mates but when I was there I was assaulted by a kid older and taller than me and the teachers didn't do anything and didn't call my parents so they are irresponsible and should be fired from their jobs. So unless you want your child to be academically behind and bulled this is the place for you. read more