I had to switch my sons daycare short notice and ended up enrolling him here because of the proximity to where we live and I was impressed when I went to tour. Here are some of the reasons we are very happy with the switch: When we toured my son wanted to stay and for me to leave lol The staff has always treated my son and I with kindness,patience and respect Almost instantly when my son started he came home with a lot of new words in his vocabulary and new songs he had learned at school Aside from location, the actual school is big with 2 classrooms and 2 outside playing areas for the kids They have 2 classes one for younger age group the other for older but the classes come together at several points through out the day. I love the diversity of this school, it's super important to have my son included in a diverse environment. They have pet parakeets which my son loves as I'm sure the other kids Countless educational toys and a lot of art projects Overall the energy of the classrooms when I drop off my son is really great. You can feel the warmth of the class/staff when you walk in. When putting your child in daycare/preschool can be a little intimidating but when you find somewhere that welcomes your child with such warmth, as I have with willow glen academy, you know you're setting that child up for academic success read more

A lovely, cozy preschool, and in a really convenient location! And, added convenience, the school provides breakfast and lunch (ask about dinner, I don't know, since my kid is never there that late), which means I'm not scrambling to pack a lunch. My child has been attending for about 6 months, and their development has been astonishing. They went from barely knowing a few letters to currently sounding out words whenever they can. I've no doubt, they'll be actually READING by summer, when they'll be just 4.5 years. My biggest praise has to go to how they've handled my child's gender exploration. Shortly before beginning preschool, they said they're a girl, and thus they were introduced as a girl. Now, they are sometimes a girl, sometimes a boy, and we inform the teachers in the morning. Never any pushback, just embracing my kid's identity formation. read more

One year ago I started a new job and I had to find a daycare as fast as possible... we found one place in Saratoga. After one week my son had nightmares and he was crying for no reason.... later I found something was wrong in daycare.... I was lost I had no idea if I pull him out from daycare what should I do I remember one morning I left my son in his daycare and he was crying so hard, I sat in my car and I cried too. Around 10.00 am I received a phone call from mr. Randy at willow Glen Academy. They had one opening place .... I run to old day care and grabbed my son and left them forever. By the way they charged me for next 2 weeks. We walked to willow Glen academy with broken hearts. Mr. Randy was so kind and professional. He listened to my story. He asked me try them for 2 weeks for free and if I like them then we can sign contract. Did we liked them ?! We loved them . This place was full of joy and happiness. My son loves his teachers . They are his second mom. I like to thanks all his teachers by this review and wish good luck to mr. Randy and his Academy. I highly recommend this daycare to everyone. read more

Our son has been at the Academy since he was 3 years old, now going on 5, we have never felt more comfortable in leaving our son anywhere else but this place. We had to part ways due to enrolling our son into elementary school but feel comfortable enough to say that this preschool is the way to go. They are affordable, educational, caring, respectful and most importantly safe. During his time at the Academy he has learned a substantial amount of education that has prepared him for the next level to succeed. He has also learned a great amount of self discipline and respect towards others. Thank you Dorothy, Shannon ,Theresa, Joanne and the rest of the staff for giving our children the guidance that they need to succeed. We can not thank you enough for all that you have done in not only educating but also making sure they are having fun while learning. A special thanks to the owner Randy, thank you for giving us the opportunity to enroll our son into your facility. You have shown a great amount of passion for the children enrolled in your preschool. We appreciate all the events you and your staff has hosted from holiday performances to graduation ceremonies etc. We look forward to continuing to work with you in the future during breaks and holidays. We are very happy and satisfied parents. A million thanks to you all! read more

I was originally enrolling my daughter into a different day care, last minute they canceled on us so we went to check out willow glen academy. Everyone was extremely nice and made space for my Cecilia right away ! She absolutely loves this place, she is always coming home with something new she learned. She loves her classmates and teachers. They give everyone attention, the teachers are loving with the kids at they same time they keep them in check. I would most definitely recommend them to ANYONE! read more

We highly recommend this Preschool, from the environment, teachers, curriculum and welcoming personalities. We have truly loved our time spent at WGA so much that we have had 2 children attend from 2 years to Preschool grad and now bringing back a 3rd to start the same process. Mr. Randy works with each individual to ensure you are comfortable, the needs of you and the child are met and is flexible, understanding and reasonable. The teachers have always been absolutely amazing with our top favorites being Ms. Dorothy & Ms. Teresa. They have such a beautiful loving spirit and personality, are playful with the kids, creative, patient and honestly they make you feel comfortable and heard. They connect well with each child and we're always my kids FAVS! We have never had any issues and are excited to restart our journey here with them. Thank you all for your continued care and helping prepare our children for grade school. They have all shown a great deal of growth since being enrolled in the program here. read more

My daughter, 3.5, loves this place! The school is set up with lots of fun activities for toddlers and preschoolers of all ages. My girl has learned phonics, social skills, and artistry in the 3 months she's been going here - and she's only going 2 days per week. Granted, I doubt the teaching quality is top-notch, but it appears to stimulate and keep the kids sufficiently content. Their rates are amazingly low for their services. We got in during a special rate of $150/week full-time,or $35/day part-time. They provide breakfast and lunch. They work with your needs when it comes to part-time care. The staff might not seem as professional as some of the pricier places in the area, but they are down-to-earth, warm, and accomodating. I highly recommend this day care if you're looking for a reasonably priced, clean preschool with an average-to-decent level of teaching. read more

Like many in the Willow Glen area, I had driven by this "Yellow School" and used it as a visual landmark to see where Minnesota Ave. was from Meridian Ave.. Walking through the facility and examining both inside and outside was an entirely different experience. Yes, it's a school for munchkins, and yet the place looks incredibly fun - the outdoors have a rich variety of things and short structures to climb, ride, and run around. The indoors have many toys and play sets - and even fish and parakeets and budgie birds. I walked the area and saw no risk of children getting out, and the teachers are like sentinels around them. The place feels safe, and the kids know it. The staff are warm, friendly, highly competent and aware of a wide spectrum of emotional needs of children. My little one has been through some very hard things in the journey of life, and the owner and staff of Willow Glen Academy felt like a team I hadn't had before and was the support system I needed as a parent. Mr. Randy, the owner, and Ms. Shannon, the director, each have a great deal of emotional literacy, and they helped me assess my child's emotional well being during the day and gave me insights into how my little one was processing the challenges the faced as one so small. The school nurtured my child's creativity and Pre-K education. Soon the little one began to teach me words in Spanish I didn't know, wrote out alphabet, counted very nicely into the double digits, and developed enough hand-eye coordination to color within the lines of printed coloring art. In addition, there are occasional crafts where the kids learn how to make a flower or a bumblebee. I'm bursting with pride: my kid is smart!! Watching these teachers in action was eye-opening. With so many kids running around, each with their own personality, objective and capacity of mischief, it's amazing to see how much command of authority the teachers had, reinforcing morals, good conduct and friendship. At the shopping mall food court, I've seen kids act belligerently, talking back to their parents. The children at Willow Glen Academy understand boundaries and proper conduct. A fellow reviewer mentioned ACYCP certification, and that might give some people some assurances, but a quick check of their website of what this means shows that this simply involves meeting minimum educational requirements, colleague references, and a pledge to abide by agreements of conduct. For me personally, I needed more reassurance than this for me as a parent looking for the safest environment for my child. In my consideration of Willow Glen Academy, I was drawn to the fact that the owner and entire staff have passed FBI Live Scan (which involves fingerprinting and criminal background check - the FBI operates the largest biometrics database of criminals in the world). Passing the FBI is more important than being a member of an organization of fellows. I deeply appreciate the individual attention, quality of education and the environment of safety my child has been given. It's been about a year now . My kid LOVES this school. Even when we drive by on evenings or on a Sunday and I joke, "How about we go to the Yellow School?" my little one cheers, "Yay!". I don't recall ever having such a reaction to school when I was that age, but it must say something about the Academy, Mr. Randy, Ms. Shannon, Ms. Theresa, Ms. Shio et al have worked hard to make work well for children. 5 Stars is well deserved! read more

My 5 years old son loves this place! He always have lots of fun during the activities and most of the time doesn't want to leave it when I arrive to pick him up. The staff is polite, flexible and provides all the attention that the kids and adults need. I was lucky to be recommended to Willow Glen Academy when trying to find a place to take good care of my son. read more

My son has been going to the preschool for a couple weeks now and he loves it. When it's time for him to leave he never wants to go and makes me happy as a parent knowing my kid is safe and having fun at the same time. Mr. Randy runs the program and he is great with the kids! Very reasonable price and great teachers highly recommend. read more

I came to this daycare/preschool having left an unpleasant experience with another daycare, and I was really glad I made the change. My son is 3 years old and he has been here for about 4 months now. His verbal and math skills have improved immensely. He can identify every letter in the alphabet and can even read a few words. They have a large play area and even have couple of chickens. While they do have the TV on early in the morning, the children have a ton of other material to play with. My son will often choose to play with blocks or puzzles even though there is a show on. I am really not worried that it is too much TV because he is clearly learning. The teachers and staff have always been wonderful and helpful with me. read more

My daughter went to Willow Glen Academy before Kinder. She was well taken care of, respected and learned much during her 2 years going there. I cannot give enough praise to how grand she was treated at WGA. read more

Willow Glen Academy has been a savior for our family! Our son had previously been at Saint Elizabeth's day home for three years. Unfortunately they closed the end of June last year. We were absolutely devastated that we had to find a new place. For a three months we had tried another preschool in the area that turned into an absolute nightmare. Within a few weeks of starting they had issues with my son's behavior. I'll admit that my son is strong-willed but the things they were saying he was doing were completely not like him. I explained to them he had been in a preschool for three years with absolutely no issues and it felt really strange that all of a sudden his behavior changed. Something was definitely up!! We started our search again and came across Willow Glen Academy. We could not be happier! We knew right away it was going to be a good fit because the teachers here give attention at the appropriate time reinforcing positive behaviors. They were able to redirect him into more helpful roles allowing him to grow his self-esteem. Brandon has absolutely blossomed here. The teachers are very in tuned to the children's needs and have lots of training for dealing with many different types of personalities. Brandon has learned so much already that he is going to be ahead of most of his kindergarten class this year. Everyone here does an amazing job and I recommend this place to anyone wanting quality preschool education. Keep up the great work guys read more

We struggled to find my daughter childcare after moving from Texas. I was very hesitant, as most parents are, to place my daughter in someone else's care. This place has exceeded all my expectations! My daughter loves going to "school" and looks forward to being dropped off. She's always excited to tell us about her day. They also made potty training an easy transition for our family. I am forever thankful to them as my daughter adores the staff. read more

I choose this place based on there reviews and that they accepted 4C's.. needless to say it was the worst mistake I have EVER MADE!!!! I honestly don't even know where to start... I have a son who is a little hyper active, yet is as sweet at can be.. he just needs a little more patience than other children. When we started going there I put both ma daughter and my son in this day care, my daughter is older and was about to start first grade. First off I started them both in summer time, them knowing that my daughter was about to start first grade.. and not bothering to tell me that THEY DON'T WATCH KIDS THAT ARE PAST KINDERGARDEN!!! Of course I was not informed and literally less than a week before first grade started.. They called to inform me that they wont be watching my daughter any more.. I have NO time to even start looking for another day care for her. So I went and talked to the "director" (WHO IS A JOKE!!! NOT TO MENTION THE MOST UNFORFESSIONAL MAN I HAVE EVER INCOUNTERED, and VERY creepy, (see previous post). He tried to give me a "loop hole" as to how I could keep my daughter in the day care which was .. PULKING HER OUT OF SCHOOL and letting them teach her.. that was the "loop hold to his license" (his words exactly). I was blown away and just had to remove my daughter form the daycare all together. I left my son there.. and I have close communication with a teacher names Mrs. Shannon, now I really likes her at first, I knew my son needed a little more patience than most, so I was constantly checking in with her.. and to my surprise I got wonderful reviews from her weekly, sometimes daily. I started noticed small busies on my sons arms.. when I ask him about this.. he said a child name Israel started pinching him sometime back.. (which I confirmed with my daughter) When I ask them about it.. they said they "hadn't noticed" I was floored.. he had bruises EVERYWHERE! and here I thought my son finally found a place that he likes and understands him and pays attention.. One day to I got a call at work saying I needed to come pick up my son due to him behaving badly. I went there and before I could even get a work out the director practically started yelling at me that my son was, destructive and was hurting other kids, and if he was left a lone " he would do more damage" not to mention that he was yelling this at me form across the room, in front of EVERYONE! Then proceeded to LIE about my son saying he bites himself when he does not get his way... I called him a liar immediately, he told me ask my older daughter.. Who confirmed that this man is a LIAR!!! I have been his mother for FOUR years.. I would know if my son ever bit himself!! Confidentiality does NOT exist here. He was talking about my son as if he was a monster in from of other and even worse MY SON!!! I couldn't believe the lack of respect this man was having for me, my son, or our feelings in general. He then told me that he was not allowed to come back at all.. I was blown away, I told him that I spoke with Mrs. Shannon constantly, and she said nothing but good things.. he obviously could careless.. I was so upset by the lack of professionalism, respect and confidentiality that I tried to ask for my sons file, demanding documentation of all the "issues" my son was having and then asked to speak with Mrs. Shannon about her lying to me about my sons behavior.. Whom to no surprise refused to speak with me.. SHOCKER!! I am literally taking this into my own hands due to the lack of respect and professionalism... He should not of talked to me or about my son the way he did.. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!! They do NOT care about your kids what so ever.. as clearly demonstrated. You children are unsafe.. apparently unwatched, and the DIRECTOR does not get any worse!! STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!! read more

Willow Glen Academy taught my four year old son, how to count in three languages. He did first grade level work. Very happy with the progress my son has made in a year. Willow Glen Academy prepared my son beyond what is required in kindergarten . Thanks everyone! read more

my son has been coming here for almost a year. i love how welcoming and loving they are there. the staff i love them i couldnt have been more blessed to find my son a daycare that he absolutely enjoys. mr. randy i appreciate you and your loving staff for being over my son.... read more

My son has been at Willow Glen Academy for almost a year now. He started off with one day a week to acclimate but he's now two full days a week. I'm really happy with the level of care, curriculum and facilities. It felt like the right balance from the beginning - and the owner Randy answered my long list of questions on my tour last year. My first impression though? When I first called and spoke with Miss Shannon I could hear the excitement and noise in the background but she remained calm, upbeat and kind. I hung up my call and thought - wow, with all that chaos, she kept her cool! I need to check them out! I wanted a combo of personalized 1:1 care but not a large classroom filled with 30+ kids like many of the mega churches in my area. On most days the ratio of kids to teachers is 6 to 1 - and I felt that was just right. They also offered a hot lunch choice for $3 a day with fresh fruit and that was a nice feature I didn't expect. All the teachers from Miss Shannon to Miss Dorothy have been wonderful. They know I have a sensitive child who needs a little more help with transitioning when I leave in the morning and I appreciate that more than I can say! I like the balance of art work, stories, language development, hands on play and group time the kids get. This is a critical age when playing to learn is crucial. They do have academic based workbooks to do from time to time but its age appropriate and not overwhelming. They also allow the kids to use their abcmouse.com account if they need some alone time. Nothing is pushed, and my son needs that. I also like the gardens, redwood trees, parakeets and the shade covered playground for the kids - it's a small but lovely facility. I'm happy with my choice of preschool - and we have another year to go until Kindergarten so we will likely add more days. I know my son is learning - he's 4.5 and can already identify all letters and number plus write his name. He walks by cars now and reads off license plates to me. Simple but that all happened this summer while at WG Academy. read more

My son started to attend this daycare on his 2 b day. We love all te teachers there always very helpful and my son loves them sooooo much which makes me feel good. Because that mean that they treat him good. He now goes to school T-k full time and Willow Glen Academy has been very helpful with us, any day that my son is off of school for a holiday, teachers conferences,etc. They're happy to have him over for a day or a couple of days. Thank you Willow Glen Academy for your help love loves Miss.Teresa,Miss.Shannon, Miss. Dorothy and to Miss Laura read more

Willow Glen Academy - Preschools Near Me - San Jose, California

Our grandson has been at Willow Glen Academy for two years+. Thank you so much for all you have taught him and helping prepare him for his next step. Thank you to all the staff for being kind, supportive and flexible and for providing a safe, learning and fun environment for children to thrive. There is noticeable difference in his achievement level and growth from when he started. Always great to hear him say how much he likes being there! Our departure is bittersweet, ready to move on to the next path of the educational road. We will always remember Willow Glen Academy with fond memories and a smile. read more

I recommend this preschool. I chose this school over others because i like it is sort of a montesorri style, where they combined kids range 2-5years in a room and they learn together, the teachers are friendly, especially Ms. Shannon (she is such a sweetheart!) and the owner, Mr. Randy is very kind, and understanding. My daughter attends this preschool for 6 months now and I am pleased with her learning growth. My friends and her teacher has been saying my daughter is very smart given she is able to count 1-20, knows her ABC's, trace words neatly without help, recognize colors, and able to communicate with me using three to four words, and she is not even 3 yet! Another thing I like about this preschool is they potty-trained your kids! My daughter wore diapers in the beginning and with the help of Ms. Theressa, she was potty-trained within 2 weeks! So far, after about 5months, I have only encountered twice small accidents, even at night, knock on woods. ;) Everytime I pick her up, i am relieved to see that she has fun at school, with the teachers and her friends. Give this place a try! read more

I wish I could give this school 100+ stars. My daughter Julianna attended this school for 3 years and loved it the whole time!! Her last day was just this past Friday. She was so sad. My daughter left knowing how to read and write her first and last name, she is able to read and write common words, she can speak some spanish, some french and was learning Japanese when she left. The teachers are wonderful they communicate great!! She never wanted to miss a day of school. She knows a bunch of fun games and songs. She became very independent going to Willow Glen Academy. Thank you to Mr. Randy, Ms. Teresa and especially Ms. Shannon (my babies best friend). read more

We've been so happy with the care and education our 2-year old daughter gets at Willow Glen Academy. The first time I saw it I was very impressed by all the cool stuff they have for the kids - a huge fish tank, tons of toys, a kid-sized computer desk and chairs, lots of plush pillows for those mornings when they're not quite awake yet, a big TV playing cartoons in the morning. I've stopped in at various times of the day and the teachers are always leading the group in activities - the kids are almost never left to get into mischief because they're kept busy. As a group they're coloring, singing, dancing, playing outside. I have yet to see a child act out there - they're all engaged in the activity and having fun. They teach the kids to greet one another, and to stick up for themselves. They organize fun extra activities for the kids like trick-or-treating in the neighborhood (with parent help), a Thanksgiving meal, a Christmas party and gift exchange. WGA has taught my daughter (an only child) to take turns, to share, and to count in Spanish. The best part though is how much my little girl loves going there. She's excited every day to go to "school" and most days doesn't want to leave when I go to pick her up. It's a huge relief to know your child is well taken care of while you're working. I'm so glad I found this preschool and the awesome people who work with the kids. read more

We Love this school. We see our son developing with his grammar and his imagination. Our son loves going to school and is always excited before we drop him off...Teachers are doing an amazing job. Thank you!!!!!!! read more

We are thankful that we found WGA, the "Yellow School". My son loves going to school every morning. Ms. Shannon, the director, is amazing. She's reliable and responsible as well as being friendly to parents. Teachers are also friendly and so caring to all the children and parents. Their staff to child ratio is 1:7, so there is a plenty of communication between kids and teachers. My son, who has slight speech delay, has incredibly improved his communication skills since he has started the school here. Also, they provide educational activities on the daily basis. Overall, it's really a warm and wonderful place, and we highly recommend this school! read more

We have been sending our son to the Willow Glen Academy for 6 months and have ben pleased with their personal and caring approach to helping us raise a well-rounded boy. He looks forward to going to school everyday and asks on the weekends if he can go to school. The owner and teachers are personable and really helpful. Our family really adores Miss Shannon, Miss Theresa and Mr. Randy. Thanks read more

When our 3yo son started, he wasn't very good at conversational English (we've only spoken Chinese at home) even though he knew his ABCs. The wonderful teachers (Ms Yadira and Ms Teresa) have been so patient and loving and made sure that language didn't get in the way of partaking in any of the activties. We really like that everyone is super hands-on with the kids, which helps make it a great environment for the kids to not only work on their letters/numbers/colors/shapes but also to interact with each other and work on their social skills. read more

I have seen and worked in several preschools and only went to visit this preschool based on it's reviews and location. I have NO idea how this preschool has five-star reviews. It was the sketchiest place ever. The materials were outdated and they advertise on their website that they start their day with TV. The two female caregivers seemed nice, but the director was creepy and gave me a higher price quote than on the brochure. I didn't trust the place from the moment I walked in the door. Please shop around for similarly priced programs if you are tempted to enroll here. read more

My son started attending in October 2015 and we have loved every minute of his time here!! He has blossomed here. He is learning more languages, art, and math. He loves his teachers and his friends there. I highly recommend this preschool. read more

Hello! My daughter currently attending Willow Glen Academy Preschool for almost 3 months and now and I have gotten familiar with the staff and the children's daily routines. I have to say that my needs are filled and my daughter is well taken care if there. They are also flexible with me if I slightly have to change the hours I leave her. Not only that, but they keep me well informed with their goings on at.. ( pertaining to issues or incidents) Honesty, our children are learning how to conduct themselves in a social setting and this is never an "easy job", and some people's children are more well behaved than others, to put it nicely. I recommend this facility and they also do a great job with potty training. read more

I was really nervous coming back to San Jose from Newark since I had a pretty terrible experience with a day care in San Jose that caused a lot of issues for my son. He was being bullied by older kids that were in a after school program with the school and I had no idea those kids mingled with the younger children, needless to say he picked up some very bad habits and suffered some emotional un-stability as well as he didn't learn anything at this crucial time for his age. He developed some behavioral issues that our Newark school couldn't handle and ultimately he had to leave that school which I understood but it didn't seem like they had any solutions to offer. I kept him out of school for few months with hopes he could return before starting kindergarten and that's when I found Mr. Randy's school and I thought I got to give it a shot because I had to go back to work and school. I was nervous putting him back in preschool especially after all the up's and downs. Mrs. Dorothy was the first person I met when I toured the school and she was awesome, very good listener and I just had a good vibe from her that she could help my son get to where he needs to be. Once I came in to sign him up and for them to meet my son Mr. Randy was there with a such a warm welcome, he was so honest and willing to help I couldn't wait for him to start. The teacher to student ratio was reasonable, the facility was organized and clean with plenty of space, their curriculum was something I hadn't seen before it made me very excited. They were very open and honest about any past issues they've had and experiences that was reassuring knowing there wouldn't be any surprises. The paperwork was insightful something I hadn't seen before and it allowed me to express my concerns as parent to them what he personally needed to grow which was a huge relief to know they wanted to know so much from my perspective about my child. My son had a few rough days at the school but the teachers always communicated with me the issues he was having and their thoughts on what they could do to help. They worked with me and worked with my son through his anger (which I know was trying for everyone) he was having which no teacher before was able to do. I knew they had their work cut out with my son but they were all up to the challenge and never once did they give up on him, they always came to me to see what they could do to help and I appreciated their dedication to him so much. Mrs. Dorothy helped him gets so far academically as well as with his emotional growth that me and my son both feel confident having him go into Kindergarten. He was so far behind but now he's surpassed my expectations and I know if it wasn't for the capabilities as experienced teacher's and their belief in him to be great he wouldn't have gotten as far as he is now. I've never seen such a turn around and he's so much more happier and I know if it wasn't for the awesome environment Mr. Randy provided for his students and the loving teachers he has we wouldn't have had a better outcome for him. He no longer has the issues had before and I am so proud of him as well as the school for doing such a good job. Overall I feel this school was exactly what we needed and special thanks to the support of Mrs. Dorothy she connected with him the most and pushed to help bring out the potential in him all around. Very happy my son was able to feel comfortable and confident being himself and had so much fun making friends and learning from his awesome teachers. He's excited about learning and tells me all the time how much he's going to miss everyone. With all that being said this by far was the best experience me and my son have ever had with a preschool/daycare and I would recommend anyone to give a try because it was definitely an awesome fit for us. Thanks again Willow Glen academy :) read more