Very disappointed about my experience with the school enrollment team. I've called as I was interested to place my first year old in a school that seemed very interesting, supportive and with exceptional amenities but the team was laughing at my questions and almost critical. I was baffled. We were supposed to tour the school and they were going to write us an email with the guidance to get there but they never did...... unprofessional at BEST. read more

We loved CDWS! My daughters loved having small class sizes and personalized learning. The school being on a farm is a special bonus and it truly feels like no other school I've ever been to. The academics are rigorous and there are a surprising number of opportunities for it being such a small school. My only complaint it that they don't have a high school! read more

I am a kid that go's here and it is so amazing and they have a barn with a whole bunch of animals we can pet and play with. They teach really well and the teachers are really nice and the teaching methods help me understand a lot . Mr Mo is my math teacher and he is so nice and helps me understand math read more

A dangerous and damaging school if your child doesn't fit into the perfect cookie-cutter student mold. We brought our daughter to the school because we thought it would be the answer to her prayers, a safe school where she wouldn't get bullied. It ended up being the worst experience we could've ever imagined. My daughters problems are academic with the school. She hated the school and begged me not to send her. She did not feel supported or loved there. She felt judged and she felt like the teachers thought there was something extremely wrong with her. No child should ever feel this way, especially in school. Academically, the school has very high course load, think IB and Ivy league. Even though both of my daughters passed the placement assessment they were given when we first joined the school, they struggled hard with the academics and immense course workload. The school's approach to education seems rigid and unresponsive, often blaming students and their families instead of engaging students with an interactive curriculum. We spent thousands of extra dollars on an afterschool tutor to help our daughters catch up on their daily missing schoolwork and it still wasn't enough. There were hours of homework after school every day (and LOTS of tears) and it still wasn't enough to keep them on track. Our daughters are very smart and brilliant. This left them feeling defeated and "stupid". We as parents often thought "why aren't the kids being taught this information in school", as they came home often not having a clue what the homework was about. Supportively, Country Day is extremely dedicated to misunderstanding the needs of our children and how to properly teach them. Many of the teachers, the head of school Mrs. Brown and guidance counselor Mrs. Southern absolutely lack knowledge or understanding on how to teach and/or help neurodiverse children. If your child doesn't fit the perfect mold of what a perfect academic student is, I would run, (don't walk) away from the school. I wish we ran. My daughter gets bored easily and puts her head down or wants to fidget. She's also sensitive to loud noises and needs accommodations of quietly listening to music on her earbuds. Most teachers who have an understanding of children like this will gladly collaborate with the parents and come up with a plan of action to help your child. Not Country Day. Country Day only cares about covering their asses and they love to call in 7 AM emergency meetings with all the teachers present who express how "extremely concerned" they are for my daughters well-being and will not allow her to return to school until she's seen by doctor. Of course, hearing this from a school is extremely alarming to any parent and always left me feeling scared and terrified for my child. This caused lots of of unnecessary stressors in our life. What could have been nice collaborative chats were instead hysterics and emergencies. They needlessly raised the alarm like this at least a dozen times and pointed the finger to me as her parent, instead of adapting to my daughter's learning style and teaching her the way she learns. On top of this, the school required I get my daughter professionally academically tested, solely because she didn't fit their narrow definition of the 'perfect student'. I complied and after nine months on the waitlist, the psychologist administering the test literally rolled her eyes at the notion that Country Day required this and she gave my daughter a clean bill of mental and physical health, as did every doctor they demanded she see in order for her to return. Now, let's discuss the school counselor, Mrs.Southern. Mrs. Southern portrays herself as a caring counselor, but in my opinion, she has her own agenda as she was trying to convince my daughter that she needs inpatient psychiatric care at a mental facility. Multiple doctors and my daughters therapists thought this was absurd, far from necessary and completely out of line. In a nutshell; we've experienced various schools and appreciate the importance of collaboration between parents and teachers. Unfortunately, Country Day fell short, focusing more on assigning blame than on adjusting their teaching methods or considering how their demanding curriculum may overwhelm certain students. If your child does not excel under heavy academic pressure or if you value a school that partners with you to support your child's education, Country Day may not be the right fit. Our hope for a safe, supportive educational environment was met with judgment and an unwelcoming attitude, making it an extremely disheartening experience. read more

our daughter has been there since she was 2 years old now she has four and a half years old and has strived and been so awesome the teachers are fantastic the staff is great can't say anything bad about the school at all we love it 100%.. Bianca and Lynette at the front desk are very nice very sweet and also very caring. all of the teachers over the last two three years has been fantastic our daughter has learned so much it is unbelievable and she is definitely going back next year. read more

I essentially grew up at Country Day School. I attended from preschool through 8th grade. Now as a senior in college, I can attribute my success to that five star early childhood education. Pinellas public schools lack the small class sizes that private school education offers. Yet, other Tampa Bay private schools lack the technology and opportunities that Country Day offers. CDS really does belong in its own category!. When I attended years ago, I traveled with my middle school class to eight different European countries (Italy, Greece, England, France, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland). From what I hear, the emphasis on world travel and education has only become more important at CDS. They now have kids graduating 8th grade who speak Spanish AND Chinese! My Spanish education from preschool through 8th grade was excellent, and served me well through my higher level International Baccalaureate Spanish in high school, Spanish degree in college, and work abroad in Seville, Spain. Parents: do not skimp on your child's early education. An education at Country Day School really does make a life-long difference. read more