We have been at this school for 4 years between our 2 boys and absolutely love it. I wish it went through elementary school.

We've had three of our kids attend Ecole Claire Fontaine over the last five years. The teachers and faculty are incredibly charming and knowledgeable -- and some have been there for literal decades, which is really special when it comes to early childhood education. That kind of consistency makes such a difference. The language immersion has been fantastic, especially for our youngest. And it wouldn't be an honest review without mentioning the meals. The food the kids are served is honestly out of this world -- all organic breakfast, snacks, lunch, and goûter. Lunch itself is four standout courses, which still blows my mind for a preschool. The last thing I'll mention is the family community. We've made great friends, and it truly feels like a village. read more

I visited the ECF Abbot Kinney campus a few years ago - it's an amazing hidden gem. Right in the middle of busy, super-trendy Abbot Kinney, you step through this colorful gate and into what can only be described as a magical garden with trails for bikes, bungalows for classrooms, and a beautiful tree house that serves as both a swing set and stage in its center. I can't imagine there is a more special preschool in Venice. read more

Effective pedagogy, memorably nurturing environment, teachers, teaching assistants and administrators. My son started there at 2 years old with the plan to move to another full elementary school once he was of age to start. I am so grateful for the foundation in french and in "school" that my son received. He often still says one year and a half later, I want to go to my old school with Ms Melanie, his nursery teacher. The campuses for the first two years are adorable and full of nature. read more

As first time parents, the process for finding a preschool for our little boy, was an arduous one. We looked at no less than eight preschools. It was the easiest decision in the world when we discovered ECF. Although tears were shed when we dropped him off for his first day, mostly by us and less our son, we have never felt more confident in this parenting choice. It is a magical school. The physical environment is so beautiful and vibrant and creative. And the care that he receives from the faculty is unsurpassed. We feel very blessed that this program is available to our family. We only wish that it were offered through high school! read more

Could not love this school more. I sent my son here from 2-4 years old on the Camper and AK campuses. My son developed a love for exploring, gardening, piano, arts, self directed play and is great socially. Love the staff and everyone there. Sending my second son there this fall and my Oldest is sad he can't be with him...he especially misses the food. Thanks ECF we love you! read more

Madame Joelle is a force for children and the greater community. I have been impressed by the way she inspires children to unleash their creativity and play. In addition to learning to love cooking and chess, my children who went to ECF have robust problem-solving skills and are always looking at the world around them and thinking either (1) how do I create something beautiful out of that object that speaks to me, or (2) how do I climb that and laugh and play in the world around me. The staff is incredible. I have always felt like they care about my children's well-being even years after they have left school. Yes, I love this place. read more

Both girls are at ECF and we couldn't be happier. Activities, attention, food quality, exploration opportunities. Everything is wonderful. Teachers are supportive, fun and attentive. My kids can't wait to go back after weekends. read more

The most dedicated and sincere people. Highest possible level of care for my 2 year old boy. His maturity acceleration rate dramatically improved by coming here several days per week. read more

The best preschool I've ever visit. My girl loves her teachers , friends and the school itself. She is just 3 and she sings in French. We love Ecole Claire Fontaine read more

Ecole Claire Fontaine - Preschool , Ecole Claire Fontaine - Preschools Near Me - Venice, California

Just a fantastic, caring and wonderful school environment for the little ones. We love the multi-cultural aspects so much.....

I am a speech therapist who works with ECF to provide speech therapy to some of their students. This school is an absolutely wonderful place to send your child. All of the students are happy and eager to learn. There are many opportunities for the type of natural, functional play that leads to well-rounded and curious minds. The staff is extremely supportive, caring, and dedicated to the children. Plus it is mostly outdoors and has such a calm and peaceful atmosphere. I highly recommend ECF for your child! read more

Absolutely fantastic school. I love and trust the women there that take care of my child and provide her with comfort, language, activity and support as she grows and learns about life and herself. It is pure love in this environment. read more

Had a pleasant experience touring the facility today.Looks like an amazing place for little minds to grow. The art, the food, the outdoors of this school make for an environment that is attractive. Great job! Joelle was informative and has a sweetness that I enjoyed. read more

Joelle and her team are incredible. We couldn't have been happier with the 3 years our daughter spent at Ecole Claire Fontaine. Everyone involved with the school is caring, thoughtful and kind. They put the kids best interest first and our daughter is excelling in school now as a result. This place will always hold a special place in our hearts and was the best experience for our daughter to build confidence, play, share and, most of all, learn. This place is family. read more

What a delightful school this is!! My family has two daughters at ECF, and we could not be more pleased with our experience there. The two campuses are both adorable and full of opportunities to play and enjoy nature. We are tremendous fans of founder and schoolmistress Madam Joelle, whose caring for her charges and passion for contributing to rich and lovely childhood experiences is palpable. We are also avid believers in the value of foreign language exposure for children. It is never too early to start, and no number of languages is too many. From the very warm and supportive staff, to the great range of classes (meditation, architecture, yoga, Arabic, piano, and many many others), to the home-cooked daily organic meals, to the arts and crafts, the wonderful student shows (our daughter played the fully-costumed goddess Athena in a remarkable staging of Homer's Odyssey, at the age of 4 :), we love ECF, and consider ourselves very fortunate to be part of its community. One final note - we see ample evidence that ECF provides a great preparation for admittance of its students to the best of local public and private elementary schools. We consider it to be a perfect start to a child's academic career. Viva ECF! - and most sincere thanks to our friends there for all you do!!! read more

This is an amazing preschool! Our children love it and so do we! All the teachers, staff and director are amazing. French immersion, children also learn some Spanish and many other things as early as 2yr old! Highly recommended! read more

Ecole Claire Fontaine has been an amazing journey for our daughter and all of us as a family. We love every moment of it. It's magical, special, creative, nurturing. The teachers and the director- Joelle Dumas, are superb, dedicated and constantly looking for new ways to keep children engaged in the process of learning. We can't say enough good things about the school and the community around it. It's been a beautiful time in our lives and we'll forever cherish it. Now is time to move on to Kindergarten... Thank you ECF for the afternoon story time at the treehouse, chess classes, art projects, music concerts, piano lessons, delicious food...and all of the magic that lives inside the walls of the school. Bon Voyage... The Hunstable's read more

Fast forward to fourth grade at Le Lycée Francais and our son is doing great. At nine years old he still talks about how much he loved this school when he was "little". We owe Joelle a visit. I believe the foundation they help set here helped build our son into a compassionate, well rounded boy. Thanks again!!! read more

Wonderful summer programme. My daughter loved learning in 3 languages. Merci Beaucoup!

I now have my second daughter at Claire Fontaine and we have been extremely happy with the philosophy of the school and the quality of the teachers. Claire Fontaine isn't like any other preschool. Their unique approach to education is unmatched anywhere else. The teachers truly understand the children and do everything they can to meet their needs. If you are looking for a wonderful program with a wide range of developmentally appropriate activities and an international student body then look no further. read more

My family had a fantastic experience at Claire Fontaine. Our daughter went there for two years. Joelle is an incredible director. She is caring and insightful. The whole staff was amazing, the food lovingly made by Lili was delicious. Our child was happy to go there and bummed to leave. She got to garden and make food with the harvest. She got to play, bounce and swing, get dirty and even swim during the summer. She listened to music, poetry and books read under a tree. It truly is a magical place. I'm writing this now because she is at her new school and it makes me sad that she has to sit at a desk all day. I wish we could go back to the days of Claire Fontaine. read more

Our daughter has been at Ecole Claire Fontaine for two almost 3 years now. At 4 years old she goes 3 full days a week and our two year old goes two mornings per week. They both started with the Pep'In program and always wanted to stay longer for that class so by the time they both started really attending for a few hours at a time they were ecstatic! We don't mind that it's more child-led than other programs and that our kids play outside so much. If you read about the successful school systems in Denmark and Finland where the kids score high in IQ and EQ their approach is similar to that of ECF. They climb, do calligraphy, ballet, chess (!) and learn about gardening etc. My husband is French and only speaks French with our kids, I speak a hybrid of French and English but many ECF families aren't French. It's a friendly, global environment and this school has really created a beautiful community in Venice! read more

The best French-American school ever. The people are amazing and we will miss it dearly. You will not regret enrolling your child into Ecole Claire Fontaine. Merci beaucoup! read more

This school is far from perfect although they do some things well. But if you're looking for a disciplined, mildly structured environment, this school is NOT for you and your child. Our son has been attending this preschool for the past 3 years mostly out of convenience of location and the fact that they provide a great hot lunch: example would be roasted chicken with beats and cauliflower served with couscous. They have a variety of subjects they "teach" from math to science and arts and crafts, and it is a full immersion French school. But if you expect your child to learn his alphabet and read and write his own name, you will have to teach him yourself because they don't do that. There is plenty of playtime and plenty of drama in the dirt playground because there is very little to no supervision especially with regards to conflict resolution among the children. It's essentially Lord of the Flies in this Venice playground and expect your child to come home with cuts and bruises. The director of the school, Joelle Dumas, offers very little support in this area, and if you raise the subject, you can expect a lot of lip service and very little action. Joelle will simply sweep it under the rug and chalk it up to a parent overreacting. Several families have left this school due to bullying among some of the students because Joelle strongly endorses a hands-off approach. Really? Should 4 year olds be scared to go to preschool?? read more

My 7-year-old son was just telling me how he missed his nutrition class at Ecole Claire Fontaine, where he got to taste hundreds of foods such as cumin and artichokes and received The Discovery of Flavors Diploma. He attended Claire Fontaine for more than three years. Every day we both miss the time he attended Ecole Claire, where he was immersed in French and chased butterflies in a garden with hidden passageways and created woodworking and pottery projects. The families are cosmopolitan, multilingual, and often have creative professions. Joelle is a master at cultivating community. She insisted (literally) on a playdate between my son and another child and 5 years later they are still close friends. In fact, we are still good friends with many of the kids he went to school with and their parents. I remember on the little campus one teacher asked me if it was okay to stay late since she was not done reading my son a story. The parties rock too, with amazing cheese or crepes (yes food is important at this school) and good wine. My son is currently continuing to study French and his accent is tres bien from all the time he spent at ECF. read more

With both of my daughters attending Claire Fontaine we have now been a part of the "family" there for almost four years! We have had an amazing experience at this preschool. I have cherished both the Little campus and the Big campus teachers! At Claire Fontaine your children and you (the parents) are truly welcomed into a collaborative family. The education is very child-centric and so very vast. Not only have my children been exposed to the languages (full French and Spanish immersion) but to geography, astronomy, ecology, music, dance, yoga, math, sciences, and cooking. I'm probably leaving a few out--hahahaha! I appreciate the fact that my children are not stuck in a class doing papers all day. Instead, they are experiencing all of the different subjects through touching, feeling, and doing. My daughters have flourished and when I sent my eldest off to Kindergarten this year she excelled! read more

The kids and I love this school, great atmosphere where they discover many academic subjects through life, play and joy. My four year old is fluent in French and English and she's now singing in Spanish. I highly recommend it, my twelve year old wishes she could be small again to go there. read more

Fantastic school and best daycare! My son loves going there. Wonderful, wonderful teachers and staff! Top curriculum and activities. It is a safe welcoming, and creative environment. The children are exposed to three languages, French, Spanish and English. This place is like an extended family and after visiting many daycares, there is no equal to this school + they constantly organize the most wonderful parties for kids and parents. read more

Our family has been part of the magical Ecole Claire Fontaine community for three years, with another three to follow. We are passionate fans of this program. Joelle and her staff have created something that is more than a school. It is a family and a place where the children are celebrated, nourished and treated with such understanding. Our son's favorite classes on the big campus have been oceanography, music, architecture and journalism... all created for his imaginative, 4 & 5 year old mind. And both our children's time at the little campus has been filled with imaginative play, gentle encouragement and healthy, Californian outside living. The multi-language, multi-cultural, diverse & fascinating mix of families and teachers add such dimensions to their growth. And the teachers take their training & expertise very seriously. This is a piece of gold woven into the very fabric of Venice - gold that should be treated with the utmost care and respect. I wish I could attend a school like this. I hope you too will get to experience this piece of fairy dust. read more

Our son has been here for the last year -- he started when he was almost two and a half -- and we could not be happier. When we first toured, we were excited about the older kids/Abbot Kinney campus because it had such a wonderland feel. What we didn't realize is that the Camper Campus (for the younger kids) is just about the sweetest, most magical place you could imagine. The homey Craftsman and the yard that's just paradise for kids has a total indoor outdoor feel. But honestly it's the teachers, aides, and cooks that make it feel like an extension of home. Everyone who works there is so loving -- greeting kids, preparing organic farmers market meals, there's music playing when we arrive... and obviously the language aspect is huge. Only French and Spanish are spoken, so the kids are totally immersed. The school is full of good families who truly care and it feels like pure Venice. Every day, after saying goodbye to my son, i leave with such a sense of peace -- that he's getting an great education and doing tactile things (gardening, tortilla making, yoga) but he's also well loved. read more

My son has been at Ecole Claire Fontaine for 3 years now and I have many wonderful things to say about this school. Both campuses are beautiful and inviting and encourage outdoor play and exploration. There is a full curriculum of interesting classes (my son adores gardening and oceanography and also enjoys calligraphy, soccer and music). The lunch and snack program is healthy, farmers market based and homemade on campus by a wonderful kitchen staff and students are encouraged to taste and experience new foods (last I was there at lunch the kids were tasting artichokes and my son recently came home requesting dragon fruit after tasting it). There are events outside of school for the parents to interact and get to know each other and the teachers which we have really enjoyed and the demographic is quite diverse in many ways. It is a very special community to be a part of and though I am sad my sons time there is coming to an end i am thrilled my daughter will be a part of it next year! read more

Ecole Claire Fontaine is a magical school that nurtures the mind, body and soul of each beautiful child. Our daughter has been at Ecole Claire Fontaine for going on 3 years and it has exceeded our expectations. The school environment is warm, with the amazing teachers and staff, it is worldly with all of it's cross cultural activities and special events, an supporting of the individual child to reach their individual potential through exploration in the many diverse classes that are offered. Socialization and learning through PLAY is key to a child's success and Ecole Claire Fontaine offers this through small class settings as well as creative exploratory gardening, imaginative play, singing, sports, field trips, fine arts, baking, poetry, science experiments, chess, mathematics, new languages and many more. Ecole Claire Fontaine creates the opportunity for children to become confident, open minded individuals, that have a voice, opinion and love for community and learning. read more