This place has a waiting list for a reason. My daughter has been attending full-time for nearly a year now and I can say her experience and mine has been exceptional. The app is excellent. The teachers are always there to discuss how her day went and responsive if I have a question on the chat to them during the day. She loves all the outdoor time and has been making and maintaining close friendships since she arrived. The school let me throw a foam party for the kids for my daughter's birthday. The teachers organised it, notified the parents, managed clean up. Simply because they knew the kids would love it. They accomodate my requests for her food and keep special treats seperate as I am specific about what she eats. The teachers do things weekly not just for $$ but because the kids will adore it. It's all so very fun and wonderful, growing caterpillars, learning about dinosaurs and the world, planting things and trying science experiments. The experiences kids should have. We love, love, love El Camino and as she is going to Kinder soon we are sad to have to leave. I trust the teachers completely and have a happy daughter coming home everyday. Can't recommend highly enough. read more

We love El camino! We love their outdoor space especially, and my son was very prepped for kinder when he started. They had a graduation ceremony or the pre-K kiddos and all of us (including teachers) were crying, the bond with the kids is so strong. The teachers are so great- and our kids enjoy going here very much. read more

My son has been going to this school for almost 2 years and I could not be more happy. He is so excited to come to school and I feel great about dropping him off at a friendly and safe environment. The teachers are super kind and responsive to any questions I have as a mom. They also send so many updates and photos of my son throughout the day. Makes me feel really good knowing he is having fun with friends and learning! Every day when I pick him up he has something new to tell me about what he learned at school. We love this school and its staff. We will definitely be sending our second kid here! read more

This school has been such an amazing experience for our family! My son absolutely loves coming to play with his friends at school. The playground is magical and the teachers and staff are so kind and caring. I feel so good leaving my son here and when I pick him up he's having so much fun! You can tell from your child how a school is doing and my son is happy and wants to tell me all about all the wonderful things he learns. He also has made some awesome friends and the families that attend are great! read more

We've been very happy with El Camino Preschool. The teachers are kind, attentive and caring and there's good commmunication during drop off/pick up and/or through the school app which provides daily updates and photos. We adore the old house changed into a school property, especially, the large outdoor playground. It's charming and has character. The outdoor space drives exploration, learning and creativity more than anywhere we've seen and the way it's set up allow kids to interact with different activities based on their interest. There's plenty of shade during hot days and the teachers do fun water activities to cool them down during summer. There's a great sense of community at this school that you feel immediately which we really like and are proud of. Our kids are happy when they come home, sing songs they've learned, talk about friends they've made, use new vocabulary and are excited to return the next day! read more

We chose El Camino Preschool originally due to some friends having spoken positively about it. This was our first preschool, so we had limited experience to measure up early if it fit our needs. Lets start with the Pros. Amazing playground area with tons of space for activities and structures. Ms Dalia is very caring and kind, our son still mentions her. The area the school is in, is far off the main streets and is a nice clean community. Now onto the Cons. Communication and organization always seemed to be an issue. We had initially signed up for 2 days and asked to be notified if an extra day opened. When we showed up on the first day, we were surprised to find we had been enrolled for all 3 days. This was good news, but we had not planned for it. We had been lead to believe when we signed up, we would find out how our child did when we picked him up each day (since they do not provide any sort of daily notes). We wanted to know did he nap, did he have any accidents, did he eat, and did he poop. Unfortunately the morning staff was never there in the afternoon and did not relay information to the afternoon teachers. We were then told the morning teachers would leave notes for the afternoon teachers, that lasted about 2 days before the notes stopped coming. We brought our concerns up and were told an App was around the corner and would solve our concerns. Eventually, the app did come, but it was a glorified bulletin board of what all the children were doing that day mixed with some pictures of our child. Loved the pictures, still never knew how he was actually doing. In the end, we decided to move on to another Preschool as this one just didn't fit our needs. read more

This is hard to write because as a parent we want the best for our kids . My son 2 1/2 was treated awfully while in the hands of el camino preschool Heike was very rude when pick up time for me " my turn " turns the other way , let give you one example I open the back door to pick up my son. Shes sees me and turns the other way , not hello how are you ? ( friendly small talk ) nothing . Also she mentions all the time about how she dont like to tell on the kids when mom or dad picks up the child. She would constantly complain about our son ! To much to say ,so the bottom line is ( look somewhere else ) read more

Could not exceed expectations further. Constantly blown away by the quality of education, care, teacher selection, communication, school events, and so much more. It's the kind of place you respectfully don't want to tell anyone about because you want to snag it all for yourself... We love ecp read more

We have been sending our 2 year old daughter here since August and are so happy with our choice. All of my daughters teachers are loving and involved, Heike is always around for any questions or concerns. Her vocabulary has exploded and she is learning tools to help her express herself and ask for what she needs! I was so nervous dropping her off for the first time, but they reassured me and told me I can call as much as I want or drop by to check in. Heike told me she hasn't had to call a parent (yet!) to come pick up their child on the first day which put me at ease. I always feel good leaving her and she now doesn't want to leave when I come to pick her up! I really do love this adorable school! read more

Quality preschools like El Camino help children find answers through exploration, experimentation, and conversation. Kids in preschool discover that they are capable and can do things for themselves from small tasks like pouring their own juice and helping set snack tables to tackling bigger issues like making decisions about how to spend their free pre-reading skills, for instance, teachers might play rhyming games and let kids tell stories. Keep in mind that for small children, school is all about having fun and acquiring social skills not achieving academic milestones. Kids need to be imaginative and to socialize that's what fosters creative, well-rounded people. Most of all, all the teachers at El Camino are extremely dedicated to bringing out the best in their students. Thank you you for all your compassion and hard work. read more

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Issue mainly with the principle, Hika. This school is in a cute old house in a beautiful area of fire mountain. Plenty of room to play inside and out. My son's teacher, miss Saddie, was a sweetheart. My son liked his classmates and teacher. Only thing lacking here was: 1 perhaps could have done more artwork as in his whole summer session we only got 2 paintings to take home. 2 the teacher was always away on lunch during pick up time so it was hard to hear how the day went from her perspective. 3 I got the impression that maybe the teachers were a bit over worked. Now, about the principle. She rubbed me the wrong way right from the beginning. Stand offish, condescending and awkward. She has no warmth to her. All dealings with her resulted this way. I decided to speak to some other parents and got the same take from them. Some also added she spoke very sternly and inappropriately with the children. We've decided to go back to his other school even though they don't offer care during the summer. read more

We have been part of the El Camino Preschool family for a year now and love it. My daughter started school here last year when I went back for classes for my child development degree. We had recently moved to the area and it was the first preschool we had toured. Since my daughter had already been attending a preschool before and I was studying child development I knew this was the place for her and didn't bother looking at any other schools. Then 6 months into the school year Heike asked me if I would be interested in working at the school. So now I have a neat position of being a parent and a teacher at the school. Even if I wasn't a teacher this is the school that is right for my daughter. I know she is loved, safe, and learning new things every day. read more

Both of my sons went to El Camino Preschool, and we had a great experience. The teachers are wonderful, attentive and clearly care about the children and their welfare. They teach a lot of independence, and respect of their peers. At the pre-school age, social maturity and independence is much more important than academics (in my opinion), so it's great that they stress those aspects of learning. We loved the atmosphere...homey, warm layout of the building, and the spacious play areas. The Pre-K class with Ms. Sharon is the class that both of my kids attended where they "took off" in their growth. She did a wonderful job with my boys and had them totally prepared for Kindergarten. Every day, both of my sons would come home from school talking about what a great day they had...never a bad day. We couldn't ask for anything more. read more

My 4yr old just started the pre-k class with Miss Sharon, we have just finished our second week starting our third week.... there was a little anxiety on my little girls part by starting a new school but she is quickly making friends and she loves her teachers! I'm happy about her being settled and happy to go to school especially because her big sisters school is right across the street! So one drop in the am and One pick up! Thank you Heike for helping us adjust and get settled! We love this great find in a school! Once you see the property and meet the staff you will love it too!!! read more

I was grateful to have had my daughter here and now my son will be starting in August!!! Mrs Tupu, Mrs Amber, and Mrs Sharon were incredible!!! Every time I had a mommy issue or my daughter complained about how another kid was talking to her, etc...growing pains, they took me seriously and helped us through it no matter how insignificant it may have been to them. Everyone there is so caring and professional. Heike the owner is a helicopter and knows everything that goes on there, I appreciate that about her and I believe when it comes to caring for children you can never be too safe. This is an excellent place for my two children have their first social and educational experiences. My daughter grew so much and was ready for kindergarten because of the PreK curriculum. I also was thankful that they didn't request a lot from the parents to make the holiday festivities happen. I absolutely recommend El Camino Preschool!!! read more

I love this place because they love my daughter. Bottom line. The "old house" vibe is actually what sold us. We moved down From L.A. in June and didn't realize how sterile our daughters previous school was until we came to El Camino. It's the perfect little beach/country atmosphere we were looking for. We wanted her to be able to roll in the grass and climb and run like a real kid, not some hot house orchid. She's never sick here as opposed to the plethora of ailments that were always floating around her last school. The teachers never seem stressed or disconnected. There's a lot of love here. My daughter is well taken care of. If she has a scrape or a splinter or is running a little hot, the teachers are on it. The communication is wonderful and the overall feeling is very carefree. All the parents are super normal and friendly... I love coming here every day. I'm a worrier and it's a great relief to not have to obsess about my sweet little girls safety and happiness. read more

I visited 8 preschools in the Carlsbad area and this one was the best one! I love the director, teachers and the program. Its a "High Reach" program. They do take 2 yr olds not potty trained and work with them. That is a huge plus. The kids there all seem to be clean and happy. The program is also very affordable. I have been recommending this school to my friends. read more

Best preschool. It was recommended to me via a friend who's very picky with her kids, and likewise I was apprehensive to my kids being outside my own care. This preschool has the most caring staff and a wholesome and down to earth atmosphere. I moved from the area and now have my children at another private preschool, but I dearly miss El Camino Preschool. There is such kindness and patience demonstrated, and creativity is certainly nurtured. I LOVED the playground, as did my kids, but hands down it was the teachers and director who really made the place what it is. Simply put, a blessing. read more

Do not take your children here!!! My child did not have any behavioral problems before attending this school. I dont know any of the teachers names. There was always a different person there when my husband picked our son up. I was just out of surgery and Heike approaches me in my car (I liked to ride in the car when dropping off my son) and started venting about my child. She told me everything he was doing wrong. Nothing positive about this smart and curious little boy. Everytime my child was picked up his face was dirty and his nose was never wiped. Also, there were a few times when his water bottle was the only one inside while all the children were outside. I got pictures sent to me at work on the first day and never again after that. This place is a joke. It was recommended by my mom because my brother went there when he was a child, but Heike is the new owner. They basically kicked my child out because he was a hitter. He hits when hes upset and when hes excited. Hes a 2.5 year old boy! He NEVER hit before going to this daycare. Heike never sat us down to discuss a plan of action, she just suggested we get our son assessed. The one time my son came home with bite marks and told me exactly who bit him, they didnt have any video of it. Just an all around bad preschool! read more

I hate to give such a negative review but when it comes to our kids, I think it's important to have as much info, as possible. When I walked in the director was very nice but the facility was dark and old (converted house) and the smell was off putting. I chalked the scent up to a rancid trash can or dirty diaper (2 yr old class) but another friend mentioned it smelled badly when she toured the facility, too. I toured the entire facility and not one staff member said hello, greeted me, or engaged in ANY way. The teacher that would be responsible for my 3 year old daughter hardly looked up from the table and had zero enthusiasm when gathering the kids to take them outside for recess. The thing that REALLY got to me and made me absolutely positive that my daughter(s) would not attend this school was the unsanitary way that the lower classmen, 2 year olds, were attended to during diaper change. The teacher marched the 4 non-potty trained kids into the bathroom and had them sit on the floor. The floor of the BATHROOM. Next to the TOILET. The floor next to the toilet that newly trained toddlers use. Anyway, she put them on the changing table one at a time and changed their diapers (with gloves on) while the others sat on the dirty floor and waited their turn. I was only a few feet from the diaper changing bathroom talking with the director the entire time diapers were being changed and the kids clearly knew to stay seated until their turn so this is absolutely their normal procedure and not a one time thing. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. If you don't prioritize cleanliness and don't care if your child's preschool teacher is sweet or not, the good news is, their prices are low and there's no waitlist. read more

My daughter has been going to El Camino Preschool for 18 months now and we couldn't be happier. Everyday is a new adventure. She has made many friends, been invited to more parties than I can count and has really blossomed both emotionally, socially and vocally. The teachers are all very kind and we LOVE Ms Heike. We especially appreciate how Ms Heike is continuously developing the preschool and employing what she learns at conferences to improving the education of the children. Our younger son will also be attending El Camino when he turns two, just to prove how happy we are to have found this hidden gem of a preschool! read more

My 2.5 year old goes here and we are SO happy with this school. It took us a long time to find good school because we had had a bad experience at his former preschool due to a really horrible school director. Heike, the director at El Camino is the sweetest person. Her and all of the teachers there are just really nice people, and are great with my son. I feel safe leaving my him there, and that says a lot, because I can be a little overprotective. On preschool days my little is so excited to go to preschool, and when I pick him up he never wants to leave. They spend a lot of time outdoors and have a great playground. It seems like most schools are just so commercialized and the kids are just numbers. El Camino has a very different vibe than that - it's homey. I wanted to find a school where they just let kids be kids in a warm and nurturing environment and this is the one for us. read more

My family loves this preschool!! My two sisters and I went to this preschool thirty years ago and I've always said as soon as my son was old enough I wanted him to go here. My boyfriend and I enrolled our son about six months ago and have had nothing short of a great experience. The preschool is just as I remembered with a few upgrades. It's very clean, safe and spacious. The staff is super friendly and attentive. They have a huge play yard where the kids can run around and use up all of their energy. By the time I pick up my son he's ready for a nap! We've already extended the amount of days he attends because we know it's in his best interest to be around other friendly kids and we can see the progress he's made with talking and sharing. I highly recommend El Camino Preschool for anyone looking for that first school experience. read more

I'm a huge fan of El Camino preschool. My son is in the 2 year old room and I couldn't be happier with his experience so far. He's had separation problems and a teacher is always there to comfort and help distract him when I leave. They have a huge outside area, where the kids can use their imagination and play. The past few weeks my son has been singing the ABC's and can make it all the way through now and he isn't even 2 1/2 yet. They seem to make the learning fun and also cater to what the child likes. My son likes to paint and sure enough almost everyday he has a new picture for me. Seems like with some structure they let the children really explore their interests. The commenter speaking about the bathroom line didn't get the full picture since she was just visiting. I've picked up my child and he was waiting in a chair, not on the bathroom floor to be changed. I suspect the children the mother viewed weren't listening and were being stubborn. Overall very happy so far! read more

At the beginning it seems like a good school and there were actually no problems before. Until couple of months ago things such as monthly payments were not cashed on time. 1st reason was the person in charge was in vacation and did not had time to go. Checks were cashed in the mid of the month, 2 payments past by and same situation happened. I approached the issue and ask if maybe is better to make payments at the mid of the month since a lot of parents are expecting bills to be pay according to our pay period into which the principal replied is not her fault and she just didn't have time, and that no matter what we still have to pay on the 1st. and basically just for us to deal with it. I was actually not expecting this attitude from the principal. I was actually suggesting something that could be beneficial. If the checks are being cashed at the middle of he month, sometimes even at the 20s on the month then maybe we should do the payments at that time. I believe she is running a business after all and should be professional and cash the checks on time, without excuse. We alk go to work, have responsibilities but we still have to make time to pay our bills. So far as payments and customer service I don't agree with his place. The care itself has not been so bad, however, I have found once my daughter and all the kids playing outside in the cold with just a t-shirt on, meanwhile all the teachers were wearing a coat on that cold day. I mean, the kids jackets were couple of feet away. It was easy to get instead of being standing there talking, they could have take care of the kids 1st. After all they are there for them. Weather wise, it was probably in the low 40s with wind. The facility doesn't provide lunch, the parents have to bring the lunch. In two occasions it happen that my daughter came back with the lunch that I provided untouched, I had to call and ask into which one of the answers was that my daughter ate but was not hungry?? Very questinable since she is a big eater and the food didn't seemed to be even open. Lastly, I picked her one Friday afternoon and there were 2 teachers and 2 kids, counting my daughter. The teachers rush to bring her to me and then my daughter told me she had pooped, I had to change her diaper right there to find that it was not something that happened recently, but it seemed it was in her diaper for a good hour or more. Like I said the place is not bad and the teachers are ok. But the attitude and service provided by the principal or owner of the facility is not to the standards. read more

I took a tour there and was NOT impressed by preschool teachers. When we pulled up I loved the old, cozy look to it. When I walked in it smelled like pee. We walked into the preschool classroom and I was mortified by the bathroom area and how horribly it smelled. I got over it because I had read such great reviews and wanted to give it a chance. I wasn't overly impressed by anything in the classroom. I loved the outside garden area but again, not impressed with the pre-k staff. I started to then get a tour from Heike and did not like her attitude at all. Again, that wasn't enough to deter me. After getting to where the preschool kids were outside, my decision was made. Both of the preschool teachers were sitting in the shade on their phones. Not a single teacher even bothered to say hello or show any sort of warmth to a touring child. I then saw one preschool teacher roll their eyes at at a child and pull him off of a play structure. The other teacher went around back to the side and continued on her phone. I was sort of shocked because shouldn't you be on your best behavior in front of a tour? I'm not overly hard to please but the teachers and director here are very off-putting. Don't bring your kids here, especially not to the preschool. I got out of there as fast as I could. read more

This by far had to have been the worst preschool I have ever encountered! A couple of the teachers are great the others are not friendly and don't even try to come off as friendly individuals... the Director is unprofessional to the T... not friendly, no compassion she never even smiles... and she claims to want to help children succeed however can't even handle a hyper child who doesn't want to nap... her response to my child not napping and him being a " disturbance " was that she is not a babysitter.... and that I should either quit my job or look into having a nanny.... she also told me that her kids didn't nap too but luckily she's the director and they could just sit and color if they didn't nap that day... after that conversation and seeing other reviews on the unprofessional director I realized I needed to find else where for my son.... it's sad because the playground was an awesome environment for my son but if your child is not a robot and doesn't do EXACTLY what the director wants because they don't want to nap or if your child is a normal toddler who may not want to share please don't take them here.... read more

My kids have been going to El Camino Preschool for a few months now. We visited several schools but chose this one because my kids never felt intimidated and the school feels like a home. Right away they started playing and having fun with the toys. The yard is full of fun activities and just this morning I saw my son riding a bike, following older kids around. He just turned two! The teachers are wonderful and full of ideas to engage the kids. I love this school and so do my kids. read more

We love this preschool. Owner is very educated & involved. The curriculum is very age appropriate. The playground is very large with lots of fun activities for the kids to do. My son is doing well there and pride of good ownership is evident in the staff because they always are upbeat and engaged. read more

Both of my children attended El Camino Preschool, and we had a great experience. It was a very warm and welcoming environment, with lots of activities designed to bring the families together as well. Our kids loved the teachers and did well with the combination of structure and outdoor/play time. They always came home with multiple art projects that they completed throughout the week and made a number of friends with other children there. We were sad to move onto elementary school but bring with us many happy memories of El Camino! read more

I can't say enough good things about this school. Heike has been so amazing with getting us set up and we had to take my daughter out of school for a few months due to my own health issues. She got my daughter back in right away and we left off right where we started. My daughter is shy and at first had a really hard time with drop off as she had never really been away from me. All the teachers in the morning helped calm her down and now she doesn't cry any more. Ms Alycia(not sure on the spelling) is always there in the morning and takes my daughter to the window to wave bye to me which makes it a tear-less drop off. Ms Tupu and Ms Liz are amazing and always give me an update and make me feel so good about leaving my daughter here while I'm at work. I love the "old home" feeling to it. The classrooms are big, outside area is huge with so much room for them to play and explore, and it's always been clean and well kept. I can honestly say that there's nothing I've seen, heard or experienced here that was any sort of negative. I've come by at random times during the day to pick up early etc and never had an issue. They also have lots of fun activities that the parents are welcome to join. I'd give 10 stars if I could! Thanks staff for all your hard work! read more