So far we have loved the experience and I could not be happier at the school (and I have high standards and expectations). Each grade offers children to work at their own pace, and children can learn curriculum in reading/math up to two grades above each grade they're in without a competitive feel between the children. NO IPADS which is amazing since all public schools use that now as a learning tool and I'd rather my daughter not learn via tapping her finger on a screen. There is an intentional effort to have healthier food options at events, ordered school lunches, birthdays in class, aftercare snacks, but there is also no judgement amongst parents or between admin and parents. They offer extracurricular classes for kids in TK and beyond. My daughter does keyboard and dance once a week after school, and it's really nice, she just stays an extra half hour and I pick her up when it's done, and she LOVES them. The aftercare program has been amazing compared to the other Montessori we went to prior to ECDS. We absolutely love our teachers this year, along with the extracurricular teachers we've met. Ms. Hayes is the new principal but has worked at the school for over 10-15 years, and she is just wonderful, caring, dedicated, and knowledgeable. It's a really good feeling as a parent to have the principal and teachers open and welcoming of communication, and allowing us to be involved with our child's experience at school. Feel free to DM me on Yelp if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them! read more

This elementary school administration is completely in inept and lazy. If you have a child with any sort of special needs, or he/she needs any special assistance at school, look elsewhere!!!!!! Apparently if your child doesn't fit into the perfect square box, or they may learn differently, you will be overlooked immediately. Discrimination at its finest. Fortunately I've heard the teachers are amazing. So that is their saving grace. read more

Ok 3 stars is generous and that's only because the three teachers my son has had have been the most loving and caring teachers! (Rowe, Smith, Nelson). And Coach Piazza and Perdoni are awesome. And of course the librarian Mrs Maresco who holds the school together. BUT the administration, sports teams, and special elective classes (yoga, spanish, music, drama) teachers are all AWFUL‼My poor son absolutely dreads yoga because of how the current (2023) teacher is so mean to boys. She yells at them. And they actually had her coach boys basketball which was dreadful. My son also dreads spanish and music too because the boys are continuously yelled at. The PTA is constantly asking for more money and volunteers than the school can handle. There is no basketball court or soccer field despite them having teams. And these poor kids (4th and 5th graders) have to play against 7th and 8th graders and are beat to smithereens over and over again. It's dreadful. The middle school is about 10 kids so not the best for most kids. If you are considering this school I would definitely advise you to try your best to find a different school. read more

Preschool is decent. Nice, safe & conveniently located campus. Attentive teachers and happy kids. Director is kind, caring & helpful.

Last year both my kids went to this school, now my oldest has moved on to the big campus for Kindergarten and my almost 3 year old is continuing here. It is the sweetest school. Miss Keara is a great, kind, compassionate teacher and Mrs King runs the school with a huge heart and a lot of love. My kids are learning so much academically but more importantly about kindness, friendship, respect, and working together in the world. Every time I pick my youngest up, she is happy and playing and is excited to show me her work for the day. Last year, my oldest would tell me to come back later! She wanted to stay and have more fun. We are so happy with this school. read more

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weird school i was class of 2014 and remember the in class experience was decent but i remember there was a black widow spider on the play ground and one teacher gave me literal detention for standing next to a fence. (yes really) read more

My two year old daughter giggles with excitement every time we pull into the preschool parking lot. Her first two weeks were such a great experience that I decided to change from half days to full days. She absolutely loves her teachers, classroom and the school environment. The classroom is so inviting, the teachers have such great energy and the school has a sense of calm and peace that makes my daughter feel stimulated, engaged and secure. I am so grateful that my daughter has had such a fantastic introduction to this important next step in her development. read more

This an exceptional preschool! My son has been in Mrs. McCorristin and Ms. Ritu's class for the past two years. They are the most compassionate, wonderful teachers! They set a loving, friendly, supportive tone in the classroom. They begin every day talking with all of the children about how ECDS is a friendship school where they "love and respect each other". I have found it so easy to communicate with the teachers and the preschool director, Wanda King (also wonderful!!), about my son's special needs. My son has SPD and he's very sensitive. He had some challenges at the preschool he attended before ECDS. But now he is THRIVING on every level!! I love the multi-age Montessori classrooms - the children really help each other. When my son first started school there, within two weeks the older kids had taught him how to pump on the swing and do the monkey bars - two things I had not been able to teach him myself. I was blown away! One friend also showed him how to fold clothes - so for the past year my son has been folding all of his own laundry. He feels proud to do it! Regarding academics, my son is reading at a 1st grade level already. And he is now in the position of being the big kid who reads books to the younger children, which is very empowering to him. The playground is perfect for my son. He really needs swings and monkey bars. They are a part of his "sensory diet". The hill with the pathways where they can let their imaginations run wild is delightful. And there is enough open space in the grassy area for when he just needs to run around, do cartwheels, etc. Soon he will be graduating from ECDS... but a part of me wishes he could stay at there forever because it's hard for me to imagine a better school experience. His time there has been so empowering! But I guess I have to let my little guy grow up and go to kindergarten next year. ;) Thank you ECDS for everything! xo read more

We go for the Mommy and Me program. My 2.5 year old absolutely loves it! Best program and its free! It's a must try! They have music, play time and circle time at the end. They have a playground, tons of toys and arts and crafts! Amazing!! read more

Would not recommend this preschool. Management has a complete lack of care and respect. I enrolled my child here because I heard great things from other moms. Maybe it's just the excuse of covid but there is virtually zero communication here. The school year began, a few weeks in, with one of my child's two teachers leaving the school. I found out weeks later only after asking the other teacher where she went. The school didn't find it important enough to inform the parents that one of the teachers left. A new director began shortly after but she completely lacks care for the children or responsibility of her staff. Teachers pick and choose which parents to communicate with. As a result my child was left out of an ongoing activity with his class because it wasn't important enough to inform us early on. When I confronted the director she dismissed it as my inability to reach out, even though I was clearly reaching out. Made absolutely no sense. And on another note about communication, I requested updates early on from the teacher, especially since I was left in the dark with "covid restrictions". I received brief, almost superficial updates for just over a month before they completely disappeared. Apparently the school's new picture taking system and completely generic newsletter is a replacement for actual updates on how the children are actually doing. I rated this school a 2 star since my child says he likes it. He doesn't know any better. If you expect half decent transparency, respect, and care for your child, I wouldn't recommend taking him/her here. read more

We are an Encinitas Country Day School Pre-School family for six years now. Sadly, this is our last year at ECDS. We have seen so many changes at this school, both positive and negative. As our final year comes to an end, we are leaving knowing that future and existing families are in good hands. During our six years at ECDS, we saw the Director turnover about four times. The current Director is absolutely amazing! She knows how to talk to parents, staff, and students in a very respectful and yet firm way. My kids have had incredible teachers at ECDS, who challenged them and also nurtured them. These teachers know how to prepare kids for their elementary school years. The multi-age Montessori classrooms are structured in such a way, so that new students have a mentor. The older students enjoy and learn to be leaders. As the kids get older, they enjoy teaching the younger students about what goes on in the classroom. The kids get an opportunity to experience having multiple teachers. Not only do the kids have their own classroom teachers, they also have gymnastics, music, and sometimes enrichment teachers. The two gymnastics teachers have been teaching at ECDS for decades now. The music teacher is very patient with the kids and knows how to hold their attention. There is also an opportunity for kids to sign-up for keyboard. It is going to be very sad to leave ECDS on our last day at school. My child keeps reminding me that it is very common for alumni to come back and visit. We will definitely be one of those families as ECDS has been a big part of our lives we will never forget! read more

Their new campus is beautiful and they base their teachings on Montessori, however there is something really unfriendly about Encinitas Country Day. It is slowly becoming an elite prep pre-school and grade school. The children from first grade on up now wear uniforms. The clientele is primarily plucked from Rancho Santa Fe and the owner is very stuffy and will replace any part-time kid with a full-time one as money is a priority. I know some of the teachers here so I get the inside scoop. They are not a happy bunch and that in turn trickles down to the kids. My friend's daughter went there and I used to pick her up so my opinion is personal. read more

Ms Daisy, Ms Vanessa and Ms Rebecca are spectacular with my toddler. They are truly a gem as toddlers teachers. We are so happy to know that our son is in caring hands and learning to his top potential. These three wonderful teachers are one of a kind. Thank you to each and one of you! read more

My niece attended ECDS for two years and, thanks to the fantastic teachers, she entered Kindergarten with ease and ended up being a grade or two ahead of her class in reading, writing and math. Today, my niece is eight and continues to thrive (at El Camino Creek) and my family and I all agree on one thing - ECDS more than prepared my niece for kindergarten. Rock on Miss Tabatha and Miss Lisa - you're the best. read more

We really like Encinitas Country Day. My 3rd daughter has been there for a year and we have had a great experience. We have had 2 teachers- she moved up half way through the year at my request because she potty trained and her friends were moving up. Both teachers were just amazing- nurturing, positive and fun! We are involved in one extra activity but the class is always doing a fun project and learning how to socialize. My 3 year old is very interested in the alphabet, she pracitices writing her name and just loves art and school. Our current teacher Miss Keara is hands down one of the best preschool teachers we have ever had ( i have 2 older girls). I would highly recommend this preschool! read more

My kids have been attending Encinitas Country Day School for 6 years now. We are just so thrilled to have an enriching, safe environment for our kids to go to everyday. The teachers and staff focus on helping each child learn at their own pace using a traditional Montessori approach to teaching. This means that the kids learn by experincing numbers and information rather than just copying and memorizing. I love that they offer a variety of cultural classes such as art, music, drama, spanish, PE, technology and Tae Kwon Do, focusing on the well-rounded student. This is not a snobby, "rich kids" school by any means. Most of the parents I know are very laid back and just happy to be able to send their kids to ECDS. read more

Generally a very nice, caring, well run and well kept pre-school. We absolutely love Ms. McCorristan as she is always calm, well prepared and listens to the children. Nice open campus with newly updated lawn area and space for the kids/parents to grow fruit and vegetables. Would certainly recommend them to anyone. read more

I am sad to see my daughter leave this pre-school. She has developed so much while attending. From the gymnastics class where she strengthened her balance skills to music class where she learned rhythm and could repeat beats, there is always something to look forward to. She LOVED going to class every day. I am not just impressed with what my daughter has learned during this time, but also the lessons she has taught me as a parent - including how to be supportive without pushing too hard and how capable she is at cleaning up after herself. I am thankful that my daughter had a place to go to where she felt loved, appreciated and needed while learning so much about the world around her. I was consistently impressed on days where I would drop in for an unannounced visit to see all the children enjoying themselves in an environment where they were comfortable and could be themselves. I was especially impressed with the Birthday celebration in one classroom where the student would walk 'around' the sun to show another year went by - ALL the children were involved and the Birthday child was especially excited. I'm sure I can expect the same experience at the elementary school as she enters Kindergarten, but it is hard to say goodbye to the preschool and the staff that has loved on my daughter for the last few years. read more

I love this school it is both fun for the kids and I feel like it has surpassed all my expectations my son is becoming quite smart and with his education he is going to have a bright future and all of the extra curricular activities that they offer are amazing especially drama and library gives the students a sense of creativity and being able to be more socially able and that's what I love about this school it makes sure that the students are engaged and because the classes are fairly small and the students are well behaved the teacher makes sure that the students grasp the concepts and if one of the students are falling behind they can have one on one learning until they have caught up and once the child reaches the fifth grade you have 2 math groups so if the kids who are in a higher level get to learn on their level and the kids who are in n a lower level learn on theirs while still being challenged. read more

Encinitas Country Day has been a blessing for my children. This is our 7th year at the school and I can honestly say I have never been happier. Our Director and Principal care about every person at the school: teacher, parent and most importantly students. Yes, we are a Montessori school with a traditional overlay. Our teachers have passion and dedication for their students. Their character developement has been an amazing addition to the curriculum. We have kids here from San Diego to Oceanside. We have top notch teachers who love to be here. Come on by anytime and check it out for yourself! read more

We are very happy with the school and our child wakes up every morning excited to go to school. They are based on Montessori teachings which is great if your child is curious and self motivated. The clientele is from the surrounding area, so it is no surprise that many of the children are from RSF but we have found most parents to be friendly. The teachers are great at the Encinitas campus!! read more

We loved this preschool! My daughter was there for 2 years and loved every minute. She would come home and talk about how it was a "Friendship" school. And that was true. The kids were taught how to be kind and polite while also learning about the world through the wonderful Montessori environment. My daughter was well ahead of the curve when she started kindergarten. I can't tell you how happy we are that we chose this school. The teachers were all wonderful and my daughter still talks about Ms. Keara and Ms. Courtney. read more

On the surface this school seems like the answer to every parents hopes and dreams. Music program, gym class, dance class, Montessori teaching..perfect. I can say without question that ENCINITAS COUNTRY DAY PRESCHOOL was our worst experience as parents to date. Not only did the teachers seem bitter and angry about their position, what the school promised was not there at all. We were asked to come in and help our son on the playground to do better socially. We were able to observe firsthand exactly what is going on at this school. Teachers ignoring students. Teachers sitting around eating at tables while smaller children were being chased by older children. Little to no facilitated play. These kids were left to their own devices on a playground the size of a football field. Children ages 3 to sometimes 6 were left alone. Some children sat alone every single day we were there. No help from teachers..lost. In the classroom we witnessed a teacher actually put her hand in a little boys face and told him to "be quiet". Kids were left to do the same work over and over with little supervision and no encouragement. Nap time was actually a fire hazard. There were cots stacked practically on top of each other. Some children in the class that truly needed special attention were left all day to sit and stare. I also witnessed the teacher accept a personal call on her cell phone in front of the children. The conversation was inappropriate for anyone to hear. Gym class consists on two very tired instructors and NO TEACHER SUPERVISION. The kids sit on dirty pieces of mat-like material and then use rusty old bars for gymnastic type activities. This equipment looked like it was ready to fall apart at any moment. Music class which was supposed to be with instruments and held in another room never actually happened. A teacher would come in and sing songs..not what they advertised at all. No instruments, no separate , special classroom. I say all of this because we believed the video and the tour...we actually cried when we saw it. The director and the staff could not have been LESS accommodating to our needs. Our son needed extra help socially...they were unwilling to even try to help him. We saw children there who needed help. I am sure the parents think their children are fine..they are not fine. They sit there and stare into space. No once pays any attention. As long as ENCINITAS COUNTRY DAY PRESCHOOL is collecting the money, and your child isn't rocking the boat..they stay. Please stop helping this school continue. Everyone seems miserable there. We sat there every day trying to help our son because no one else would. Go some where loving. Go somewhere where you actually get what you pay for. read more

I wanted to make sure that my review is read. please think twice about sending your preschooler to this school. My husband and I saw things here that are quite frankly unethical for a school. If you do decide to try it..please, please drop in on our child every now and then. Especially try dropping in around recess time. You will be shocked at how outdoor time in handled. We actually had a specialist come in to try and show the teachers what needed to happen on a playground that large. The director and teachers were not willing to even look at the challenges. There is no facilitated play. All of the children are running around...sometimes running for their lives it seems. We were there...we would ask the smaller ones if they liked being chased and they were terrified but didn't know where to go. We saw "kill the bad guy" games...we saw teachers see these games and do nothing about it. We saw kids hitting each other with tree branches. In the classroom we saw a teacher who disrespected children so often that I found it difficult NOT to say something. Please at least keep in mind that this school is NOT what it seems. The teachers and the director are looking at the money. They were unwilling to help our son. We had specialists come into the school and offer suggestions to improve facilitated play, to improve overall morale of the students and we were quietly asked to leave. This school will not nurture your child. They will be yelled at, embarrassed and ignored for most of the day. TRUST ME...I was there!! read more

I really like ECDS and have sent both my sons here for their preschool years. I love the montessori-based approach that gives the kids a chance to work on a lot of different, important skills in a way that's fun for them. The classrooms are neat and organized, and the kids seem to enjoy having both "circle time", as well as independent time to work on their choice of activity. Their teachers have been caring and friendly and able to run their classrooms with clear boundaries with an emphasis on the students treating each other kindly and I always feel comfortable approaching the staff if there is anything that my child needs or is going through. The school's music teacher is very good at getting the kids excited about music by having them use their bodies to dance, play percussion instruments, and sing. I feel like this school has given both of my kids a very good foundation for entering kindergarten both socially and academically and I recommend it to other parents all the time. read more