ECDS is a great school with a beautiful campus, wonderful teachers and staff and great families. My daughter is thriving academically, socially and in character development. We couldn't be happier. read more

I think that the support of the teachers and friends here is great. However the school will not prepare you well for high school. There are classes but they are not like high school so i reccomend moving your kid before middle school. read more

Wonderful teachers, very happy with our choice, campus is beautiful, athletic field could use a renovation. It's so nice when your kids are excited and run into school every morning read more

this school is terrible, the teachers are all over 60 and are not good with the kids. I am very highly do not recommend the school. I don't recommend the school because most of the teachers are sexist towards girls. I have a lot more to say about the school but I'm just gonna cut the short. Do not go to the school. read more

This has been an incredible school for my daughter since we moved here. She was drowning in the fast pace of the public schools (getting Cs). ECDS has a great balance between intellectual rigor and hands on projects, along with small classroom size and low use of technology. She now focuses and gets As. Quality relationships are made with teachers, everyone is friends in the classroom, and she comes home nourished every day. Grateful for Miss Hayes, Miss Susan, and all the other quality teachers that pour their hearts into these kids. read more

Wonderful, amazing, enriching school. Kind, helpful, patient, teachers and staff that always smile and great you and your child warmly. My son has thrived at this school. He has made many new friends, he has self confidence, he loves going to school, and he has learned so much. The community of parents at this school is wonderful, and the small class sizes are unique and help children feel seen. I can't say enough good things about this school. The principal is always out front at drop off and pick up and greets each individual student. The academics are rigorous, but they also meet each child where they are at. The school events are very thoughtfully planned out and a lot of fun. Great school! read more

Expensive babysitting is essentially what this school offers. ECDS has a beautiful campus, but the academics are definitely less than robust. You will find a few nurturing, qualified teachers; however, you will also find an abundance of teachers who should probably retire due to their lack of innovative teaching and lack of patience with students. The administrators/staff are less than welcoming, especially once your initial deposit/tuition check clears.. They will often be intentionally preoccupied and abrasive. Go Math is the elementary math curriculum, which is the same underwhelming curriculum that public schools use. There is a mass exodus of students in middle school, when most families recognize that the social dynamic is toxic and that the lack of academic fulfillment is of concern. Student behavior is a HUGE concern here, mostly because students who have been expelled from other schools (both public & private) can continue their inappropriate, unacceptable behavior. These disruptive students are barely deterred from this continued behavior, even when there is perpetual physical aggression toward other students. Collecting the check for tuition is clearly more important than protecting the students on the receiving end of the aggression. The student body recognizes that there are virtually no consequences for such bad behavior. The school is laser-focused on growing the student population since it means more money/tuition for the school. Retention of current students, even those who have been there since kindergarten, isn't even a thought. While I understand that this is a business which needs to generate $ to exist, the approach is extremely flawed. The overall product (education/environment) is not serving students well. My best advice is to explore other options as this one is certain to fall short of expectations. read more

My oldest went to the preschool last year and loved it, but this school for elementary has blown us away. She is in Kindergarten and is learning at a phenomenal rate, and is so excited about it! She loves going to school, she loves practicing what she learns, and she is also continuing her foundation from last year about learning to be a good friend and kind person. I am really proud of the young lady she is becoming, and I know that ECDS has been a part of that. read more

We love this school, we started in kindergarten and it's been an amazing 9 years! If only they had a high school!! What an amazing community of teachers, students and families. We will miss it! The education my son received has been fantastic, with so many dimensions beyond a typical education. They helped my son become the amazing kid he is today intelligent, thoughtful, forward thinking.... Thank you ECDS! read more

I was browsing around Yelp and was shocked to see such negative reviews about ECDS. My kids have been attending this school for 5 years and we absolutely love it. They have had good teachers every year with small class sizes (never more than 16). The best part, in my opinion, is the friendly atmosphere; at drop off and pick up, parents hang out and talk to one another and the teachers are always available for casual conversations about kids and curriculum. All this in an absolutely beautiful setting; overall a great experience for students and parents alike. read more

This is a glorified day care. Very nice campus and caring staff but Variety Camp and Adventure Camp were advertised as academic camps claiming "math and reading clinics and science and computer labs". My son did no math reading or anything else even remotely academic and when I asked for my money back ($250) they said they could only give me a credit! read more

My role as vendor to both campuses has me spending a great deal of time with the staff and administration on a regular bases. My observations are as a business professional; however I am also a parent and grand parent of small children so my perspective is based on many years of involvement with the education industry. While we do not have children attending the school, I have found the staff to be professional, caring and well educated. Since my work is often on one-to-one bases with the employees, I get to see a lot of what goes on behind the scenes both with the children and the parents. Everyone is very dedicated to the Montessori approach to education and I wish I had an opportunity to send my granddaughter to school there. Unfortunately she resides out of the county so it simply is not possible. Recognizing that the previous post was from 2008 and we are well into 2011, I feel they have upgraded the facility and programs. I have been onsite on the last day of school several times and it is really refreshing that the students make their way around the school to say their good byes to staff and employees for the school year and are not racing out the door to get home and begin the summer vacation. It is obvious that the students are getting a good lesson in life about education, relationships and human interaction. The focus at this school is totally on the children and is demonstrated from the Principal and Executive Director on down. Watching the children and the relationship with staff is impressive and makes we want to volunteer more than I can possibly afford. I would recommend anyone wanting to send their children there, that they will be pleased with the results. In checking the prices they appeared to be in line with my other accounts and good education is never cheap and cheap education is never good. read more

Fantastic school and education! My two daughters love it and they are flourishing there. We would highly recommend this school to anyone. The diverse education they are experiencing is completely worth the cost of tuition. read more

Attending this school was an enormous mistake. Our two children attended Encinitas Country Day School for three years. During that entire time, their mother was a full time volunteer, and devoted all of her time and effort to assist in nearly every capacity for the benefit of this school and its community. Unfortunately, the school's owner, Kathy Porterfield, is a petty and vindictive person who took offense when we brought up concerns about our son's first grade teacher. On August 12th, we returned from vacation to find a letter in which she informed us that ECDS "would no longer be providing educational services to our children." Our kids are smart, sensitive, and have never had disciplinary issues. The sole reason is that she was angry at my wife for speaking her mind. We were shocked and outraged, and were deeply concerned for our children, ages 4 and 7. They were devastated. My wife called Kathy Porterfield, and literally begged her not to punish our children for some imagined slight. It did no good, and her actions will have have profound and long-lasting effects on our children. They cried and cried because they were being separated from their friends. They asked us what they could have done to deserve this. It was and is absolutely heartbreaking. How can this person call herself an educator when she treats children like this- punishing them for no reason whatsoever? Making them suffer and cry. We are now justifiably concerned for any parent whose child attends this school. They deserve to know that the director will expel their children from school for no reason. To add insult to injury, after all my wife has done for this school, all the time, effort, and expense, Kathy Porterfield doesn't even have the courage or the integrity to speak to us about any issues she may have in person. It is also abundantly clear that she deliberately waited until early August to notify us of her decision, which makes it tremendously difficult to find a suitable alternative school. The reason is purely financial- she did not want to risk other parents pulling their children out when they learned about this outrageous conduct. If you're considering this school, you should really think twice. read more

Our daughter has made leaps and bounds academically, and socially. She is safe, appreciated by her teachers and peers, and feels that all the kids are equals. read more

We have been at Encinitas Country Day school now for the third year (first grade through 3rd grade) and we love it! We went to the Albert Einstein Academy in San Diego before, but I was not happy with the curriculum and the overall feel and atmosphere of the school. It was not nurturing enough, mostly academic drive.. My son was getting stressed out and depressed (also from the long commute) already in first grade! Encinitas Country Day is nurturing, as well as academically driven, it encompasses the whole child, with heart, brain and body! I love the teachers, they are very caring and create an amazing environment for the kids as well as it is a very welcoming environment for the parents. I love dropping him off in the morning, it has an amazing atmosphere and when I pick him up, he usually sends me home, because he wants to stay longer, to join the after school program. It has changed this year with a lot of amazing activities. I the morning my so loves to get there early, because the kids can play as well. I am thankful to have found this amazing place, it really suits us and is such a healthy and fun environment which is making my son thrive and be a happy balanced child. read more

This review is in regards to their Summer Camp Programs. Do not sign up for any camps here!!!. They are running a bait and switch. The camps website and brochures advertise a wide variety of camps . They cancel 80% at the last minute leaving you in a lurch and your child disappointed. The directors care only about making money, not the kids . They also have no courtesy towards the parents. They claim they offer morning child care at 7:30 a.m. but for a whole week the place was not even open at 7;30 when we were ready to drop off our child. Good luck getting your refund if you do sign up for a camp they will inevitably cancel. On Monday, they told me the check was mailed. On Friday,they said it would take a few weeks! Are you kidding me! This place was one huge headache and disappointment!!! read more

There are schools that teach children and there are school that collect money. This school collects money...and quite a bit of it. For a very high monthly fee you can put your child in a class with too many children and not enough teachers. You will experience teachers who are unhappy and ruled by a system that has nothing to do with teaching or guiding your child. Only the most "normal" and obedient children will flourish here. If your child needs help playing or feeling included you should run from this place. Our son was sick almost every week he attending Encinitas Country Day. We moved him to another school and he has not been sick since. We saw children left to sit alone, we saw teachers putting their hands up in front of kids faces when they were talking. We saw a teacher belittle a 3 year old. Mostly you will see teachers sitting around eating most of the day or yelling at kids across the play yard. Pick a school with values. This school promises a lot but delivers very little. Cots are practically stacked on top of each other in the classroom while children rest. It is dirty, understaffed and ridiculously over priced. read more