When we were considering Lesley Ellis for preschool, we asked around on the playground, and just…read moreabout every parent we talked to told us, "It's excellent! The only negative is the cost." That matched our experience perfectly. The tuition is steep - though financial aid is available! - but everything else was fantastic, and we were consistently impressed with the teachers, curriculum, field trips, awareness of kids as individuals, interaction with administration, and more. My mom worked for decades in early childhood education, and (as an interested and involved grandparent) was also very impressed. They welcomed/encouraged heavy parent involvement, from "come into the classroom to talk about something you're knowledgeable/passionate about" to occasional parent-meetups-over-coffee in the morning and more. But I was never, ever made to feel guilty about not being able to participate heavily, which was the norm once we had our second kid. (Who also went to LES for preschool, once old enough.) We can't speak to their K-8 experience, but for preschool/pre-K/TK they were fantastic.

Lesley Ellis is an independent school from pre-school to grade 6, but expanding soon to 8th. Our…read moredaughter is in her third year there and we have been delighted with the program. The teachers are an outstanding group and attuned to the needs of each individual student. The administration is truly exceptional as they create an environment where parents, children and the school come together to form a nurturing and vibrant community.

Great School, Great location, Great traditions. Looking for superior quality preK-8 school? This is…read morethe school you want!

Most of the teachers are amazing. however, the 1st grade teacher is horrible. She labels kids, says…read morethings that are not true. I went to the principal for help and received none. He refuses to hold his teachers accountable. However, my daughter will not be in her class next year. So, thats the only thing i am looking forward too. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade teachers I heard are amazing.

I am a recent alumnus of Austin Prep, and I will start with the good - the academics are rigorous…read moreand most teachers are passionate and knowledgeable. I came out well-prepared for college and value my education there highly. However, in recent years, there have been many problems with the way the school is run. With the change of administration, the school went from the feeling of "tight-knit, humble private school" to pure business. It is abundantly clear that the school's model has devolved into putting up enough show to get parents to enroll their child, and have enough interest that they can admit more students whenever the glamor wears off on the old parents and they pull their children. The new headmaster has even said before in addresses, "We turned away many students this year, so you should all feel lucky that you're even here right now," in a way that almost sounded like a threat. This vibe permeates the way the school carries itself and treats its student body. From the technology to the dress code to the curriculum, everything is now optimized for them so that they get a kickback on sales, at the inconvenience of the families. Unnecessary changes are made to the schedules and structures of the school based on the image of the school, not the opinions of the families - which are often opposed. Perhaps the scariest change developing in the school is how hateful the atmosphere is becoming. From promoting an anti-LGBT hate group, to utilizing a book that encourages conversion therapy, to turning a blind eye to students harrassing international students based on race, the school is becoming valueless and made me feel unsafe by the end of my career there. The academics are stellar, but you can find a school without these problems. Do not enroll here, please.

My child spent 3 years at Austin Preparatory School (AP) before I decided to withdraw. I am writing…read morethis review in hopes to save someone (or many of you) time and money based on what I encountered at AP. I made a request to withdraw and receive a tuition refund in early July. It was denied due to the timeframe, per contract withdrawal​ must be before April 30th. Unfortunately,​​ events leading to my decision did not occur prior to April, too bad for me I guess. Even though we had spent 3 years at AP, the Headmaster was not interested in refunding any money to me. I had multiple conversations with him, explaining our reasons and issues, he pretty much brushed us off stating it was "too late," noting​ we had to "fulfill our financial obligation". He even said to me that if he refunded everyone that changed their​ mind, he would be opening pandora's box. Apparently many people change their mind about attending this school over the summer, I believe he referred to it as "summer meltdown". My thought was if this many people change their mind, he has a much bigger​ problem on his hands that he isn't addressing. The school Headmaster preaches "community" but does not practice it when push comes​ to shove. The school is a business to him. I understand the business side but even in the strongest of businesses contracts are altered and renegotiated every day. One would think he would be willing to work with a "community member" that had a 3-year​ investment in the school​. I even offered to give up the seat I had reserved and accept a partial refund when the seat was filled by another student, he would have no part in this discussion. Unfortunately​,​ he is judge and jury at AP, not even a Board to answer to as he noted, they send the "issue" back to him to resolve. During the 3 years​ spent at AP I started to notice a pattern. Many kids that I met that went there were bullied in their prior school. I didn't think much of​ it at the time​ but did start asking more and more kids why they were going to that school. Low and behold, kept getting the same answer, bullied at prior school. One may think that this is good, this school "protects" them, not the case. Some of these kids actually became the bullies​. Guess they had first​-hand experience on how to do it. I also notice that MANY kids that attend have parents that teach at the school. Turns out a benefit to teachers is their kids go to school for free. The school has tuition increases EVERY year, without fail. Typically an increase of about $2000.00... setting the current tuition at $21,900.00! Quite the price for high school or middle school.... and remember, teachers kids go for free. This past summer the school did a multi-million​ dollar kitchen/cafeteria/foyer renovation. The tuition increase was $1900.00. This was to cover the cost of lunches for kids, regardless of whether​ or not your kids eat ​lunch, you pay the increase. I wonder if the teachers paid the $1900.00 or are the "paying population" feeding their kids too? The school definitely has some issues including vaping and bullying (even though there is a "no tolerance" policy) Don't think you are going to avoid these issues by leaving the public schools. In my opinion,​ the public schools have a better handle on how to deal with​ this, probably because they acknowledge it is happening. I find the headmaster of the school "talks the talk" to parents, but doesn't deliver. Personally,​ I also find him to be quite arrogant. He often notes similar types of stories in his email updates, something​ about how a parent tells him that their child received an amazing education at AP and now is going to college for less than they paid to go to school at AP due to scholarships (obviously​ they were not a teacher at AP). Watch for yourself and see. To summarize, high-cost​ middle/high school education (almost the cost of a college) without a high-end​ reputation. If you really want a private school do your homework, you can get what AP offers for half the price and hopefully​ find a Headmaster with a conscience.

If you grew up here, then your cool with it. If not, we don't really care what you think…read more Plenty of good people, a few who are not so good. Has a lot of work to do to improve, and some real knuckleheads running the place. A sleepy place, full of those who formerly hailed from Somerville, Medford, or Charlestown and wanted to raise their kids in a little bit better town. It has a good sense of community, and remains a good place to raise your kids. Used to be a better place to raise your kids, but budget woes have "forced" those in charge to make cuts. . Need to do a better job getting business sustainability, to get some revenue flowing into this town. Overall, The STO is a good place, which I'm proud to be from

Waldorf School of Lexington(WSL) is a wondeful play-based education where children learn soft…read moreskills, i.e. problem solving and team work, in addition to the hard skills. The supportive staff works to develop the individual child and creates a loving environment for children to thrive. Our family is very pleased with the educational experience our child has at WSL.

Our children went to the early childhood program at this school (nursery and kindergarten) and it…read morewas a wonderful experience. We moved to a different state, otherwise they would still be at this school. The teachers that our kids had were caring and warm; kids got to do a lot of free play with other children and work on their social skills that way; the program also involved a lot of movement and outdoor time, which is so important to young children. Even in the short few years that we were there, I could see how being at the school made our kids more creative and gave them great social skills. Our kids still miss their old school.

We switched our eldest to Fayerweather at the start of 3rd grade seeking a school where the…read morelearning would be significantly challenging, values-rooted, and joyful. We wanted a place where our inquisitive kid could really stretch her edges and feel comfortable taking academic risks (and sometimes making mistakes). Now 12, she has a deep sense of who she is and what matters to her - and this strong sense of self has allowed her to take risks (academically and socially) and push herself as a learner and community member. She understands that justice and community are the essential foundations for learning and social impact. Our younger child (now 7) started at FSS in kindergarten and we have found that, while quite different from his older sibling, he is just as seen, valued, and supported. He has gotten incredible guidance navigating his intensity and high energy, and he is academically challenged in just the right ways - he works on meaningful problems and his sense of accomplishment is significant. Fayerweather has helped him have a voice and language for his feelings, his challenges, and his successes. The loving support and developmentally appropriate and thoughtful curriculum have allowed him to discover his best self and build the skills and agency to choose his actions wisely. FSS is all we hoped, for both kids.

We just started school at Fayerweather this fall, and my 1st grader and 6th grader cannot get over…read morehow friendly the school community is. My son came home from school after his second week of being a new kid (a middle schooler, no less -- in the 6th grade) and said "mom I give it 5 stars!!! Everyone is SO nice, teachers and kids, and I love it!!!." Now that we are four months in, happily his review remains. He also says that his homeroom and math teacher is "literally THE best math teacher" he's ever had. I'm continually impressed with how in touch with my son's learning style the teachers are, and he's growing leaps and bounds. My 6 year old daughter, who is usually shy, is coming out of her shell socially and is really starting to take to reading (which she has avoided prior to Fayerweather). Her teachers are incredible and so in tune with her and helping her to grow where she is ready to, and there is such insight into the social emotional ecosystem of the classroom. Fayerweather has the academics *and* the community we'd hoped for -- the school has a joyful, healthy, connected vibe and is inclusive and diverse to boot. We couldn't be happier.

a wonderful school...though not for students who want to coast along. It's very rigorousread more

To all the kids who feel different. To the outcasts. To the kids who hate school and would rather…read morebe doing literally anything else: this review is for you. I was an elite member of CH-CH's boarding program a zillion years ago, so I feel qualified to tell all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Academics: Honestly? Pretty easy. Show up to class, remain conscious, do your homework, hand it in on time, and congratulations--you're probably getting an A. They did give students opportunities to explore their strengths, though, and I remember the teachers being pretty socially aware, which was genuinely cool. Extracurriculars: Drama counted as a team sport, which was fantastic for those of us who had absolutely no intention of becoming varsity athletes. You were required to either play a sport or do drama, so if you hated both...good luck! It looks like they offer more options now, which is probably for the best. Boarding: Not bad! The metal bunk beds were approximately as comfortable as sleeping in a shopping cart, and there is something inherently weird about your teachers seeing you in pajamas. But if home isn't your favorite place to be, boarding gives you somewhere else to exist for a while. Upperclassmen could do study hall in their rooms, and the weekend trips were worth taking advantage of. Social life: When I was there, the student body was basically extremely talented artists who smoked weed. The vibe was very chill. It seems like the culture has changed since then, but it's still high school, so obviously there are cliques and drama. And this school is SMALL. If you drop a pencil at 2:00, the entire student body will have developed a working theory about it by 2:15. So why two stars? Unfortunately, CH-CH was also the kind of place where you needed to be very careful about who you trusted. The culture blurred the line between teachers and students being friendly and teachers and students being friends, and those are not the same thing. Boundaries matter, especially when adults are working with teenagers. And please don't arrive expecting mental health treatment. Teachers are teachers, not therapists. Yet somehow, that did not always prevent people from offering opinions about students' mental health as though they were handing out extra-credit assignments. Also: staff gossip. My God. Sometimes I think the adults had more tea than the students did. And finally, the cafeteria. Avoid. There are enough challenges in adolescence without voluntarily adding that food to the list. Do I recommend CH-CH? Yes and no. For a kid who has always felt like the weird one, finding a school full of other weird, creative kids can do wonders for your self-esteem. There were parts of being there that I genuinely valued. Just remember: you're allowed to like your teachers without making them your friends.

This is an amazing and unique school. The school is very inclusive, my son has been incredibly…read moresupported, and he has transformed from an academically disengaged student to one who is happy, interested, and successful. The faculty and administration are caring and genuine. The student body are positive and create a warm, tightly knit community. I was on the fence about public vs private school and have two older kids who did well in our public system. For my youngest, this school has been a game changer and was one of my best parenting decisions.