My kid has been going there for months and just left this place for a better environment. I felt like it is time for a review. He was getting sick once or twice literally every month. The facility inside is well lit and organized but however has no openable windows for positive airflow and no adequate HVAC system filtering the airs, thus the main suspect of him getting easily sick besides kids being kids! The main concern of this place and the worse was during the months my kid was there 90% of the directors and teachers are replaced and came and gone!!! This placed has gone thru 2 directors within months and all the teachers except the older teacher Fang Fang were either quit or terminated without any notice to us parents!!! If the retention rate is so low and turn over rate of teachers are so ridiculously high, how can our kids adjust mentally and psychologically to the constant changes of teachers!!!Recently, our parents were given 1 day notice of a director leaving this place??? Seriously? If the directors and teachers were not happy, how can our kids be?? The upper management should pay attention on fixing and treating their most valuable assets (directors and teachers)better, otherwise this place is the worst place to send your kids to grow and learn! read more

This review is solely based on the visiting experience. Big deal breaker- there is no real outdoor playground. This place basically converted an underground garage into a playground. How could kids grow in an environment without the sun everyday?! They have a very tiny garden though-however I can't imagine how much outdoor time they would get from this. Second big concern: this school seems have a big teacher turnover rate. The director was changed to a different person within two weeks when we contacted the school vs when we visited. The classrooms were quiet as Death Valley when we visited. As an elementary school teacher I can tell you that a classroom for young kids isn't supposed to be as quiet as this. When it is, there is something wrong. Again this review is solely based on visiting experience. But I would never send my kiddo to a place like this. read more

Our son started at L'Academy in San Mateo two months ago and he's enjoying his time here! He talks about his teachers and friends all the time and looks forward to going to school (Although he still doesn't like saying goodbye to mommy or daddy when he gets dropped off in the morning). I can tell the director Farina really cares about the kids, as she has gone above and beyond to help our son get acclimated to his first experience being at school. She also takes the time at the end of the day to give us updates on how his day went and even asks us (the parents) how we're doing as she knows it's a big transition for the adults too! The center uses a wonderful app that allows the staff to update us with notes about meals and potty, as well as when they went down for nap and photos of what they did throughout the day. We fell in love with it after our tour with the co-founder Helena. She was warm and welcoming, and took the time to answer all our questions. I appreciated the in-person tour and for allowing our son to play in the classroom when other schools only had virtual tour. Just prior to our son's first day, the director also set up a time for us to visit the school with our son again to get him acquainted with the classroom, his classmates and teachers. We appreciate the transparency that these visits provided, which ultimately helped us to decide to send our son here, and we couldn't be happier with our decision! A few other bonus points: + Cleanliness, the school is brand new and only started enrolling students back in October 2021 + The teachers, Teacher Melissa and Teacher Wendy, speak excellent Mandarin, and introduce fun songs in Mandarin that my son remembers and sings all the time when he's at home + Excellent COVID protocol and weekly testing for the staff, children and families + A nut-free school, plus additional adjustments made to the menu to accommodate for our son's multiple food allergies + Nutritious snacks and lunch provided + Flexible full-time/ part-time schedule + Helps with potty training but doesn't require the child to be potty-trained to start In short, if you're looking for a center that provides a stimulating program along with a language immersion experience for your child, I would highly recommend L'Academy! read more

RACHEL!!! She was my fabulous and super chill director at Marin Day Schools/Bright Horizons at SF City Hall. Unfortunately we had to close the center due to Covid but I'm happy to see her leading this new center. Rachel is a professional and an expert in her field. She makes it a point to have an open door policy for teachers, parents and even children! I've had children go up to Rachel and give her some suggestions or make a request. "I liked the bug guy, when can he visit again?" "We want to learn about sharks, can you buy books/toys about them?" If she can accommodate, she will make it happen. Not only that, she knows and sees all the children and families in her care through these daily interactions and open door policy. As a teacher, I appreciate how supportive she's always been in our projects. When we were learning about pets and veterinary, she supplemented our curriculum by bringing in her bulky cat carrier on bart during rush hour! It's not unlike her to go above and beyond. If we ever need her to step in, she's happy to assist us in any capacity, from cleaning the tables to helping with napping and even diapering/toileting. She's amazing! New families, you're in great hands! read more

My 2 year old son joined L'Academy this November and he's really thriving and enjoying his time there. He was starting to outgrow his last daycare (that we loved dearly) so we wanted to transition him to a preschool. L'Academy just opened up when we toured but it checked all our boxes and we just got really great vibes right away. The factors that played into our decision to send him here were: - The founder, director and teachers seemed really caring - The space was clean, bright and airy - They take great precautions with COVID - They offer meals and snacks - They are mandarin immersion - They offer exposure to arts and music - They have an app to track our son's activity throughout the day to keep the parents informed (pictures of him, diaper changes, nap times, eating habits) Farina, the new director, has done a great job in really transforming the space and creating holiday activities for the kids in the short time she's been there. We were a bit nervous with the transition but she really listens to your concerns as a parent and helps to tailor the right experience for your child. So far, I have nothing but good things to say about L'Academy. I highly recommend it to others! read more

It's great to see Farina bring her skills and expertise to this new center. As a director of a previous center, Farina was open and willing to listen. She encouraged staff to share their opinions and experiences. She was organized and was big on communication and teamwork as she cherishes each persons strengths. Farina has a warm bubbly personality and loves to go into the classroom to greet the children and staff and give feedback on the classroom as we strive to improve. She really is a great person to work with and I can't wait to see the great things she'll do at this new center. read more

I wish I could give this school more stars that 5. L'academy San Mateo has truly been a blessing to myself and my family. Quynh and Fang Fang Lao Shi (the toddler teacher) are just amazing, and we are so thankful for them. Our son has been to three daycares thus far, and this is by far our favourite. We are very picky about the quality of care extended to our son, and L'academy has repeatedly exceeded those expectations. We only left because we were moving, and even then I seriously considered the 1 hour commute to this daycare from our new house. Some of the things we really liked about the school: 1. Education: They have a wide variety of activities for the kids. My son has a folder of all his art work (almost daily), and has picked up a lot of words from school (English and Mandarin). They also arrange for a myriad of value adding extra activities, like martial arts and even a bird show! I have a photo of my son with a parrot perched on his hand 2. Professional: As an anxious mother, I had lots of questions and requests. Quynh and Selena were extremely receptive, patient and accommodative of all my requests. For example, on our visit, I noticed that the toddler's carpet looked a bit dirty with sand on it. I brought this up to Selena, who explained that there was an accident that caused staining and they were planning to replace the mat. True enough, they did replace the whole mat eventually! 3. Care: Nothing goes unnoticed in the daycare. I always get a full report of my son's health and activities, and would be alerted even at the slightest cause for concern. Also, when my son was going through a period and behaved more naughtily, they were very patient and worked through the period with him, constantly updating me and even encouraging me. I felt very supported. This is unlike other daycares that I have heard of, which are quick to apportion blame and who don't really offer consistent help. My son also always gravitates towards Quynh and Fang Fang, which is a testament to how much care they shower upon him. 4. Lunch is provided: everything is made in house and is mostly organic and nutritious and healthy. My son is a picky eater and the teachers would patiently feed him and give me updates on this. 5. Facility: The facility is clean and bright, with lots of toys and books. They even have a curriculum and constantly keep parents updated on what goes on in school and what the kids are learning. They have a big playground, albeit in a carpark. Whilst I was initially a bit reluctant because it was a covered playground, I have grown to like it because it is secure, shields the kids from the unforgiving sun and other elements, and is spacious enough for them to play. L'academy even upgraded their equipment and brought it new slides for the kids! 6. Classmates: we love our sons' classmates and have become friends with a lot of the parents there. Our son's classmates parents also mostly love the school (especially the toddler class). One of our son's classmates mom told me she teared on their last day (Again cause they were moving). I can tell you, this was my experience too. I was so sad to leave, and my son gave Quynh the biggest and longest hug ever on his last day (sigh, still wistful thinking our time at the school has come to an end). As an aside, I was worried about the teacher/director turnover and the negative reviews when I first joined, but since I've been there the teachers have been largely consistent and they have added teacher's aides to help with the classes. I could wax lyrical about this amazing preschool all day, but I will stop here. All in all, I am SO THANKFUL for L'academy, and wish I could import the entire school to my new area. You guys are amazing and truly love the kids, and every daycare should model themselves after you. read more

My daughter is a new student with L'Academy and we couldn't be happier. The center is brand new, incredibly clean and very convenient along the Burlingame/San Mateo border. We are new to the area and when looking for a daycare/preschool, we were trying to find an option that was receptive to feedback, diligently communicates updates, had a curriculum that was both logical and promoted all-around development, and had a Mandarin immerson program. A bonus is the school provides all meals (lunch and two snacks) made in-house. Our daughter, while only having attended for a bit over a week, is absolutely enjoying herself. Each day we receive multiple photo updates on her activities, incl. meals, and when she's had potty breaks. At the time of pickup/dropoff the teacher is always available to answer any questions or provide a general update on our daughter's development. I'd highly recommend L'Academy to anyone. read more

The facilities are clean and new, with beautiful montessori shelves and toys. The teachers are warm and kind. The children are happy and singing mandarin songs. This place came highly reviewed. You may want to know that the outdoor play area is a few feet from a cell phone tower, (there is a warning sign about the RF exposure, it says AT&T mobility, and the cell phone tower is listed on online cell tower maps). I debated putting this on a yelp review because it is not a criticism of the school or the personnel but only an inconvenience of the location. Parent to parent, I would want to know this information to make my own informed decision for my child. I will say that I could not find any literature that demonstrated a risk to this, "there's no strong evidence that exposure to RF waves from cell phone towers causes any noticeable health effect"- from cancer.org read more

Farina was our previous director at another preschool and she was so great! She always listened to us and took action. She never made us feel like our issues were low priority. She knew all the kids by name and was so welcoming. Glad to see her be able to use her skills somewhere else! read more

I recently had the opportunity to tour L'Academy with the Director, Betsy. She was very welcoming and did an incredible job showing me the facility and explaining the program. It was clear to me that she was passionate about keeping the school safe, clean and enriching for the kids. She had great things to say about each teacher. She took the time to answer all of my questions (which were many). We had a great discussion around taking time to talk kids through hard feelings and situations. I appreciated her dedication to making a positive environment for the kids. I loved the security of the building. The indoor space was open, bright and well organized, highlighting kids projects. The outdoor space is a secure and gated portion of the parking lot, with the majority shaded. The regional director was there helping due to teachers taking vacation - how wonderful to have that support. Thank you for a great tour! read more

The school couldn't have picked a better director. Farina is knowledgeable & hands on. She not only cares about her center but her staff, and the families. She believes in her teachers to create great curriculum- while also helping and giving ideas when asked. read more

Our 2.5 year old daughter just started at L'Academy San Mateo earlier this month, and we have been really happy with our experience so far. This is our daughter's first time in a preschool/childcare setting, so we were a bit worried about how it would go, but she has been adjusting well and enjoying her time there. The director, Farina, and the teachers are warm and friendly, and we have great confidence that our daughter is being well taken care of. You can tell that they really enjoy being with the children and care very much about their growth and development. We visited a lot of preschools throughout the peninsula, but decided to enroll our daughter here for the following reasons: - The school just opened in October 2021, and is very clean. The children also switch to indoor shoes inside the center. - They provide healthy meals and snacks prepared onsite. - COVID safety measures are excellent, and they currently provide free weekly COVID testing for the children, which is unheard of at other centers. - The Mandarin immersion program is a huge bonus. Although we don't speak Mandarin, we wanted our daughter to have the opportunity to learn Mandarin, and it's going great so far! - They have an app available for parents so that you can receive updates and photos throughout the day. They also provide a monthly newsletter with updates on what the children are learning, such as the artist or composer of the month, and incorporate art, music, science, and many other learning opportunities for the children. The transparency and open communication with parents is top notch. - The school also helps with potty training and doesn't require the children to be potty trained to start. Overall, we have been very happy with our experience at L'Academy and highly recommend this center! read more

I worked with Rachel as her assistant director at Marin Day Schools - City Hall Campus. Rachel is a true professional. As a director she is respectful and supportive. Her door was always open, not only to the teachers, but also to the families. As she gets ready to open the doors at L'Academy, I know she will touch the lives of even more families!! read more

Farina Baporia director of Bright Horizons was a fabulous and really energetic person I worked with. Honestly working with her such a privilege I got so much to learn from her and she was there for staff in all their strives. read more

The staff are really nice and they have such a supportive team. I can imagine letting my child be in the care of a stable team and director. Very welcoming and understanding. If I have questions u get them answered with follow ups as well. read more

I am so excited to see that Rachel is the director of this school! I was a colleague of hers for 10 years and her knowledge of developmentally appropriate curriculum and environments is a huge asset to this school. The community she built with teacher, children and families at her last school was inspiring. I can't wait to see what magic she brings as she opens this school! read more