Our daughter loves it here! This was her first exposure to a school setting. We moved from a different city and the staff was great with communication and accommodating to our needs (touring, scheduling, etc). After starting school, she has thrived in creativity and self-initiative - she has a lot of fun with all of the art projects in Mrs. Allen & Mrs. Tanya's class and has taken those skills to do even more independent crafting/activities at home. She tells us about how she enjoys her time with classmates and we're thankful that they're all kind & respectful to each other. She's enjoyed it so much that we are keeping her for a summer session + an additional year instead of starting TK. The freedom to create & play, attentive care and communication of the teachers and staff, and flexibility of the schedule have made all the difference! read more

Northminster Preschool has been fantastic! We've been here for 2 years since our daughter turned 2. We will be continuing her enrollment for another year when she turns 4 to be in the pre-K class. She loves the arts and crafts and the really nice outdoor playground. The kids eat outside (snack and lunch) and the location is great if you live in N. Clairemont. Highly recommend this preschool, we have seen our daughter progress so much since she started! read more

My toddler is at Northminster, and I can't say enough good things about them. The facilities are wonderful, with bright colors and lots of toys everywhere. They are constantly doing activities - arts and crafts, singing, even Santa coming for a visit this week. The communication is fantastic as well. Thanks to Ms. Isela, Ms. Mai, Leigh, Sharon and everyone else there. read more

My child has been attending Northminster since right when he turned 2 so it's been a few years now and I have nothing but great things to say about this place. Friendly, caring teachers and staff, excellent communication, wonderful arts based Christian values curriculum. Love the flexibility of having my child stay later only when I need it and not having to let them know until the day of. read more

We absolutely adore Northminster Preschool! We moved from out of state and were worried the transition of switching daycares would be hard for our child. It was the opposite -- our son immediately felt at-home in his new school and continues to enjoy himself every day! The teachers and assistants are so kind and give every child individual attention. They've done an incredible job prepping him for kindergarten next year. He can count to 100, he has started writing his letters, and knows how to cut with scissors! Mrs. Allen, Ms. Sharon, Ms. Leigh, Ms. Tanya, Ms. Andrea, Ms. Mai, Ms. Monica, and anyone else I missed -- thank you all so much for giving each Northminster child such a wonderful experience! read more

My daughter went to Northminster from Oct 2022 to now. It's been an amazing year for her. The director Sharon and the assistant Leigh have always been so loving and welcoming. They know every student's name and always greet them during drop off and pick up. They also do a great job at keeping us in the loop with everything that's happening in the school through emails and the Brightwheeel app. My daughter went from not speaking very much and shy to absolute thriving and now a chatter box, all due to the loving teachers here. Ms. Isela from room 1 was great last year. My daughter would come home and talk about how she misses Ms. Isela. The last few months with Ms. Erica and Ms. Andrea have also been wonderful. They are attentive and always keep me updated with her progress. They do fun activities and art, but also focus on age appropriate academics to help our kids learn. As parents safety is always our biggest concern. Northminster is diligent about you checking in and out of your children and to always make sure only the authorized personnel are allowed to pick up your kids. I am always confident that when my daughter is at school, she is safe and well cared for. I also love that they offer an extended care program. If you're enrolled for half days, you always have the option for your child to stay later on days needed which has been life saving on some days. I am so sad that we are transferring to another school due to moving, otherwise we would have stayed for the entire year. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this school. Did I mention they/the church offer parents night out once a month? For only $10 you get to drop off your child for them to play with their friends and do a movie night while you get breather or a date night! I would 100% recommend Northminster if you're looking for a preschool in Clairemont! read more

We have been attending Northminster Preschool for the last 5 years with my 2 older children and my 3rd child will be starting there this fall. We have loved Northminster, the teachers wonderful, caring, and nurturing. My children come home smiling and with a stack of artwork. My 3rd is excited to go to school there next year because she already feels safe and comfortable with the staff. With my 2nd child we opted to stay at Northminster instead of enrolling her into TK. I knew that she would adequately prepared for kindergarten next year with the curriculum they have at the school but also know that she would have the opportunity for play based learning before entering into a traditional schooling environment. We have loved our time at Northminister Preschool. read more

I would highly recommend Northminster Preschool! The whole staff is so welcoming and kind. Sharon, the director, and Leigh, her assistant, run the school like a well oiled machine and communicate regularly to keep parents informed. Our child had learned so much and had a great experience there. read more

My son started attending Northminster Preschool at 3 years old with my niece, my sister had found this wonderful school and we wanted to join due to the school being close to my Parents that watched him the days I work. This school became family to us Ms. Isela gave my son such wonderful care that year and I love the Christian environment he was in with Chapel once a month, he would come home signing praised I sang as a child. I love that the teachers were so involved with my son and would even contact me personally without hesitation and the safety of this school also made it easier for me to leave him, him being my first baby to start school. The following year with TK being an option we decided to keep him where he was the saying "you get what you pay for" comes to mind. The one on one care my son he got from Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Tanya was exceptional it helped my son so much. He was able to learn so many fine motor skills and social skills he might have lacked being in a large preschool setting. My son had some medical problems this year with a broken arm and also stitches right after from a dog bite. Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Tanya became family to us asking how he was on days he wasn't even at school and giving me report. Also, working with him in using his other hand to do things with and most of all helped build his confidence up. Art projects are done daily and Northminster just has that warm feeling you know your child is in good loving hands. I definitely would recommend this school to anyone. When the end of the year came I was all tears, all the staff definitely made an impact of my family. read more

I am a parent of two children and each of my kids have been enrolled in preschool for multiple years. Northminster Preschool came highly recommended by several friends, I completely understand why. The classrooms are inviting with excellent learning materials. The playground is very appealing to children. The teachers and staff are fantastic and they really care about the kids. Northminster is an excellent preschool which provides a great learning experience for kids. Northminster is a preschool that will provide your child the foundation for elementary school. I am very appreciative that my children have had the opportunity to attend Northminster. read more

Northminster Preschool has been the perfect preschool for our son for the last two years! We loved it the second that we toured the school and it has been a wonderful experience ever since. The teachers have cared for our son like he was family and the administration is great to correspond with and is very responsive. We have seen our son flourish there! He has made great friends and brings home amazing works of art. I have talked with so many people in our neighborhood that have had their kids go to Northminster and everyone's experience (including ours) is a 10/10. Thank you Northminster for a wonderful experience! read more

My daughter really thrived at Northminster! She started there when she was two and continued through pre-k. The teachers and staff are warm and caring, and my daughter really loved going to school. When I picked her up at the end of the day she was always in a great mood and excited to show me all her classwork and art. It made me feel great at the end of a work day to know that she had fun with her classmates and teachers. We couldn't be happier with our preschool choice. read more

This place is a wonderful combination of child care/preschool/play/ learning. Without getting long winded we have been so happy here the past year. The staff is loving and my son has thrived. Extended care and flexible pickup times are such a bonus. I just can't recommend it enough! read more

We've sent our son to this preschool since he was 2 years old (now almost 5). The staff, the teachers, and the assistants have all been consistently amazing. We particularly appreciate how professional (yet compassionate) they always are and how they handled the past few years during the pandemic. Our son has always felt safe and loved. Every day, he comes home excited to tell us about his day, show us his art, and give us updates about his friends and teachers. The support we have felt as a family has been second to none, and we will miss sending him there (as circumstances have moved us out of the area). If you're considering sending your child to Northminster Preschool, we would highly recommend it. read more

My daughter has been attending Northminster for a year now and we couldn't be happier with the teachers, administrators and experience that we have had. The staff are dedicated and loving, professional and organized. The school is clean and well maintained. The community is very supportive. We can't recommend enough. read more

I volunteered in my granddaughter's pre-K class at Northminster, and I was very impressed with the teacher, Ms. Alcala! She's very organized and cares about the kids. She organized the kids, me, and her assistant teacher as well! The children were happy, safe, and learning a lot. My little granddaughter is so excited about school! She has made friends, and she gets sad if she's sick and has to miss a day. I am amazed at how much she has learned since school started this year. She mentions the days of the week now, she knows that we live in San Diego, and she is getting better at counting objects correctly. She can recognize her name and is learning to write it. My granddaughter is behind other kids in learning her colors, but Ms. Alcala is aware of this, and is helping her to learn her colors. At first we thought maybe she was color blind, but it turns out that's not the case. Ms. Alcala is working with her and has advised my daughter and I about how to help her at home. Ms. Alcala sees each child in her class as an individual, and she is aware of what each one needs to work on. When the kids were doing a candy graph (an early math skill), she made sure that the kids who were ready for a bigger challenge had more candy to graph, and the kids who were struggling with this skill had enough to challenge them, but not so much that they'd get overwhelmed. Some of the children can write their own name without help. Others are learning to write their name with help. They also work on the alphabet and other early pre-reading skills. My granddaughter's speech and conversational skills have advanced during the time she has spent in Ms. Alcala's class. It's now possible for me to have a more complex conversation with my granddaughter. I'm delighted to see that Ms. Alcala's pre-K class is a wonderfully healthy mixture of play activities, such as a dress-up corner, art activities including painting and making things, and learning activities which include the early building blocks that lead to reading and math skills. I've raised 3 kids who are all grown and married now, and they all graduated from college. I have a lot of experience with volunteering in the classrooms of teachers. Ms. Alcala is one of the best pre-K teachers I've ever met. (-; My granddaughter's very first experience at this school was the short summer school class for about a month...preschool with Kerri Ann (Carrie Ann?) Sorry I'm not sure how to spell her name. Kerri Ann is a great pre-school teacher, and she helped my granddaughter to adjust to school for the very first time. It was the first time my granddaughter wasn't in the care of relatives! She adjusted pain-free, with no tears! I feel confident that my granddaughter is in excellent hands at Northminster. I'm also impressed with how careful all of the staff is to enforce all of the rules which are necessary to keep our children and grandchildren safe. I visited a number of preschools with my daughter when my daughter was choosing a school for my granddaughter. Northminster is far superior to many of the other schools that we visited! My granddaughter is fortunate because her class is relatively small, so there is lots of individual attention. Ms. Alcala has her own classroom, which allows her to work with the kids on projects which take more than 1 day to complete. In many other schools, teachers don't actually get their own classroom. Northminster had a carnival as a fundraiser on a weekend, which is fun for the kids and families, and it raises money for the school, so all the children benefit. read more

Our family has been with Northminster preschool for over 4 years. Our eldest son attended for 2 years before heading off to TK and our youngest is currently in his second year at the preschool. The entire staff- from the teachers, to the director, to the pastor- are very kind and really care for the children. When the the world shut down due to COVID-19, the preschool did the same but has since found a way to reopen its doors with many safety protocols in place giving us peace of mind. Our youngest comes home from school so happy and looking forward to going back the next day! We highly recommend this preschool. read more

I recently returned to the work force after having been a stay-at-home Mom for over a year with my 3-year old son. I conducted research online, spoke with various preschools and daycare services until I finally found Shelli with Northminster Preschool. I expressed to her openly my anxiety level concerning the transition for my son, and she warmly invited me to come in to tour the facility and meet the teachers and staff. Since he began attending, the entire staff has shown us both great compassion and empathy. While it has been challenging to navigate the new routine at times, my son is often met with a hug or a cheerful "hello" which helps reduce his anxiety during the early morning drop off. In fact, never before have I been to a preschool where the School Director is on the floor actively engaging the children rather than behind a desk. That is the kind of place Northminster Preschool is- a school which puts children's and families' needs first. If you want a faith-based preschool that recognizes each child as an individual (allowing them to reach milestones such as potty training at their own schedule), a facility which believes in nurturing each and every child, a preschool which empowers children by giving them choices regarding activities and play, and a safe place where you can trust your child is receiving the highest level of care, then this is the school I would highly recommend. I am fortunate to have been able to find such a wonderful place for my son during such formative years. They are a gift to the children they serve. read more

I can't say enough great things about this preschool. Our daughter started here at 2 years old. 3 years later our hearts are heavy that we won't see all of her wonderful teachers and friends next year, but also so full that we had three years full of love and creativity and support and that she is now super ready for her next chapter in Kindergarten. Thank you Northminster team, we will forever be grateful for all that you did for our daughter and our family! read more

Best preschool in San Diego. They have been there for years, the facility is incredible. Everything is age appropriate and engaging. The teachers are all kind and loving people, who have all been preschool teachers for years. They love their jobs and it shows. They care about the children as thier own. Everything is well organized and very safe. My kids have made lifelong friends here, as have I. My 2 children have gone to this school from ages 2-5. I highly reccomend them. read more

I heart Northmister!!! I was so nervous about putting my son into school, and visited MANY preschools. Luckily a client of mine and I where talking about where I lived and when I said Clairemont she immediately said "oh I wish we still lived there as the preschool Northmister was awesome, I wish my kids still went there" this was what I needed to hear and set appointment right after. Now I'm moving away and feel so sad to have to leave this school. The teachers are amazing, many have been there for Years... Which speaks for how well the school in run. They are all passionate and caring. Teaching about sharing, being kind and getting along with others. It's a play based , creative school, where the kids do lots of art. They model a project and then let them express themselves and celebrate they're creations never making them "stay within the lines" Academics are taught with fun engaging games. My 3 yr old can count to 30. Recite his abc's. Knows his colors and randomly sings wonderful song he learn in school. They are good at adapting to each students level. We feel so blessed to have been part of the Northmister family. Thanks Miss. Wendy, Mrs. Shelli, Mrs. Erickson, Mrs, April, Mrs. Karrie Ann and the rest of the Northmister team. read more

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This Preschool is The BEST!! I wouldn't send my children to any other school even if it were free. Ms Cariann, Ms Patti and Mrs Alcala are Amazing teachers and truly love their kids and parents. The directer Shelly is absolutely incredible. Highly recommend this Preschool to everyone. read more

My granddaughter is in the pre-k class and I wish we could have had her in his school from the beginning of her pre-school days. Her teacher is so interactive, the atmosphere is loving and supportive and it's amazing all of the things they do and great learning experiences they participate in. read more

I just met with the Assistant Director of the School. After showing me one of the classrooms and the playground we went back to her office and she handed me a flyer. It seems that she would rather parents just read their website and flyer to learn about the school. Our tour was less than ten minutes. It was the fastest and most uninformative preschool tour I have ever been on. More than that there was such a disappointing lack of enthusiasm. There was no mention of the school's philosophy or social, or emotional goals for the children. When I asked if the school helps the children learn how to communicate- specifically helping them learn what to say in different situations rather than being physical such as hitting, etc. (a huge part of preschool) she mentioned that they redirect the kids instead. So the adults take care of the situation rather than helping the kids build their communication and confidence by learning how to do it themselves. Compared to other preschools in the area and surrounding neighborhoods, Northminster was nice visually, but lacked strong core values to instill in the children and came off more like a daycare rather than a preschool in which children could flourish and grow. read more

Northminster Preschool is an amazing school for my son. My son had only been with me and I couldn't imagine having anyone but me take care of him until he went to kindergarten. A friend suggested Northminster Preschool and I reluctantly went to check it out. I was AMAZED when I got there. Everyone was so friendly! The children were happy and engaged, the teachers looked happy and were interacting with the children, not just standing around. The office staff could not have been more helpful. I left feeling reassured and after talking to my husband, there was no other choice but Northminster Preschool! We have been here over a month now and my son is happy, cannot wait to go to school and asks on the weekends if it is a school day. It is a bit of a drive for us, but well worth it knowing my son is loved and taken care of by the staff and teachers at Northminster Preschool! I highly recommend this school. read more

Northminster Preschool came highly recommended by several friends and when I visited it for a tour, I understood why. The classrooms are engaging, the playground inviting, and the teachers and staff are wonderful and they really care about and love the children. My son spent two years here and loved every minute of it. I really enjoyed watching him form his first friendships and blossom into a confident, caring, and independent little boy under their care and guidance. I am forever grateful to Northminster Preschool for instilling in my young son a love of learning and quest for knowledge that I am confident will follow him throughout his academic career. I highly recommend Northminser Preschool! read more

My son went there for three years. He has three wonderful teachers and is very well prepared for Kindergarten! I would highly recommend. Great classroom setting, kids and families are wonderful! read more