Ojai Valley School

1.1 mi

Great school! Superior academics, and a small close-knit community. The best Catholic High School…read morein Ventura county.

Every experience in life is relative - and in that sense, relative to the Ojai Valley and Ventura…read moreCounty in General, Villanova Preparatory School remains your best bang-for-the-buck in private high school/prep-school education. The class sizes are small and there is still a cap on the number of students who may be admitted. The campus is absolutely beautiful, much like a small college, and there is an abundance of open space. The facilities are steadily (albeit slowly) being upgraded and improved upon, and the safe, quiet environment certainly promotes a sense of peacefulness and promotes learning. Through review of recruiting literature it's obvious that the school enthusiastically promotes it's International Baccalaureate (IB) Degree program which was put in place a few years back. And while this program may be of some value to international students (and a very small number of domestic students) it seems to be more of a "prestige marketing ploy" geared toward the well-off parents of foreign students who pay a ton of money to educate and board their children at VPS for 4 years. The bottom line is that although taking IB classes (or obtaining IB certification) may "look impressive" on a students college admission application, it's next to meaningless to the vast majority of United States based colleges and universities. These institutions would much rather see "AP" or "Honors" on that high school transcript next to the course title.....not "IB". Unfortunately, being such a small school with a small staff, VPS didn't have the capability to do both, and chose to phase out it's AP and Honors programs as it went "all-in" with the IB program. This, unfortunately was a huge disservice to those American kids who were / are likely to attend an American-based college or university that could honestly care less about IB. For a such a small school, there are many athletic options within which to participate, and there is an abundance of academic, service and social clubs run by students and overseen by a chosen faculty member. VPS is both a day and boarding school, with approximately a third of it's students living on campus. Most of these students are foreign nationals from around the world, and this obviously brings an interesting and engaging dynamic to the to the prep-school experience - not unlike college. These students share their culture and are readily immersed into the VPS community and ultimately become part of the family for life regardless of where they may go in the future. Many lifelong international friendships occur as a result. This love of sharing, acceptance and diversity in the Augustinian tradition has been happening at VPS for decades - long before the toxic "cancel-culture" and "woke" extremism we see today. In general terms, the VPS faculty and staff are quite qualified. And being blessed with smaller class sizes and motivated students, they will routinely out-perform their peers elsewhere. In all fairness, a handful of the teachers are absolutely phenomenal - some wearing multiple hats as teacher, coach, advisor, etc. There are of course a small minority of teachers and staff who seem to have a personal agenda beyond that of educating the students and preparing them for the real world. Determined to find a "racist" hiding behind every tree and united in their hatred of America, our military and the police...they form an increasingly vocal element devoid of truth and honesty, but full of parroted phrases and slogans. The obvious hope is that this too will pass, and that both the headmaster and the Board will keep the stupidity in-check.

Mamma Mia nightly @8:00 through the weekend

Nature

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Stay up for learning

Besant Hill School of Happy Valley

3.1

(9 reviews)

4.0 mi

In my experience, Besant Hill School did not provide the supportive environment I was hoping for. I…read moreoften felt that certain students were treated unfairly, and I found the discipline process to be inconsistent and unclear. Communication from the administration left me frustrated, and I did not always feel that student concerns were taken seriously. I was particularly disappointed with how student affairs issues were handled. From my perspective, there was a lack of empathy and understanding when students raised concerns. Rather than feeling supported, I often felt dismissed. Every student's experience may be different, but based on my time at the school, I would not recommend it to others looking for a positive and supportive school environment.

A truly great school in one of the most beautiful landscapes of the upper Ojai valley. I graduated…read morefrom here 20 years ago. Still think of it with massive respect for the teachers, arts program, and connection to nature.

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Oak Grove School

4.7

(10 reviews)

1.4 mi

Oak Grove School is such an outstanding environment for a child to learn, develop and flourish…read more It's faculty and staff are top notch and truly believe in the mission of the school. OGS provides excellent college preparatory education in an environment that allows the individual to discover, question and explore. - Former Staff Member

Oak Grove is a place where every child is met exactly where they are. This is one of the most…read morepowerful ways to raise inquisitive, healthy adults. OGS is a caring, inclusive, open-minded community. Students are given opportunities to explore nature, the world, and themselves in ways few other schools are able to offer. It was my home for 8 years, and I still feel at home when I visit campus. Keep doing what you do best, and go Lizards!

Science sequence in the high school: Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics

High school stone circle meeting

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Elective opportunities in the high school include many art options

The Thacher School

(2 reviews)

4.4 mi

The best was so fun to see and send my kids to All the staff…read morewas nice and the place is always clean

The campus is beautiful! All of the Freshman are loaned a horse to take care of and learn to ride…read more After their Freshman year, they can continue with their horse or let it go to next year's incoming Freshman. The Freshman dorms are "singles" so they don't have to share their bedroom with anyone else. Several of the teacher's have dogs, so you'll see some dogs around campus. The staff and administrators seem to genuinely care about each individual student.

Is building the new dining hall.

A day of great tennis.

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Nordhoff Theatre Arts

3.9

(7 reviews)

0.6 mi

I've been here for only five weeks so far in the 9th grade but I already love it. Two weeks in and…read moreI found the person I'd like to believe is my soul mate. While some teachers might be on the stranger side, they all have your best interest at heart. The snacks aren't "heathy" but you wouldn't really expect health from a public school. There is little to none bullying. Spanish 1 isn't good this year on the count of the fact the my teacher is very undisciplined and I constantly getting migraines. But over all this school is awesome, is better than most private schools accept for thatcher and Villanova but they are quite expensive and you would expect excellence from a highly expensive school (not counting ovs)

Nordhoff did a great job educating me and preparing me for college. A lot of my writing skills that…read moreI have to this day were honed at Nordhoff by the great English teachers. A lot of the advanced classes, especially history, were more in depth than college classes. I have fond memories. Great sports and extracurriculars too.

Chaparral High School

(1 review)

0.8 mi

oh happy chap…read more.. this was a great school for all those who could not hang with the scene/douche bags at nordhoff. being within walking distance from my house, i was able to catch up with all the backlogged requirements in my HS education, keep a parttime job and play in a punk rock band....all while keeping a 3.6 GPA. god bless the guy piasco experience! "first i get to drinkin....then i get to thinkin....then i get to a drinkin and a thinkin...." the man loved cooking italian food, JFK, playing piano, drinkin and teaching kids everyone else gave up on.

Matilija Middle School

3.0

(1 review)

0.1 mi

My experiences with this school are over the years when they've hosted parking for shuttles for the…read moreOjai Music Festival's Holiday Homes Tour. Many years, the gym has also been the site of the Marketplace gift boutique. This year they moved the Marketplace to another venue, but kept the shuttle destination at the school. Parking is not that plentiful, but they had an overflow solution available. We don't live in the area, so aren't up on the school's ratings or general reputation. Judging by the Quonset hut style gym building, it's a historic campus. Situated in a largely residential neighborhood, it is away from the town's core, which makes it a good location for shuttle ride staging for special events.

Best homie that went to this school year 2016-2017

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Ojai Valley School

3.7

5.5 mi

Beautiful baseball fields and scenery. The school graciously allowed Ojai Valley Little League and…read moreCalifornia District 63 to use their fields as back up after a rain event flooded our usual venues. Parents, teams and umpires were very appreciative.

The cross country track is really bad. The restrooms are unclean and mid. Would not recommend using…read morethe bathroom at this school.

Thanks OVS for being available after the rain.

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Monica Ros School

(7 reviews)

3.4 mi

I am very rarely motivated to write unsolicited reviews for things. But I have to say my wife and…read moreI have just been blown away by this school, and I need a place to gush. We moved up to Ojai from LA this year so our 5-year-old could go to school in person. There are a lot of options in Ojai, but something gave us a good feeling about Monica Ros. As soon as we chatted with the two Kindergarten teachers on zoom, my wife and I looked at each other like "What that real?" They are WAY smarter than anyone needs to be, way more articulate, thoughtful, warm, in love with their jobs, and dialed into this developmental stage. We don't know a lot else about what's happening at the school. But I can't imagine a stronger teaching team anywhere in Ojai or LA for that matter. I'm an educator myself (for college and high school). HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION. Seriously.

Monica Ros is so amazing. My children love it so much & are thriving. It's truly a magical…read moreenvironment. The teachers & staff are so great. My son started in the yellow room (2 year old class) & now is in 2nd grade. My daughter is in kindergarten. We are now in our seventh year at Monica Ros.

Montessori School of Ojai

(6 reviews)

3.3 mi

I would like to provide an update of my review from several months ago…read more While our initial experience with the Montessori School of Ojai's administrative staff was frustrating and lacked professionalism, once they were made aware of our experience they made swift action to correct the situation. Not only that, but our son (~1 1/2) absolutely loves the program. We were initially skeptical that our son would take to it because he was very attached to us--his mom in particular--and would cry whenever she walked out of the room (how is he going to handle being dropped off at school for several hours?). But, the vast majority of the time (including the first day) he is excited to be there. (Special thanks to Coral and Alex!) As a parent, when you leave your kid in the care of others, you want to feel (and know to the best of your ability) that they are in as good if not better care than if they were with you. My wife and I both feel this way about MSO, and for that, I highly recommend this institution.

If you want a place for your child to be given the freedom to be themselves and get a good…read moreeducation then this is it. Our daughter graduated a couple of years ago and I still miss it, I honk every time I drive by. These people became like family to my daughter and to us. I cannot say more about the integrity of this school and the people who run it. Not many schools leave you, let alone your child, with a feeling of goodness and dignity these days. This place does. We love you Montessori School of Ojai! Thank you for taking such fine care of our beloved daughter and sharing yourselves with her and us...

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Sunset Elementary School

4.7

4.7 mi

I go to sunset school and I love all the teacher but I don't really like the bathroom but whatever…read moreit will forever be my fav school ( best school ever!!! )

I went to Sunset K-4th grade (when i lived in cali) and I loved it!!! It's a small size, but that's…read moreokay. The teachers are nice, and the kids are fun!! (Best school ever!!!)

Besant Hill School of Happy Valley

3.1

(9 reviews)

4.0 mi

In my experience, Besant Hill School did not provide the supportive environment I was hoping for. I…read moreoften felt that certain students were treated unfairly, and I found the discipline process to be inconsistent and unclear. Communication from the administration left me frustrated, and I did not always feel that student concerns were taken seriously. I was particularly disappointed with how student affairs issues were handled. From my perspective, there was a lack of empathy and understanding when students raised concerns. Rather than feeling supported, I often felt dismissed. Every student's experience may be different, but based on my time at the school, I would not recommend it to others looking for a positive and supportive school environment.

A truly great school in one of the most beautiful landscapes of the upper Ojai valley. I graduated…read morefrom here 20 years ago. Still think of it with massive respect for the teachers, arts program, and connection to nature.

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Villanova Preparatory School

3.7

1.1 mi

Great school! Superior academics, and a small close-knit community. The best Catholic High School…read morein Ventura county.

Every experience in life is relative - and in that sense, relative to the Ojai Valley and Ventura…read moreCounty in General, Villanova Preparatory School remains your best bang-for-the-buck in private high school/prep-school education. The class sizes are small and there is still a cap on the number of students who may be admitted. The campus is absolutely beautiful, much like a small college, and there is an abundance of open space. The facilities are steadily (albeit slowly) being upgraded and improved upon, and the safe, quiet environment certainly promotes a sense of peacefulness and promotes learning. Through review of recruiting literature it's obvious that the school enthusiastically promotes it's International Baccalaureate (IB) Degree program which was put in place a few years back. And while this program may be of some value to international students (and a very small number of domestic students) it seems to be more of a "prestige marketing ploy" geared toward the well-off parents of foreign students who pay a ton of money to educate and board their children at VPS for 4 years. The bottom line is that although taking IB classes (or obtaining IB certification) may "look impressive" on a students college admission application, it's next to meaningless to the vast majority of United States based colleges and universities. These institutions would much rather see "AP" or "Honors" on that high school transcript next to the course title.....not "IB". Unfortunately, being such a small school with a small staff, VPS didn't have the capability to do both, and chose to phase out it's AP and Honors programs as it went "all-in" with the IB program. This, unfortunately was a huge disservice to those American kids who were / are likely to attend an American-based college or university that could honestly care less about IB. For a such a small school, there are many athletic options within which to participate, and there is an abundance of academic, service and social clubs run by students and overseen by a chosen faculty member. VPS is both a day and boarding school, with approximately a third of it's students living on campus. Most of these students are foreign nationals from around the world, and this obviously brings an interesting and engaging dynamic to the to the prep-school experience - not unlike college. These students share their culture and are readily immersed into the VPS community and ultimately become part of the family for life regardless of where they may go in the future. Many lifelong international friendships occur as a result. This love of sharing, acceptance and diversity in the Augustinian tradition has been happening at VPS for decades - long before the toxic "cancel-culture" and "woke" extremism we see today. In general terms, the VPS faculty and staff are quite qualified. And being blessed with smaller class sizes and motivated students, they will routinely out-perform their peers elsewhere. In all fairness, a handful of the teachers are absolutely phenomenal - some wearing multiple hats as teacher, coach, advisor, etc. There are of course a small minority of teachers and staff who seem to have a personal agenda beyond that of educating the students and preparing them for the real world. Determined to find a "racist" hiding behind every tree and united in their hatred of America, our military and the police...they form an increasingly vocal element devoid of truth and honesty, but full of parroted phrases and slogans. The obvious hope is that this too will pass, and that both the headmaster and the Board will keep the stupidity in-check.