Update*** Still…read moregiving this school a one star review because it's still well deserved. Here is what has happened since my last review: A) They actually took down one of the photos I posted on Yelp because they didn't want to get caught with hard facts I wanted to share with the community. B) My child's father who has then posted his own thoughts about the school has been completely disregarded by the school stating "the child's mother has already brought it to their attention". This school is old, run down, and takes zero accountability. They will do anything to enroll new families, don't say I didn't warn you. You really do get what you pay for which is "a good price" for Pasadena.

My son currently attends and has had a great experience overall. He is learning a lot and growing…read morein confidence. He also comes home showing off his dancing skills, just one of the many extracurricular classes included. The hours are flexible and extensive, so it really helps working parents. The value is great!

We absolutely love Stratford School in Altadena! My older son is in fifth grade and my younger son…read moreis in first, and both have truly thrived here. The small class sizes mean every child gets individual attention, and the curriculum is very advanced, engaging, and thoughtfully designed to challenge students while keeping learning fun. The teachers and administrators are exceptional, caring, very communicative, and deeply invested in every child's growth. But what really makes Stratford special is the community. The kids are kind, well-behaved, and genuinely happy. The families are wonderful, invested and share the same goal: creating a nurturing, protected environment where children can still be kids. Parents are on the same page about carefully monitoring what our children see and hear, helping them stay innocent and grounded for as long as possible. People often comment on how sweet and polite the Stratford kids are and it's true! This is especially the case for the kids in 5th grade. They are so kind, welcoming and supportive. The school reinforces the same values we prioritize at home: being good citizens, good friends, and good students. Our family's experience with Stratford has been truly life-changing. Before coming here, our older son went through a very difficult 3rd grade year at another school where he experienced bullying. What hurt us most was that the school failed to inform us despite multiple incidents. There was zero communication until something major happened. Our son suffered in silence for much of the year. When we finally discovered what had been happening, we immediately decided to immediately pull him out and make a change. Stratford was already at the top of my list. I had toured the school and met the principal two years earlier when we were exploring different options -- and, by some miracle, there was one spot open in third grade after another student moved over the holidays. Within a week, our son had taken the assessment and started at Stratford. The transformation was incredible. His anger and sadness melted away, and our sweet, happy boy returned. We will be forever grateful for this school. It's more than just an excellent academic environment, it's a refuge, a true community that supports the whole child and we'll never stop being thankful.

An exclusive private school. The school provides high quality education for Pre and Elementary…read morelevel up through middle school. They offer bilingual Mandarin preschool. Impressive. You may set up an appointment with the school head to tour the facility. They have their own parking lot.

Our family has been part of the IMA community for the past five years, and with our youngest now…read moregetting ready for TK, it's bittersweet to say goodbye. If you're looking for a school where the owners and staff are 120% dedicated to creating a safe, loving, and nurturing environment for your children, you've found it. Their kindness, patience, and genuine passion for what they do are evident every single day, and those values naturally rub off on the children. We truly believe our kids are more kind, empathetic, and confident because of the environment IMA created. We feel incredibly fortunate that both of our children were able to attend IMA. The fact that they prioritize siblings during enrollment was also a huge blessing for our family. The teachers and staff are simply wonderful. They consistently go above and beyond, especially during the summer program. Every week is filled with exciting activities like petting zoos, magic shows, carnival days, pony rides, and so much more. You can tell how much effort goes into making each event special with all the decorations, treats, and thoughtful details for both the children and their families. As working parents, we also found tremendous value in their extended early drop-off and late pick-up hours. It gave us much-needed flexibility, and our kids genuinely enjoyed being there, even if it's past 8 hours. Having them in the same program year-round (with scheduled holidays) made life so much easier and helped keep our family's routine consistent. We also felt the tuition was an incredible value for everything the school provides. More importantly, every interaction with the staff was met with understanding, warmth, and genuine care. They always made us feel like part of the IMA family. We will truly miss IMA and everyone there. Our children were incredibly lucky to grow up in such a nurturing environment, and we will always be grateful for the love, support, and unforgettable memories they gave our family. We wholeheartedly recommend IMA to any family looking for an exceptional Montessori school. It has been one of the best decisions we've made for our children.

We truly can't speak highly enough of International Montessori Academy (IMA)…read more Our older daughter recently graduated after attending from age 2 1/2 to 5 1/2. As first-time parents sending our first child to school after being in a nanny share, we were understandably nervous. Looking back, we couldn't have chosen a better place for those precious early years. IMA gave our daughter a safe, loving, and nurturing environment where she absolutely thrived. She grew into a confident, kind, curious, and kindergarten-ready little girl. She made wonderful friends, developed a love of learning, and genuinely looked forward to going to school every single day. What makes IMA so special is its people. Many of the teachers and staff have been there for years, and it shows. There is a genuine sense that they love what they do and truly care about every child. We adored Ms. Merrill and Ms. Cassie, who had such a meaningful impact on our daughter, but the truth is that every member of the staff made us feel supported and welcomed. Ms. Solitto was a fantastic director, Ms. Ivy greeted our daughter every morning with such warmth, and she absolutely loved Ms. Ivy's music and Mandarin classes. She still sings songs in Mandarin at home! Ms. Susie was another friendly, familiar face who always made drop-off and pick-up feel welcoming. The entire team creates an environment where children feel safe, loved, and excited to learn. Beyond the classroom, IMA builds an incredible community. The parent community is welcoming, kind, and genuinely supportive. We formed friendships with other families and always felt like we were part of something special. The school also goes above and beyond to make childhood magical. Their holiday celebrations, summer fun days, and special events are thoughtfully planned, beautifully decorated, and filled with fun experiences the kids still talk about long afterward. One moment that will always stay with us happened when our daughter was unexpectedly hospitalized for a week and missed a significant amount of school. Without us even asking, IMA prorated our tuition for that month. That simple act of kindness spoke volumes about the compassion and integrity of the school's leadership. Like any school, no place is perfect, and I know some reviews mention communication concerns. That simply wasn't our experience. We always found the staff approachable, caring, and responsive. Whenever we had a question, they were available by phone, email, in person, or through classroom observations. We always felt informed and supported. The greatest compliment we can give IMA is this: we are absolutely thrilled that our younger daughter will be starting there next year. There is so much comfort in knowing she will be cared for by people we trust completely during such an important stage of her development. Thank you, IMA, for giving our daughter such a joyful beginning. We will always be grateful for the love, care, and foundation you gave our family. We recommend IMA wholeheartedly to any family looking for a preschool where children are truly known, nurtured, and celebrated.

I am writing a review for the Firehouse School on Casa Grande/Altadena Drive. We had our daughter,…read moreage 14 months when she started there for 5 days a week and can confidently say this is the best daycare school in town!! We toured a lot of them and felt at home with Miss Gayane and the teachers. Very easy process to do drop off and pick up. Clean facilities, first class communication, and even fun parent/kid parties. I cannot say enough nice things about the school and program!! We felt the learning programs and play time was a perfect balance and mix. Our daughter really enjoyed being there and would always smile being dropped off.

This is a wonderful learning environment. The teachers and staff really are committed to their…read morecraft and the students. They are all kind and smart. The highest caliber we've encountered in the preschool circuit. They also tailor their approach towards the student. My child has been challenged and is doing advanced work for his age because the teachers do not believe in limiting the kids. The facility is cute and well maintained. Also they have a wonderful community of parents who get along and support the school with their presence and supplemental activities. I plan to send my youngest there as well when the time comes which is the best endorsement. If you want a safe, supportive, structured, and familial envío, the firehouse is for you!

To add clarity the events in this review were experienced by EVERYONE in our group for over a year…read more Many of our fellow parents unenrolled as a result of these events. As class parents we heard the concerns of the remaining parents in our class and voiced our collective concerns, only to be met with retribution from the owner. That being said, If you would like your children to go to a facility where the owner is okay with your child sleeping on a carpet that smells like a casino floor this place is for you. I was debating not writing anything but after spending time at other day cares in the area that take cleanliness and consistency seriously I had to share my experience. We spent over a year at this location with our toddler and during the one year there we experienced a HFM out break that impacted the entire class, yes the entire class was out for weeks. When one child would return even with no others present they somehow would contract the virus, we cited cleanliness concerns that were not addressed. We loved our first teacher unforunately she left after two months, from then on our experience with the leads was a merry go round of turn over during the time there. Every day we wouldn't be sure if our lead would be present, on leave or fired. Turnover is a huge issue here. Once, all of the parents spent a half hour at the gate locked out of the school when we were trying to pick up our children at the end of the day. They could not find their spare key so the children were trapped inside. And lastly after our families were all devastated by the fires, this location opened with a ventilation system that had not been professionally cleaned and carpets that smelled like smoke for weeks. They did not take their role in the recovery process seriously. If leadership, consistency, cleanliness and communication are important to you I would say DDP ranks low on the list of options in pasadena. There are better options down the street.

Our son went to discovery days preschool from July of 2021- May of 2025. We had a wonderful…read moreexperience here especially in the TK (sequoia) classroom. There are a lot of great enrichment activities available for a fee (karate, yoga, dance, soccer, theatre to name a few) on campus. They have state of the art facilities and great teacher to student ratios. They also have a woman who comes in periodically to teach social emotional learning classes (SEL) and supports students one on one if needed for an extra fee. We were extremely satisfied with our experience here, the only negative for us in the earlier years was the high teacher turnover- which seems to be a problem in a lot of preschool environments. All in all though, Discovery Days fostered a very welcoming and positive environment. Our son is absolutely ready for kindergarten socially and academically.

PWS is a beautiful school that nurtures children's development by providing a holistic education…read morethat protects childhood in the early years and develops critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence. The curriculum is well rounded, academic and progressive, centered around the child's development. The diverse community is one where families genuinely connect and are deeply involved. The relationships students have with their teachers is very special. Teachers get to know them well and care for their education. I highly recommend this school

PWS has been the most incredible learning environment for our child and family. We cannot recommend…read morethis program, these teachers and this community more highly.

I absolutely adore this place my little one enjoys walking in every morning I see the smile on her…read moreface so I know the staff is doing an amazing job ! THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THE LOVE And attention you give the kids

Both my boys have attended Mentor (my younger son from when he was 2, my older son was too old to…read moreattend full time but was allowed to do drop ins during kindergarten when the elementary school would inexplicably have days off on non-holidays). The staff here are wonderful and truly care about their families. I've recommended this daycare to all my friends. My son was not potty trained when we first started and I was told they prided themselves on getting their kids trained within 3 weeks. I was not ready to potty train, but apparently my son was because he was trained in less than a couple weeks. My kids are now in 1st and 4th grade but they still talk about Mr. GJ's wonderful cooking and, in fact, today we stopped by to visit and were welcomed warmly. My boys both read stories to the kids and joined snack time. Love Mentor.