With 9 years of time at the school, I have noticed a decline in quality. As a student, I felt really connected and loved the school, but it has been going down, catering for parents over kids, and sometimes neglecting what is really needed. There were also many incidents where the school didn't take the proper actions and steps or punishments for inappropriate actions that happened at the school. (Multiple times) Overall though it is still a pretty good school, just not one I would necessarily pick again. read more

I transfered to SFDS after spending four years at another all boys, independent school in San Francisco. The academics, particularly the technology curriculum, were top notch; I learned how to build websites as a 6th grader in the mid-90's! Compared to other private schools in the city, students at SFDS seemed much less pressured to succeed academically, but at the same time we all were accepted into excellent high schools and were in many cases much better prepared for the workload than students from surrounding elementary schools. As with any school, some teachers will always be better than others, and it's impossible to have an entire staff of all-stars. That being said, the great majority of the teachers and staff of the school during my five years there were excellent educators who made great efforts to teach to all levels of comprehension and speed. Socially, moving from an all-boys school to a co-ed institution was an adjust for me, but a welcome one. Compared to other independent schools in San Francisco, I felt my class was extremely diverse both culturally and socio-economically, and there certainly was never any preferable treatment for those on financial aid. Overall, SFDS is an excellent institution and one that I would not hesitate to recommend to any parent considering private schools in San Francisco. read more

As a student who recently graduated, I feel well qualified to write a review of this school. I loved it. The teachers were exceptional both as mentors for learning and as friends. The classes were small and I felt that I had the support and attention that I needed as a student. My peers were kind and welcoming to everyone and I know for a fact that the financial aid students were beloved by both teachers and kids. In the middle grades I had many friends who attended other SF independent schools and hated them, making my excellent time seem even better in comparison. This is my experience, however. I will say that it may be useful to have actually attended the school to write a truly valid review, (Keep this in mind while reading the others). read more

Thankfully my daughter transferred to a wonderful middle school & we got her out of this horrible & horribly overrated elementary school with its large classes and many mediocre teachers (2 in 6 years, that's 2 long wasted school years). Further, my sweet kid was bullied nonstop, every day, including instances of cyberbullying, & the administration would not do anything; i.e. The school culture embraces bullying! An open secret: half or more of the nonwhite kids transfer out of this institute of grandiose delusions. P.S. All the expensive independent schools take the kids camping etc. for a week every year, this is de rigueur. read more

I couldn't have wished for a better place to spend nine formative years of my life. Simply put, I loved SFDS. I not only know that I received a top-nop education academically, but I feel like I got an equally stellar "social" and "personal" education. By this I mean that SFDS strives to form well-rounded, aware, and, most importantly, engaged students who are quizzical about the world around them and who are active civic participants. SFDS encourages students to not only understand themselves, but to understand the role they play in their local, national, and global communities. SFDS does an especially good job of teaching students how to write. I felt far ahead of my classmates in high school when it came to analytical writing, and I had many opportunities at SFDS to develop creative writing skills as well. In general, critical thinking skills are emphasized, as is active dialogue, participation, and, in eighth grade, Socratic discussion (format used in English and history classes). Public speaking activities in the fifth and eighth grades also led me to become a confident and effective public speaker, a skill that has proved invaluable. Overall, when I got to high school, I felt incredibly prepared in all academic disciplines. Academic rigor is balanced by other physical and/or creative activities. Music and art classes are valued, as is physical education. The school also places a strong emphasis on the environment and sustainability, and each year, beginning in fifth grade, students take an outdoor education trip. The biggest of these trips is a week-long backpacking trip in Yosemite, which was one of the highlights of my nine years at SFDS. My best friends today are those I made at SFDS. I found the school's atmosphere to be welcoming and inclusive. While the relatively small grade size may seem inhibiting, I found that it fostered deep social connections and an overall sense of community among students. The teachers also contribute to this sense of community by developing personal relationships with students that made me feel more confident in the classroom and as a person. I have nothing but high praise for SFDS. read more

Carmen, I was on financial aide and the teachers loved me, maybe the teachers are different now. I still go back occasionally to say hi, but I hardly know any of the teachers now, only a few remain from my days. This school was the best, I loves my 9 years here and would not have traded it for anything else. You've got some of the best teachers in the bay, who thoroughly care about the kids and want them to learn and grow and all that good stuff. There was this teacher, Mr. Trapasso who has a legacy there, all who took 7th grade English and History with him know it. He was the hardest teacher we'd even had, he even threw stuff at us, and I don't think anyone could forget. Other perks are the outdoor education program, state of the art computers, and a all the other perks that come along with going to school with really rich kids. My younger brother went here as well, he liked it as well. read more

THIS SCHOOL IS THE BEST :) They take you backpacking for a week every year for God's sake. KYLE'S GROUP ROCKED !!!! HAH I got the 2 person tent. Hohoho. Omgg...this school even has its own copywrited song.. and yeah.. the Bar Mitzvahs are great in 7th grade because tons of rich Jewish kids go here. WOOO SFDS!!!!!!!!! I will love you forever. read more

Good but over controlling staff. Academics are the creme de la creme in SF and the administration is pretty good. I was weird in middle school and a troublesome kid so I got in trouble a lot :P. read more

I'm puzzled by the rants of some of these other reviewers. This is as great a school as you will find. I have 2 children there. We started off in the public school system in SF, which is horrible. The teachers at SFDS are incredibly dedicated, hard working and truly know each kid. They emphasize differentiated learning, so get to know each child's learning style. The current headmaster, Dr Jackson, has really changed the direction of this school to a focused, cutting edge institution, and his hiring reflects that. Of course, you should expect all of that for what you pay, as it is definitely NOT cheap. But I highly recommend it! read more

Wow ... after an exhausting kindergarten school search, we are so happy we landed here! The school has exceeded our expectations in every way! Seriously, this school is a goldmine. The teaching strategies are research-backed (maybe you've been reading about things in the NYT like responsive classroom, habits of the mind, etc.) and we've been so impressed as parents for all the thought that goes into building the curriculum and understanding our child. The lower school is very nurturing. Rather than focus on content or worksheets, SFDS teaches learning traits and qualities that are proven to help kids succeed, such as perseverance and grit and character. They also teach social skills to incoming kindergarteners (how to enter play, how to enter groups and find commonalities) and this creates a warm, caring and diverse community for the kids. It's also great help for shy kids to have those skills taught. The parent community seems warm and chill. The only neg is that it's hard to get into in (we feel we won the lottery by just getting in) and the facilities are a bit average in places. That said, I appreciate how they don't put the money into an edifice complex. Instead, the money goes into keeping their teachers (our K teacher has 12+ years of tenure). Also, kids have access to so many teachers and resources: 2 K teachers, learning resource teacher, and various "special" teachers (science, math, art, music, etc.). Art and science are hilights! read more

We're several years in to our experience and couldn't have found a better place for our child! Teachers have been great (we particularly love our current main teachers) and so are the special subject faculty (in lower school, kids have a special teacher for Science, Math, Art, Music, PE, Tech Time, etc.). So cool to see your child develop strong relationships with teachers that span multi-years. Very thoughtful design of curriculum, Art, Science and Math all have their own studios or "labs" where they are taught. Parent community is quite diverse and laid back. The new Head looks very promising too. My child goes to school each day excited and ready to learn ... there's really not much more you could ask as a parent! read more

SFDS is an amazing school With high academics, high standards, and an A-B average It is a safe environment with small classes and great teachers! I would definitely recommend this school to anyone! read more

If you desire to have your children attend a polished school where they receive quality teaching in a pleasant atmosphere free from trouble makers then this is the school for your child. The price tag is astronomic; yet, the teachers are the brightest and the kids are well behaved so you do not have to fear that a temperamental student is constantly annoying the heck out of your child. They have plenty of supervision by learning assistants and para's so that your child is able to learn, unlike what goes on in the SFUSD. Some of the teachers can act like rocket scientists (think 5th grade teacher who teaches basic Math skills acting like Einstein) but they do mean well and do a great job. If you have enough money to send your child to a school that practically costs as much as a lot of colleges then send your child here. read more

This School is amazing I'm in my ninth year here and I am really sad to leave. The teachers are amazing and support you so you can do the best you can do. The students all get along, we are a tightly knit grade and I'm sure we all will be very sad to leave. I have learned so much here from math to life skills of how to solve problems and get along with people. This is a great school, I would highly suggest, as a student who has been here for nine years. read more

After a great transfer, this school was exactly what I needed. A welcome community who supported my every move. The school has done so much for me there aren't enough words in the world's dictionary to describe it. But, her's my one word. Resilience. read more

I am writing to complain about parents and others dropping off/picking up their children and parking in front of my home, 2076 Golden Gate, and blocking my driveway almost completely on a regular basis. There is a length of curb which is not a legal parking space and into which no car can fit, yet parents continue to park there, refusing to wait in the line of cars and run their children into school or to pick them up from an after school event, etc., sometimes for an hour or more. There is NO time when this is permissible, even for a minute, and it happens almost every day. My daughter has been late for her own school because we cannot exit the driveway and I have had other occasions when I could not leave my house because of thoughtless parents who know they should not park there but do so anyway. Please advise everyone that this is unacceptable, cars will be ticketed and towed if necessary and this space is monitored 24/7 so license plates will be reported to the city. read more