My oldest attended here from 2022-2024 along with Midia's son. The old reviews are an accurate…read moredescription of how this place used to be. The first year here with Ms. Amy, Ms. Joanna, and Ms. Lesli was wonderful! Ms. Amy and Ms. Joanna are exceptionally talented with young children and effortlessly brought our child out of her shell. She was finally experiencing life outside the home and other children for the first time due to the pandemic. For this, Amy & Joanna alone are worthy of five or more stars. The reason for the low rating is the new administration that came in after our first year here. The new director, Ms. Claire, oozes disdain for her job and incompetence to lead, and that is reflected in the high staff turnover and low morale. My daughter's second year here, she went through more than three different staff changes and the lead teacher took an extended leave after only a month in. Another teacher admitted to me that she doesn't interact with my child much. My child was not developing or learning, and she lost interest in preschool until we changed preschools. Two years later in 2026, I was catching up with a current family there. Their daughter has come home twice with pants soaked in urine, despite there being a change of clothes on hand for her. They also were crammed into a classroom that already had other children when the sewer line backed up in their classroom. Her teachers change on a regular basis with the turnover. Even before we started at Holy Shepherd, it was evident that previous staff had been close-knit and worked as a team. Under Claire, they just show up to collect a paycheck. They are too overwhelmed and undersupported to care. Verdict: this place attracts working parents because of its flexible hours all weekday long. However, your child may fall through the cracks.

What an incredible place. Miss Joana and Miss Pat are angels. My son was new to group care. We…read moretried one other place, but that didn't work out. I knew he was going to need a lot of care, love, and attention through any transition. At two-and-a-half and not having much social play because of the pandemic, Miss Joana and Miss Pat were ready for the challenge. They worked their magic and now he loves going to school every day! I'm so thankful and blessed for them and lucky that they had an opening when they did.

We had such an amazing experience at Lafayette Nursery School! I attended Lafayette Nursery School…read moremyself when I was little and had such fond memories of it that I couldn't wait for my daughter to experience its magic as well. Nonetheless, we did our due diligence and toured a few schools before committing to LNS--sure enough, no other school compared. LNS has it all--a beautiful, bright classroom and spacious and fun backyard area, experienced and warm teachers that truly love what they do, and a variety of constantly changing activities that keep children engaged and excited to go to school every day. LNS is a co-op (parent-participation) preschool and therefore enabled my husband and I to help in the classroom and feel included in our daughter's first years in school. Co-oping, as well as other school-wide activities and social events, afforded us the opportunity to get to know the other families at the school and build connections (in contrast, friends at other preschools have personally shared it's sometimes hard to get to know other families at their preschools). Finally, the LNS play-based education model fostered a love of learning in our daughter and left her well-prepared to go straight to kindergarten (we chose to stay at LNS over TK). Overall, we have loved our time at LNS and highly recommend it!

The day my son started here, he was completely at home. I love getting new artwork in his cubby…read moreevery day. He's been much more in to cooking at home because they do snack prep. It's such a warm and welcoming environment. The teachers are non-judgmental and supportive of both kids and parents, and it's clear they genuinely care about each and every child. When you work in the classroom, it's so nice to get to know other kids and see your child in action. Beyond that, it feels like the school is built for families, not just kids. Having purpose in the classroom connects you to other parents in a way that doesn't seem possible anywhere else. Housekeeping days, fundraising events, parent education, school participation at city events...they all help us feel like we're part of a community.

Old Firehouse School is Exceptional!…read more We sent both of our children to OFS after moving to Lafayette, and it was a wonderful experience for our family. The dedication of the staff is truly what sets this school apart. We especially valued the model where teachers, like Liz, Pam, and Zahara, continue to work with the students as they grow. This consistency and the deep care they show for the children is evident every day. Our kids absolutely loved their teachers. We are huge fans of their kid-led, project-based learning approach. It allows the students to drive their own education. Just as important is their focus on emotional education--teaching kids practical ways to understand and manage their feelings, which is a key skill for life. Alex and Michelle are fantastic leaders, and the entire team deserves praise. We have nothing but great things to say about OFS and highly recommend it.

I have had at least one child at OFS since 2021. It is an incredible community and the director…read moreAlex is a thoughtful, bright, measured, and caring leader. We have loved all the teachers we've worked with and were first drawn to OFS because of the Reggio Emilio method they practice. This approach centers around a single primary caregiver for the majority of a child's time at the school. Our oldest has come out of OFS with incredible social emotional skills as a result of this model. We still have our son there and will be sad the day we have to leave. This is not the closest school to our home, but we trust the staff and we can't imagine going anywhere else.

Amazing full-time care and Montessori education for kids 3 months through Kinder right off the…read morefreeway in Lafayette. My oldest started at 13 months (we were on a waitlist, so reach out early!) and youngest started at 5 months (siblings get priority). My kids come home every day and surprise me with what they've learned at school. Things you'd never picture such young kids understanding. My oldest son (2.5) has made his first best friend there, which is the cutest thing to watch take place. We also do soccer on Sundays with about 5 kids from his class. I love the teachers, opportunity for as much or as little parent involvement as you'd like and the parent community as a whole (they do parent nights out every month as well as other fun events). My brother went there in the 80's and it's a staple in the community.

Diablo Valley Montessori School is an iconic and well known authentic Montessori School. It has a…read morelegacy of high fidelity Montessori education. It follows the scope and sequence of the Montessori curriculum. In a world of screens and instant gratification DVMS provides the hands on concrete experience vital for a child's cognitive development. Their staff is professional and knowledgeable regarding the Montessori curriculum and philosophy. I highly encourage families to experience the true meaning of a Montessori preschool education.

We recently graduated from First Steps and are so thankful our son was able to attend since he was…read more5 months old. We had a really wonderful experience with all of the teachers and classrooms. They helped guide us through feeding and nap transitions and through all major milestones. Our son loved the experienced teachers and exposure to other children too. He also made so many friends that he continues to go to preschool with, which made the transition to preschool so much easier! Kelsey and all of the teachers are so caring and supportive, I can't recommend their program enough!

Finding a great day care for our little guy was top of mind when we moved to Lafayette from SF…read more Luckily, we landed a spot at First Steps and have nothing but great things to say. The staff is wonderful. Very caring people that are sweet, kind and thoughtful of the children they care for. Kelsey, Brenda, Arianna are awesome and our son still talks about them. Big open yard for play time and lots of great art projects the kids bring home! Highly recommend and will be taking our second child there as well!

We truly cannot fully express the amount of joy, comfort, and confidence we feel leaving our…read morechildren in the loving hands of Meher Schools. When searching for the perfect preschool, we had very clear priorities - and White Pony/Meher Schools was the only preschool that checked every box after extensive research, visits, and interviews. After falling in love with White Pony preschool, we decided to stay for The Meher Schools elementary school - also, one drop off for kids if you have one in preschool and another in elementary?! Yes, please! The Meher Schools met our top priorities in choosing aas did the White Pony Preschool: 1. Teachers who genuinely practice kindness, patience, and love, creating a safe, nurturing environment that mirrors the care we provide at home. 2. A strong focus on kindness, emotional and spiritual development alongside academics, using the Nurtured Heart Approach to teach leadership, right from wrong, and strong values - something that truly matters in today's world. 3. A calm, organized, clean, and open learning environment inspired by Montessori/Waldorf principles, filled with music, dance, art, nature exploration, and joyful activities that spark curiosity and a love of learning. 4. Low teacher-to-student ratios with consistent, dedicated staff and minimal turnover. 5. The ease and convenience of reliable daycare availability and consistent school hours, which is invaluable for working parents and provides tremendous peace of mind. Our children have grown into calm, patient, loving, socially and emotionally intelligent individuals. They come home happy - singing songs, performing dances, and confidently demonstrating leadership skills such as speaking up, standing up for others, self-regulating ("resetting"), appreciating nature, and truly loving life. We are incredibly grateful for the dependable, efficient, and communicative staff and teachers. Watching our children's growth, confidence, curiosity, and joy throughout their time at Meher Schools has been nothing short of amazing. We wholeheartedly and highly recommend Meher Schools to any parent looking for the very best for their child.

I want to start by saying this is a long time coming, and this is just my experience…read more We first looked at Meher after learning our son's previous preschool prioritized moving kids up to open seats, over real development. He was three, and his old school, though called Montessori, felt like just unstructured play with no guidance. We wanted better for him, so we applied to Meher. When I spoke with the administrator, she was initially hesitant to transfer him but ultimately accepted our application but in hindsight it felt influenced by where we live and work more than our child's needs. On our tour, we learned about the school's "legacy" tradition: multiple generations attend, and one teacher is even an alumna. It struck me as both odd and charming--I wondered if our son's future children might go there too. They want you to stay on his first day (and as long as needed) to help him adjust. Since we both WFH, one of us could be there until he settled in. We appreciated the school's structure: clear work time and play time, unlike his old school's laissez-faire approach. Fast-forward to his transition: he struggled with the new routines, having mini-meltdowns when he couldn't do things his way. On day one, another child cried for an hour over a forgotten jacket. Day two, the same child sobbed over his beanie. Then our son had his first major meltdown screaming and crying. Concerns arose when a parent complained her son was negatively affected by our child's outburst, even though her child had cried extensively before our son had any issues. We were also told one of the girls in the class reported the meltdowns to her principal father. During one episode, the teacher scooped our son up facing her; he flailed and knocked her glasses off. I don't think what he did was right, but at age three, kids sometimes lash out in fear or frustration. After just four days in class, the school questioned whether Meher was right for him. They cited the legacy parent's complaint, the report to her father, and the incident with the glasses. This happened just before Founders Day; a big celebration we didn't know about and weren't part of. When I picked up his things, I saw the pomp and realized the decision had more to do with "show" and pleasing established families than supporting all students. In the end, I learned two things: 1. In the school, legacy families hold sway, and compassion is in short supply. 2. The administration cares more about appearances for legacy parents than the well-being of every child. They promised to "follow up" and welcome him back, but we never heard from them again. If you're new to the area (we moved to Saranap in 2021) and lack connections, think twice before choosing Meher. Your child won't get the same grace as those with legacy ties, and the school won't invest in you as much as you'll invest in it.

Started our son at one year old, and have been at both the Moraga and Rheem Campuses for 15 months…read more We really enjoy the team and the care our son receives. The teachers are all amazing, super friendly, and our son enjoys talking all about them when he gets home - Ms. Nancy, Ms. Dani, Ms. Liz (x2), Ms. Gabby, Ms. Becky, Ms. Lulay, they are all amazing, sorry to those i missed! Antonio is always helpful and responsive. The school uses the brightwheel app which is great for communicating with both staff and admin and getting regular updates and photos during the school day. We can really see the daily learning when our son comes home, and it's such a pleasure to know he's getting socialized and receiving great care durning the day. They let kids be kids! During most holidays you can signup for holiday care to avoid taking more days off. The cost has always seemed very reasonable especially for Lamorinda. The only comment I would mention, is the school runs like a well oiled machine, thus when you are new it's overwhelming to learn how the system works for drop off, pickup, and bringing food and clothes, etc. This was stressful when leaving your first little one for the first time, but this subsides after the first week or two after you learn the system. Advice, don't hesitate to ask the staff either in person or via brightwheel, they will always help. Packing lunches the first few months was stressful! Would recommend Lamorinda Montessori to any family.

Our family has a had a great experience at Lamorinda Montessori (Rheem Campus)! We started there…read morein June 2023 and at the time our daughter was 2.5 and son was 10 months. They have checked the boxes for us in terms of providing a reliable, loving, and kind care solution for our kids. The teachers seem very attentive to the kids and we are always met with smiles at pick up and drop off. The school continues to try and implement new programming to engage both kids and parents, like spirit week and off-site excursions but there is probably even more opportunity to do more of that. The school also offers "parents night out" care giving about once a month which provides for an easy solution to leave the kids for a few afternoon hours on a Saturday. Communication could be better just in terms of updates / photos throughout the day, but our kids are happy every day when they come home so honestly that's all we could ask for. The administrative and teaching team makes a real effort and genuinely cares for the families and children. Thank you to Antonio and the team!

We've been with building bridges over 2 years now, and we couldn't be happier. The teachers are…read morewonderful and it truly feels like a partnership. Ps they host date nights!!

I would give Building Bridges 10 stars if I could!…read more We started with my older son when he turned 3 and it has been the most amazing experience. The teachers are kind and loving, they have a great quiet location and a great playground! My son thrived and they do such fun projects such as raising chicken eggs and raise butterflies. They do fun things like cooking and fieldtrips- my son THRIVED! Also, as he transitioned to kindergarten, his K teacher told me how prepared he was for school- which was a great thing to hear! Also, we love it so much that even though we commute to the school, we chose to send our younger son there as well so he can have the great experience his brother did! AMAZING!