If you are looking for a preschool in the Belmont area - look no further!!! This school has been…read morearound for 78 YEARS and has offered wonderful, exceptional and one of a kind care. The longevity of the caring staff, varied curriculum, bright and sunny classrooms as well as the huge outdoor playground make this school unique and special. The curriculum is play-based with themes based on the children's interests. They also have specialists visit the classrooms - such as music, science and movement! Your child also has an option to stay later for an extended day program - where they are able to learn about fun topics such as art and artists. You should see some of the art they create! Trust me - Your child will be in the best hands if they attend Plymouth Nursery School.

My daughter has had the most ideal preschool experience here. From mimicking Jackson Pollack…read morepaintings to marching in a Chinese New Years parade around Belmont Center, she has gotten to experience creative and challenging activities that have her excited to go to school each day. Most importantly, it is done in a warm, truly nurturing setting. I felt that from day one when I met the teachers on our tour. (It actually brought tears to my eyes.) In addition, being a coop, we parents have gotten to participate and have definitely become a community. We chat outside every morning during drop off and have had multiple school-wide activities and play dates. We truly feel lucky to have found this school.

We visited the center to enroll our toddler…read more First impression: the center is in a basement with no windows and there is a terrible urine smell all throughout. As we walk through, there were only 4 teachers for 3 classroom (2 in infants, 1 for toddler and 1 for preschool), seems like the ratios are not being respected, how can they keep track of all the children when they are understaffed...? Now for the worst.: we walked in the bathroom where the children are being changed and there was a small child on the changing table by himself, the teacher had left the room to grab something, and 3 toddlers were playing around the toilet, again by themselves. This seems like a dangerous place for kids! The director Catherine apologized, but nevertheless that teacher shouldn't be allowed around kids, this is a child's life we are talking about, he could have fallen the changing table and get a concussion. Don't bring your child here, it's not a safe place .

Bright Future Educare Center has been wonderful in caring for our children. My son has been there…read morefrom the age of 1,5 years old and my daughter from the age of 3 months old. Every morning when we arrive, we are cheerfully greeted by the staff and the kids alike. My son has learned how to dance and sing, he was potty-trained and he's been doing craft projects. There are Christmas and Thanksgiving parties, and parties for the kids birthdays. The atmosphere is family-like, laid back, yet professional. Everybody knows each other by their first name and my kids simply love going there in the morning. We'll miss this place and the people (we are moving overseas).

Cambridge Montessori School embraced both of my children and placed them at the center of the…read morelearning experience. They love going to this school and their CMS experience has taught them to love learning. My second grader interacts with adults gracefully and articulately because of the skills and confidence this schooling experience has given her. CMS has an excellent arts, music, and drama offering and the teachers encourage academic excellence. I would recommend CMS to any parent looking for a school that supports a curriculum that encourages independence and confidence in addition to accelerated learning.

The school culture is rigid and judgmental, with a culture of pathologizing normal toddler…read morebehavior. Some of the things that made us withdraw our 3yo mid-year: Despite a stated open-door policy, parents were actively discouraged from involvement in or visiting the classroom. In March, a formal school memo forbade parents from speaking to each other at drop-off/pickup, asked parents to drop their children off at the front door instead of at the classroom door, and instructed parents not to carry their children or their children's belongings. The memo specifically suggested that any discipline problems at home were caused by not following the same rigid "expectations" as the school. When our son was afraid to use the toilet at school, the teacher forced him to sit on the toilet for 45 min while he cried in frustration. He was criticized for not doing work exactly the way the teachers wanted (e.g. sorting puzzle in the "right" order). In a parent conference, we were told our son was "too literal" because asked where rain came from, he said "From the sky," not "From clouds." He was already reading and adding at 3, but we were told this, along with his shyness, were signs of a possible psychological problem. We were bullied to take him for autism screening, even after a specialist and our pediatrician said he was likely fine. Administration, up to the head of school, either ignored problems or blamed us. When we sent a formal letter detailing our complaints, the school offered us a partial tuition refund if we signed a nondisparagement agreement. We refused. We've since learned other families had similar experiences. If you click on Yelp's "non-recommended reviews"--which are weeded out by algorithm--you'll see that other families have made similar complaints.

i got bullied here. i liked the place but the children where horrible. im now in middle school and…read moremoved away from this nonsense. mrs maza and mrs clark where my favorites. abby was my bully btw. i lwft in 3rd grade thankfully. im very disappointed that the school had done nothing even when my mom called everyone i. a meeting to address the situation. abby would kick and punch and yell and no one ever would expel or suspend her.

When my son turned 3 years in 2001 I didn't look to far mount alvernia academy was the only place…read morethat we felt comfortable to send him and to trust them with his education Long story shot we are so glad that we did he graduated 2 years ago and went to a very good high school and my daughter is graduating this year We will miss MAA Thank you for all the good memories

We love Kids on the Hill Preschool!…read more My son has attended since he turned 2.9. Kids on the Hill follows play-based education, in a good way; my son recently turned 4 and loves to read, write, tell you the months of the year (in song!), knows all the planets and so much more, it's amazing! The staff is so wonderful, in particular Miss Hope. She is such a special person in our lives. She is so caring and nurturing and attentive to his needs. She is a fantastic teacher and a lovely person. We are lucky to have her. Highly recommended to any Belmont/Watertown/Waltham parent!

The teachers at Kids on the Hill are so warm and caring. The kids always seem to be having a great…read moretime. Recommend!

My daughter reported to me that she got the bruise on her right cheek at daycare from a teacher who…read morehit her. She has reported the same thing to me on separate occasions The daycare has terminated my daughter enrollment at this daycare as retaliation

Our 12mo old has been going to Diki for the past 6 months, and she squeals with delight when we…read morering the front door bell every morning. Amongst our children this has been our third infant room experience (we've been at two other child care centers), and Diki has been the best. The teachers in the infant room are so enthusiastic, energetic, and kind, and take advantage of being in such a central location with frequent visits to the amazing nearby playgrounds, green spaces, and the children's room at the Cambridge Library's main branch. We appreciate how the head of the center fosters a sense of community through teacher appreciation and parent/teacher/child events. The teachers in the infant room (and other rooms) have been at Diki a long time and seem very committed to the center's future.

My son attended Old South Preschool for his first school experience as a preschooler. The school…read morecame highly recommended by a trusted friend and it was immediately apparent that Old South stood out from many of the other preschools we considered. The classrooms are bright, open, and calming with quality materials used for play and lessons. The many "stations" curated and rotated by the teachers ensure children can feel comfortable choosing between their favorite activities or trying new ones. The kids are exposed to many themes and subjects. The focus on education is on building blocks for kindergarten. Kids are exposed to math and reading in a way that cultivated their curiosity. Weather, calendars, arts, nature, you name it! It's amazing how much is picked into the year. Our sons pride in his handwriting and creative creations was clear each day as we were welcomed into the classroom to review his work at pickup time. The school's emphasis on safe exploration of the city was another draw. We wanted our son to become a citizen of the city. A safe street crosser who observes and learns from his surroundings. Hearing from our son about the classes prep for their walks and then their adventures and lessons around the city was great. Finally, the staff and teachers were fantastic. The care and attentiveness they brought to the school daily was always top notch. They were always available to chat about a rough morning departure for school or other issue. Their ability to handle occasional hijinks was also impressive with the children quickly learning proper etiquette and behavior. Director of Old South, Carolyn, was very helpful coaching us young parents through some behavior challenges and through the kindergarten admissions process. All and all we would send another child to Old South and would not hesitate to recommend this school.

My son attended Old South Preschool during the 2020-21 school year. The year before, he attended a…read moredifferent, more local preschool (we live in Somerville), but that school chose to close due to COVID. Given the pandemic, we were scared to send our son to school at all, and it was even more nerve-wracking thinking about sending him somewhere new. Old South Preschool was recommended to us by friends, and being members of the church (the school is non-religious), our son was already familiar with the building. We decided it was worth the longer commute to have him in school somewhere we were all familiar with. We had no idea what an incredible year he would have. The staff took COVID precautions very seriously, and the school was open all year. Even with all of the extra safety measures, our son felt safe, cared for, and looked forward to school each day. The teachers--many who have taught there for over a decade--are masters at what they do (I am also an early childhood educator and was continuously amazed by their ability to relate to and motivate each child). Our son left Old South more confident, independent, and definitely ready for kindergarten. Old South Preschool was such a bright spot in this very bleak year. We are so grateful to Old South and could not recommend it enough.

Wildflower Montessori is an incredible school community. All three of our children have attended…read moreand thrived in this warm, supportive, unique Montessori environment over the past 5 years. Our youngest is currently in her second year. As parents, we have seen each of our children develop strong, secure relationships with the amazing teachers and with the kind friends in their class. We have also cherished the friendships we have made with other families in this close-knit community. Recommend 100%!

This is literally the most beautiful interior space I have ever seen for children and educators and…read moreparents. It looks more like a curiosity filled art and living park than a traditional school- which can be depressing and feel stifling and even boring inside. At Wildflower, the school feels like a pastoral space where learning and exploring are a natural and engaging (fun) part of life and the world.