We found out about St. Stephen's School initially though our membership in the St. Stephen's…read morechurch. At the time we had a 3-year old attending another Montessori program nearby, but the focus on Montessori instruction did not seem as strong. We transferred her to St. Stephen's school, and she started her first year of the three year primary program - and we've been with the school for the seven years since. We enrolled our second child when she was 18 months. The two things that drew us to the school, and have kept us here, are the commitment to academics and the safe social space created by the teachers and faculty. Academically, both our girls started grasping reading independently within their kindergarten year, with our older child being able to read at a high-school level by third grade (as confirmed by the school's annual IOWA standardized testing). Because of the Montessori format, each student can progress at their own pace, allowing students to rise higher in subjects they excel in, while still receiving additional instruction in subjects they have not yet mastered. The student to teacher ratio, allows the students to have one-on-one conversations with the teachers about their work. Early on, we were told by one of the Middle School Parents the best thing about the school was the lack of bullying, even through the middle school years. They noted that since the program is so small, that everyone found a common ground to get along. We have noticed this too through our children's advancement through the primary, lower elementary, and upper elementary levels. The classes are a size that no one is left out. The teachers encourage the students to allow themselves grace each day when completing assignments and reaching goals, and the kids are encouraged to follow the platinum rule (treat others how THEY want to be treated). Finally, we've loved knowing that our kids are in an environment where they are looked after. We know all the teachers by name, and regardless of what level they teach they know and recognize our kids, and know them by name. This reassures us that our children are in a safe space where they can focus on learning and making friends.

As a parent of a small child, we were looking for a school where our son would be part of a…read morewelcoming, diverse community; where his curiosity and independence would be nurtured; and where he would be beloved by his teachers and adults. St. Stephen's ticked all our boxes and then some. We love the Montessori curriculum and it has been a really wonderful place for us as a family.

This is the first online review I've ever written, but if it were my children at Kipling, I'd want…read moresomeone to tell me what is happening behind the scenes. The school philosophy starts at the top with the owner, Jennifer Pierce. She is not interested in developing, educating, or even meeting your child. Her priority will be only to telling you why your child needs to enroll in her lower/elementary school, and why they won't be successful elsewhere. She will find ways to collect fees from you, and is only concerned with her monthly tuition checks. There is very high teacher turnover, and excessive screen time (you can see it when you log in to the cameras). A few of the teachers do their best, but some (Kristin) are so rigid and hard on the children, that when combined with the VERY small spaces, it creates a lot of frustration for your growing boys and girls. We removed our children from this environment, and it's like they are different people overnight at their new school. There are so many better loving environments and spaces for your children in Houston, make the change and stay away!

We have had our kids at this school since they were babies. Highly recommend. We adore all the…read moreteachers and the Administrator Ms. Jade! This our second family now and we love KSA!

Amazing, never been a school shooting since my kiddo has been here. The school serves amazing…read moreschool lunch, I used to go there whenever I was younger, it was great!! And my child has never experienced a fight going on at the school, they have plenty of afterschool activities, the restrooms are maintained well and organized, the 3rd-5th from what I know are I rotation which is pretty epic!! For the after school activities they have dance, choir, theatre, art, band, etc, they have fun stuff like field day, STAAR ball, field trips at the end of the year , and the teachers are very experienced and teach well. They have student council and safety patrol for the 5th grade, and it's a very amazing school, 10/10 recommend to go here!! And after 7:35 they are tardy.

Kiddo graduated after 3 years here and really enjoyed it. The school is an Inter Baccalaureate and…read morefine arts magnet school. They have a number of free after school programs in the fine arts including dance, theatre, art, music as well as academics and sports such as soccer and running. There are also a bunch of after school programs you can pay for that are more specialized as well as a reasonably priced after school care until 6 pm which is a godsend for parents who work. Most of their T-shirts as well as the yearbook are designed by the students there. Every alternate year (1st 3rd 5th) every child will participate in a musical that rehearses during school hours. The Fall Festival is one of the best in the neighborhood. And there are other events such as international festival, thanksgiving lunch, all art day, field trips, etc. The school has had such a profound impact that it has steered my kid's interest totally towards the arts now.

Did a tour here and it was a very nice facility. Not a lot of use of natural spaces but to be…read morefair, it is in the middle of the city. Overall seemed like a good school and the kids mostly seemed happy. 8th grade ambassadors who greeted us were very kind and thoughtful and communicative.

The school sucked, teachers were so so bad. Head of school is horrible. This needs to stop. The…read moreschool keeps getting worse and worse.