Schools near Corona Del Mar, CA

“My two boys (2,4 yrs. old) have been attending The Learning Lab since August 2021 and we are very pleased with the entire experience. Mr. Danny is a big reason that we chose this school in the first place. During the first tour, we loved his energy and passion for education and child development. He has had a big part in creating a positive learning environment for children of different age groups. With COVID restrictions, it can be difficult to connect with a school, but Learning Lab has done a great job of communicating and fostering a healthy school/family community. The teachers are very knowledgeable and have taught my boys so much in such a short time. Also, they have been so kind and shown nothing but love for my boys. I would like to highlight Ms. Kassidy and Ms. Rozana who have been nothing short of amazing. When I pick up my boys each day, we get into the car, and they are so happy and eager to share how their day went on the drive home. There are so many creative lessons the teachers implement and it keeps the kids engaged and excited to absorb information like sponges. Another big draw to The Lab is the playground areas that they have for the children. Social development is a big part of early education. The playgrounds are expansive and allow students plenty of room to explore and interact with one another. My boys have formed many friendships with their fellow classmates and when I show up at pick up time, they are all yelling "Daddy's Here!". It is as if they are siblings to one another. We feel so connected to The Lab family and it will be sad when our time is up here and we graduate to elementary school. Thanks to Mr. Danny and all of the staff at The Learning Lab. You are our extended family.”

“Finding DeeCyDa has been the biggest blessing to our family since we moved to Irvine. Our daughter was 15 months when she started (now 18m) and she truly loves Mahsheed, Amanda and all of the staff. Some days at pick up she runs back because she doesn’t want to leave - a true testimony of her feeling safe, having fun, and feeling like she has a second home. We love and trust everyone at DeeCyDa like they are our own family.”

“My son has been attending this campus for the past 4 years. I can honestly say that the level of care at this facility is above the standard of every other Montessori campus we toured in Irvine. The staff is very professional and are truly passionate about the well being of all the children.”

“The best preschool ever! I love Ms. Donna! Not only she’s knowledgeable with kids and early childhood education, she’s also full of love and patient with kids. She sees the individual needs while having to develop the curriculum for the whole class. Not to mention she’s giving lessons to parents for the monthly meeting to equip parents for better communication with kids. Don’t know how she did that. Simply amazing!I would recommend this school for anyone who is able to volunteer a good amount of time. It’s a co-op school, so the parents must be able to volunteer and have a ‘job’ at school.”

“After 5 years at GSP (between 2 kids), we are sad to go. We will miss the smiles from all the teachers. GSP seriously hires the best people - how do they do that?! I trust all of my kids' teachers, they all love my kids and it truly shows. Sometimes, I feel like they take care of my kids better than me! Haha...Seriously though, GSP was amazing. Their program is well thought out, their admin/operations is very organized, the teachers are all amazing (regardless of how new they are and there are a few teachers who've been there for YEARS), their tuition is reasonable. I wholeheartedly recommend this school to everyone. If you're lucky enough to get into their Infant/Toddler program, do not pass it up. They really take such good care of your kids (this is why I say sometimes I feel like they do a better job than we do!).”

“LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Wave Preschool. I like the small class size and all staffs are nice. My kid loves to go to school and like all the activities they had done in school. Highly Recommend!!”

“We had a great experience with Seashore. Sadly had to move but for our kids that was their favorite school. Perfect place if you homeschooling without the stress of wondering if they learning enough without the typical school stress of overworking kids with unnecessary information.”

“I appreciate these schools a lot because the teachers and the principal are always attentive to the students, that's why my children go to this school, a thousand thanks to the principal for always being with the students.”

“We have had our daughter here for 2.5 years now and although they've been through some changes, they are a wonderful preschool with awesome and caring staff. My daughter has learned so much and loves to go to school each day. They have done everything they possibly can to keep our child safe during this difficult time. We feel 100% confident in their ability to care for our daughter. There is so much play and age appropriate learning, I highly recommend KOG Preschool for you little ones!”

“The best school we've ever been! The teachers very friendly, amazing place, my daughter was been in this school since 2021 until 2023 and we have only positive emotions! Thank you for everything!”

“Highly Recommended. All my 3 kids love going to this preschoolReasons we like this school:- All kids go there are happy and energetic - The staff is nice and really care- Extra curricular classes included: soccer, taekwondo, dance, music- STEM activities- Special activities all year round - bounce house, petting zoo, police visit, water play, santa visit, etc- Less closure days than other daycares- Reasonably priced”

“Light of Christ preschool is hands-down a wonderful school. We typically don't write reviews, but this is so meaningful to us and we feel that we struck gold with LOC regarding our son's preschool.Key takeaways on LOC Preschool:1. Teachers and staff have a high-level of attentiveness and care towards our son2. Notably the teachers hold B.A. degrees towards childhood education, another indicator of striving towards academic excellence3. Strong discipline and rigor regarding documenting our son's meals, diaper changes, naps and Ouch reports4. Our son's learning and development have accelerated since attending LOC preschoolOur son enjoys his time there and that is a testament to the great work that Mrs. Lizarraga, Ms. Tina and other supporting staff provide. The staff is very caring and loving, and one example that is illustrative of that there is a range of teachers and support staff for different classes, yet all the teachers know our son's name and provide feedback about our son even though he may not even be in their class. Also, we enjoy the teacher-to-student ratio which shows the LOC's commitment to each child's development.Did we mention how great the teachers are? (:”

“My child attended Childtime for 18 months until starting kindergarten, and I was sad for us to leave.Pre-K teacher Ms. Maya is truly a gem. She's the kind of teacher parents hope their children have at least once in their lifetime. Lucky for the kids in her class, they get her when they're young so she can set a strong foundation for all their future schooling. She thoroughly prepares her students for both the curriculum and behavioral expectations in kindergarten. Her classwork matches up with the types of assignments the kids have in kindergarten. The work in their portfolio at the end of the year is virtually indistinguishable from the classwork the kindergarten teacher sends home. Her curriculum is varied and extensive, covering topics like earth sciences, sight words, and addition. She provides parents weekly lesson plans a week in advance.Ms. Maya cares about her students and devotes time to providing individualized suggestions and even homemade gifts from her and the students throughout the schoolyear. When students graduate from her class, she creates a comprehensive portfolio of all their work throughout the school year and even includes photos of the students and achievement certificates recognizing the abilities of the students. With a class size ratio of 1 adult to up to 12 kids, the kids get personalized attention - and so do the parents. You can talk to the staff easily.Children at Childtime get a morning and afternoon snack and lunch, and the school staff do a great job of keeping track of food allergies and providing alternatives from home or their kitchen.Kids have lots of space to play outside and time to do so.Director Ms. Inez treats the children with kindness and dignity. She is organized and very responsive to email and phone calls. Each month she sends out a calendar of events to provide advance notice of activities.Parents can view live video in their child's classroom and communicate with teachers and administration through an app. The live video is a bit glitchy but is better than nothing. Parents also get updates and photos of the kids throughout the day. I enjoyed knowing what they were up to so I could feel involved.The pricing seems comparable to that of other childcare in the area.”

“Great school super awesome God bless all this teachers that give the great education to kids and safety at all time and of course plus the support to the families in the community Amén”

“Absolutely LOVE this school!! The teachers are so loving and sweet. They provide excellent meals for the children and the tuition is affordable. I am so impressed and thankful to find such a great school for my son.”

“I've always heard great things about PLAVAN and the entire Fountain Valley School District. All of the positive reviews are absolutely true. Plavan does have some of the finest educators in the country. The teachers here are passionate about what they do and always give it their most. I can certainly tell if teachers are burnt out by just observing them. I do not feel that vibe here at Plavan. The teachers here are smart, attentive, and genuinely care about the students and families that they work with. They are very direct and always open for communication. If you have problems they will try to work with you personally until the issues are resolved. Kudos to the Principal, Dr. Ham. He is truly an exceptional boss. He takes good care of his staff. In return, they take good care of the students. Dr. Ham is always out directing traffic in the morning. He knows the name of every student at Plavan and makes an effort to chat with all the parents. This man is very hands-on and leads by example. Shout out to Ms. Jill Summerhays who is the current district teacher of the year. I mean wow, my middle son got to be in her class for 2 years. He was taught by the best. And it shows with all the progress he has made. She has a very unique teaching style and deep understanding of my son's educational needs. She proactively communicates with us and promptly addresses any concerns that we have. Her aides, Ms. Roberta, Ms. Patsy and Ms. Jennifer are so patient and sweet. My son loves going to school. We really enjoy seeing pictures of him doing fun and creative learning activities throughout the year. From the very first day my son started school here, she was so sweet and made us feel comfortable. We felt the love and knew this was the right place for him to learn and thrive. Also shout out to Ms. Jenn Andrews. My oldest son has her this year and it has been wonderful. She would meet with us throughout the school year to discuss his progress and offer ideas and different ways we can help him improve his skills at home. She is an amazing teacher with a lot of compassion and a big heart. You can tell she really loves teaching Kindergarten and helping her students succeed. Her classroom aide, Mrs. Williams is so sweet and great with the kids. In general, Plavan has really set the bar for how a school should be. The front office staff is warm, welcoming and respectful to all the parents who come in. I feel that we get first-class treatment like at a private school. They also try to get the parents involved with the PTO as much as possible. Great job Plavan!”

“This school has been a wonderful home to my family for the past 6-years. The staff and teachers are exceptional! The families at Davis tend to be very involved in their children's education, as indicated by a large PTA, well attended school functions and abundant parent volunteers in the classrooms. We have only attended Davis so I am unable to compare it to another school, but we love it and cannot imagine our children anywhere else.”

“A fun, caring, and engaging environment for our child to grow. Our son always comes home so happy sharing how much he loves his friends and teachers. He is engaged in a wide variety of activities during school which we appreciate. We particularly appreciate the leadership of Ms. Ayanthi, the support of Ms. Jessica, and the patience and kindness of Mr. Teddy.”

“I am so grateful that my son attended IUCC for two years before pre-k. IUCC got him comfortable with being in a school environment, supported his interests in a way that allowed him to thrive and build confidence. He loved his teachers so much, especially Miss Priya. Everyone there truly cares about the kids. IUCC creates a safe, happy environment for the kids and I appreciate the extra diligence to keep the school clean and kids healthy, especially during cold and flu season. Highly recommended ❤️”

“We love Waldorf education and at Waldorf School of Orange County the College of Teachers, the Board and the Staff are dedicated to a good educational experience in the Waldorf pedagogy. Many of the teachers are amazing. My child was blessed to travel the grades with Brooke Natzke and that experience was amazing. I can't recommend a more qualified person. My are having a great experience with Mrs Schwarz in the grades now for our next child. Our daughter is attending Waldorf High School and has found many of the teachers to be very supportive and helpful. She found her passion because of the championing of her Earth Science Teacher.”

“My child has been at Manzanita two years and this is a review of the manzanita campus. This review is based on actual attendance (unlike a few negative reviews that seem to have only gone on a tour). We have loved every minute of her time at school there. Her teachers are amazing and she goes to school excited every day to learn. She has been there for pre-K and Kindergarten. Academically she has been reading above grade level and reads for fun at home. She loves math and is enthusiastic about counting by 5/10/20s, doing addition and subtraction. I had been hesitant initially because I heard through the grapevine that Annaliese students aren't as strong academically but she reads better than her older cousins and with more enthusiasm. She also sings and talks in multiple languages which has given her an enthusiasm and context for learning more about other countries and languages. She also comes home and loves to draw and create things. I love that they don't use electronics (she gets enough of that elsewhere) and the campus is MAGICAL. She spends her time surrounded by greenery which has been shown to lower stress and boost neurological development. On the emotional side, my previously perfectionist child now will say to me "we all make mistakes" and is more process oriented, focusing on working hard and achieving through effort. They learn a lot about working together and contributing to society and this has so many amazing downstream effects at home, including better sharing and improved delayed gratification. Finally the food. My child was a picky eater but has opened up her eating which I attribute so much the Anneliese. They all sit down together and eat, as opposed to having combined recess and lunch time (and not eating at all). She comes home asking for salad and potato leek soup and lots of things I'm not sure she would try otherwise. Plus I don't have to make lunch.Also a note about her teachers - some have been there long enough to have taught two generations we have been so lucky to have them. They are engaged and responsive to parental emails/calls. Mr. John who is the head administrator is a great teacher and incredibly organized and engaged. Would love it if manzanita went through grade 6!!”

“We absolutely love Heritage! My oldest son graduated last year and my youngest currently goes there. Every single one of their teachers have been outstanding! Both my boys were lucky enough to get Mrs. Tran in 3rd grade. She was teacher of the year in 2020 and it was well deserved. Loved how she kept the parents updated with pictures in Seesaw with all the fun hands on activities they were doing in class. Oh and my oldest had her when school shut down because of covid. She went above and beyond what was expected. We also love our new principal, Mrs. Smith. This is her 2nd year at our school and she has made it so fun for the kids. She never misses an opportunity to dress up and was totally cool with getting duck taped to walls and getting slimed to motivate students during our fundraisers! She brings her bunny, Coconut to school and students have opportunities to eat lunch with her and Coconut. She was also there to listen to me when I had a concern about my oldest and followed up a few days later to make sure everything was going ok. Heritage is so lucky to have her. Heritage is a sought after school. Some people move to the neighborhood just to be guaranteed a spot. The very few people who aren't happy with it should leave to make room for the long list of students who want to go there.”

“My daughter has been going here for a while now and I feel excellent about the way this school has helped shape her personality! Colleen is doing an excellent job and is well supported by the entire team including Robyn, Kattie, Jenny and all others!”

“If you’re looking for a play-based preschool, don’t look any further! Hilltop is a Reggio based school and my son has benefited so much from their curriculum to grow into a confident kid. The teachers truly pay attention to every child’s needs and help each child learn at their own pace. And since it’s a co-op where parents can also work and learn aside their children, I too am learning how to communicate with my son in a healthy way.”

“This place is awesome. I love the energy and joy that my kids get from this place. The staff from the top down are extremely receptive to feedback. Both my kids have learned so much from this program. I wish there were cameras or something similar so I would be able to see how my children interact and/or problem solve - that way, I would know how to tailor their learning. Otherwise, nothing but great things!”

“Kiddie Academy has proven to be an excellent choice for my kids over the past six months. The environment is both fun and nurturing, providing me with complete peace of mind. The teachers genuinely care for my boys, and even those in other classes know them by name. The daily updates through the app, along with the use of cameras, further assure me that they are well-cared for. My oldest looks forward and lights up at drop-offs saying his teachers names, and my youngest is all smiles and cuddles with his teachers.To name drop since it’s well deserved! Sara, Sade, and Natalie at the front desk, Jasmine and Nadia in the threes classroom, Daniela and Jackie H in the twos classroom, Jackie T in the toddlers classroom (Can’t wait till Aedan is with you again!) and Yannete, Erica, Maird, Emily, and Lesly in the infants room have been absolutely amazing and understanding throughout our six months at Kiddie Academy. Their warmth and efficiency add an extra layer of reassurance that my babies are well taken care of. It's evident that the caring environment extends beyond the classrooms, making the overall experience truly exceptional. Looking forward to many more months and years!”

“We love this preschool so much. Their outdoor area is so cute and all redone. They are very good at early child education. Kids all learn sign language and Spanish and the sounds of their letters. I haven't seen a kid there that doesn't love it. Definitely a great prep for kindergarten.”