Schools near Newport Coast, CA

“We have been at Hilltop for 5 years and it has truly been a magical place for my children. Through the years, my kids have grown in a way I wouldn’t have imagined through the loving way the teachers guide the students. I highly recommend Hilltop for early education, and to anyone that wants to join a kind and caring community.”

“I am delighted with Deecyda! The staff are genuinely caring, professional, and dedicated to creating a nurturing and stimulating environment for the children. My child looks forward to daycare daily and has shown remarkable social skills and learning growth. The activities are well-planned, diverse, and engaging, ensuring the kids learn something new and exciting. Their place is clean, safe, and welcoming, providing peace of mind for parents. I highly recommend Deecyda any parent looking for a top-notch home daycare for their child!”

“The teachers are the absolute sweetest and we feel our daughter is well loved and taken care of. She is always playing and never cries when we leave. She jumps in to the teachers arms and the teachers genuinely happy to see her. They are so kind and we love that they speak to her in a very nice and patient way”

“I found this school through Yelp. And I do not regret 1 day of enrolling my daughter. The school is simply amazing. The entire staff is really professional, they give a lot of love and are extremely available. The environment is safe, clean, healthy and happy. Our daughter throve and learnt a lot in all these years at Newport ave preschool. Today she had preK graduation and we felt grateful for having her at Newport Ave Preschool. A. Cargnelutti”

“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!!”

“I came to Kristin when I was a little girl. I learned so much in her preschool; Spanish, presidents and all of the states. When I was graduating from high school I came back to work for Kristin and teach. This preschool has always been such a fun learning environment and a great experience for the children to interact with each other. Kristin has such a kind heart and is always coming up with new, fun activities for her preschoolers. I highly recommend Preschool of Aliso Viejo!”

“My son started at this facility and I am now raving about it to all of the Mamas I meet who are looking for childcare! I seriously can’t say enough great things about it. His teacher, Miss Mayra, was born to be a toddler teacher. She is extremely kind, gentle, and has made this transition enjoyable for our family. I rarely trust anyone fully, and she has earned my trust (which is saying a ton!) Miss Katy and the rest of the staff members are awesome as well. I feel so fortunate that we found childcare we feel great about.”

“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.”

“I followed and observed Seashore academy for a few years before it relocated to the Newport/Irvine location. That is when I took the leap and sign up my boys for CAMP and then to elective day on Fridays (my eldest had 1 camp at Temple beth). My boys loved and literally requested to be dropped off at Seashore again (we mostly Homeschool after leaving full time Montessori/ ENC and Christian schools). The kinder class was patient and efficient with my younger child. They were accommodating and helped him thrive. We having partnered with Seashore for long, but after vast education on schools and alike, I am comfortable to recommend seashore as an education center to the academics and overall being of children. Mann family.”

“My daughter has been in Red Apple since summer 2022 and we have loved every second at this preschool. The staff is really amazing and you can see how much they love the kids and how much kids love them back. This gives our family great peace of mind since we know our daughter is safe and loved every day. Red Apple has also been great at helping her to build amazing life skills, and for us this is what really matters at this age. We have been really lucky to be part of this community.As working parents we appreciate convenient location and flexible hours. We feel absolutely safe to leave our child there under the professional supervision. Highly recommend .”

“We highly recommend VanDamme Academy to families who value Classical learning in a child-centric environment.In a world that is increasingly stressful to children in every aspect of their lives, VanDamme Academy offers a safe haven of unplugged, but highly connected learning. Little to no homework, focused daily classroom learning, and an environment of mutual respect, kindness and inspiration – these are the hallmarks of this incredible program.Because the school focuses on eliciting critical and collaborative thinking, students internalize material, rather than memorize and forget it. School time is used efficiently so teachers do not rely on homework (and parents) to bolster learning. How is this done? Simply: classes are small, teachers are passionate about their area of expertise, and the material itself is incredibly interesting and engaging to students. Add to that expectations of mutual respect, politeness, kindness, and excitement for learning and it’s easy to see why the model works.Our daughter looks forward to school each and every day!”

“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.”

“I came here to attend the funeral service of a friends father that I have known for a very long time. He was a member of this congregation, but a Pastor serving in another area. The Chapel was nice, big and bright which made me feel very welcomed. The Celebration of Life service was personal and very beautiful just like Cliff! I would go there again if needed to go.”

“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.”

“My son has been going to childtime for almost 3 years and we have been so happy with them. Every single day we are greeted with warmth and a smile - Ms Maya is a joyful soul that really helped my son on those days where he just wanted to be with mama. Ms Inez and Ms Ceci treat you like family and communicate honestly and openly to make sure your kiddo is happy and thriving. Ms Karissa in the infant room loves each of those babies like her own. Ms Mayra is a boss but gentle in the toddler 1 room and the kids love her - best story teller! There was a visible difference in my son after working with Ms. Brianna in toddler 2/ early preschool - she is so gentle and yet so effective with these kids. There are so many others that I could mention here, but the bottom line is that these folks love kids. They will love your kids, keep them safe, and they will work with you to make sure your child thrives!”

“We had a wonderful experience at Michelson KinderCare!. Our son who started on September 2022 and finished in May 30/2025, was truly happy there every single day. The teachers are warm, professional, and always accessible. Each day was full of new, engaging activities, and we loved getting daily updates and photos through the app, it really helped us feel connected. The center is very organized and caring. We only left because he’s now moving on to kindergarten, but we’ll always be grateful for the love and attention he received here.

From Miss Ali, his very first teacher, to Miss Mary, Miss Bertha, and his director Miss Pinky, and all the rest of them ❤️, they were all truly special. He loves all of his teachers! We highly recommend it ??.”

“We could not recommend this school enough! Our kids really love their teachers and the management is great! We are also really happy with the school's menu! We get daily reports and pictures and we can tell that our kids really like this place.”

“We registered for IUCC ECC this year and it has been an amazing experience. Our daughter loves going to Preschool everyday, her teachers are warm and loving. She comes home talking about the different project focused units, she is learning so much! The Director and all of the staff are wonderful. We have enjoyed all of the events, communication, and opportunities to be involved at the school. If you’re looking for a small learning focused school that values kids, look no further!”

“Little Big Preschool welcomed us in with a warm embrace, at a time when I needed a preschool for my son to transition into. It offered a wholesome environment for my 4-year-old son that offered curriculum to help nurture his eagerness to learn.Miss Sarah was kind enough to take my son in, even when her class was near-capacity. Miss Sarah radiates cheerfulness and fun! Her unwavering love and patience for her students leave something to be admired. I am so grateful to her for being the beacon of light that paved the path to my son’s love for school.We’ve moved on to kindergarten, yet we left Little Big Preschool with long-lasting friendships and forever play dates.I would recommend Miss Sarah’s class to anyone who is looking to socialize their little ones, learn new things, and have fun while doing it.”

“My daughter has been attending Lutheran Church of the Cross Preschool for a year and a half, and I couldn’t be happier with the experience. The teachers and staff are absolutely wonderful—caring, patient, and truly invested in the well-being and development of the children. My daughter has thrived in this nurturing environment and always looks forward to going to school. We’ve seen her grow socially, emotionally, and academically in ways that exceeded our expectations. It’s a joy to know she is happy and in great hands. I highly recommend Lutheran Church of the Cross Preschool!”

“I was a bit lost after graduating HS last year when a friend recomended MTS, after going through their ultrasound program I'm not only employed, but have my own place and for the first time my future look bright!”

“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 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!!”

“My daughter has been a student since she was a couple months. This facility has become such an amazing place for kids to get the early start they need to learn and prepare for kindergarten. I’m beyond grateful for every single teacher and or/staff that has been part of my daughters journey and development. You care and we notice it! We trust you! Have an amazing teacher appreciation week! Thank you so much!”

“My oldest son was having a difficult time adjusting to kindercare but Ms. Ashley would go out of her way time and time again to make him feel comfortable and welcome him. When he would come home, he'd talk about playing with Ms Ashley and how much fun they had. She had a way of making him feel special even when she has a room full of others to watch and take care of. Ms. Ashley even gave him stickers to take home once and that's all he would talk about for a few days. Ms Ashley was truly there because she cares about the kids and their development.”