St. Philip Neri Elementary School

1335 High Street

Alameda, CA 94501

31 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 04, 2025

SPN Family since 2021. It's been awesome all the way.
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2025

My son, who is currently in the 5th grade, has been at St. Philip Neri since Kindergarten. Back then, we toured all the elementary schools (public, private, catholic) and, at that time, considered St. Philip Neri and Franklin to be the best. My family is Catholic so SPN edged out Franklin. I should note that I'm an alum of St. Joseph Elementary and also a parishioner of St. Joseph's Basilica, but I preferred the SPN school community and so glad we made the decision to send our kid here. I cannot emphasize enough how much my son loves SPN. Every night we list the 3 best things that happened that day and he consistently says school. The teachers are the best! They're caring and supportive, and the overall school environment is collaborative. I am very proud to send my son to SPN and give it my highest recommendation.
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2025

Moving my kids from a public school on the island to SPN was the best decision we could have made! They couldn’t be happier, and neither could we. The teachers are truly amazing—many have been there for over a decade, and the low turnover speaks volumes about the school's supportive environment. Each class benefits from having two dedicated teachers. Beyond the classroom, SPN offers an impressive variety of extracurricular activities rarely found in elementary schools, including track and field, cross country, volleyball, basketball, golf, chess, choir, Spanish, scouts, and music. Their innovative STEM programs, such as the Maker’s Space, broadcasting club, and math club, keep students engaged and excited about learning.The school also provides flexible before and aftercare right on campus on a pay-as-you-go basis, which is a huge plus for busy parents. Tuition is very reasonable for the exceptional quality of education and the well-rounded experience SPN offers.One of the highlights of the year is the school's vibrant community events, including the annual spring and summer concerts and the oratory fest, which give students wonderful opportunities to perform on stage. The SPN community is welcoming and inclusive. I highly recommend this school to anyone looking for a nurturing and enriching educational experience for their children!
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2023

I would say our experience so far with my son being in TK has been awesome. I have found his teacher to be amazing very supportive and helpful along with her assistant, I find everybody that I've met to be really great very communicative and respectful. I'm looking forward to the next years there and the experiences that I will have meeting people at the school on different levels.
Submitted by parent on October 19, 2020

Outstanding school and personnel! Having children in both public elementary school and SPN, I have been impressed by SPN’s reactivity in developing new ways of learning throughout the Covid crisis. The attention to each student has been increased to make sure not one falls behind. As a working mother, I feel totally supported by SPN and I know my son is in good hands.
Submitted by parent on August 16, 2020

This was the perfect school for my son. He thrived at SPN, and it effectively prepared him for high school.
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2020

Skewed experience that greatly differs from the open house to interviews and assessment. We are considering removing our kids from SPN and moving on. There is a great deal of favoritism and subjectivity that doesn't foster evolution. beware and ASK questions on all situations regardless of where your children are in their life.
Submitted by parent on January 20, 2020

Excellent school! We are in year two at the school and are so thankful that we chose SPN. It is a small school with wonderful teachers and the principal is second to none. We are beyond impressed with our daughters education thus far. The sense of community at the school is the icing on the cake. We really feel like we've been welcomed into an amazing family. Well worth every cent of the extremely affordably priced tuition!
Submitted by parent on January 11, 2020

This school is truly special. We have had children here for 11+ years and have been through a variety of principals, priests, and teachers. What remains constant is the positive, supportive community spirit. I have seen my children develop true confidence here, grounded in determination and success. They have been challenged academically and supported spiritually, in equal measure. The school is very service-oriented and my children know the importance of helping others -- a legacy I appreciate more than ever in this "I" focused time. In my years of observations, parents who enjoy being involved seem especially happy with the school. There are abundant volunteer opportunities. When it came time for high school, my older children were very well prepared and gained admittance to their first choice schools.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2019

My son just began K at SPN, my daughter is in 2nd. Both children are very happy with the school as are we. The community is what struck me, it is a small, inclusive, and caring community of families, and is one of a few reasons we chose SPN. Principal Murray is like no other Principal I've met. She knows every child by name, greets them every morning and she doesn't hide behind a closed door. Parents and students are welcomed with an open door to say hi or discuss something with her. The academics are strong, but the school also has a wonderful variety of other classes that the students participate in more than just 1x a week. They go to the Garden, Foreign languages, Library, PE, Music, and the middle school has a range of electives such as robotics and broadcasting. Another important things is because it is a small school, they are very active in handling any bullying, or student issues that may arise. Teachers, staff and the Principal communicate, work with and are involved with the students on so many levels. I feel comfortable, and safe that my children are being cared for, protected and getting a great education socially, emotionally, and academically.
Submitted by parent on October 30, 2019

Our two children have attended SPN school. It is a nurturing and energetic community. Teachers truly care about the students and the students encourage one another. There is a buddy system between the younger and older grades, along with faith families which gives students the opportunity to interact with different grade levels. There is a wide array of electives for middle school students and a multitude of sports, with some offered as early as kindergarten. There is an art docent program provided by parent volunteers, in addition to regular art classes. We love the many traditions carried on through the years at this great school.
Submitted by parent on November 26, 2017

This is our second time at SPN. My son graduated from 8th grade a couple of years ago, and now my daughter is a 6th grader. We have had great experiences with the school. My son required accommodation for learning and they were great about it. The environment is nice - clean, friendly, accessible. The principal, Jessica Murray, is amazing. You don't have to be Catholic to attend but there is Catholic instruction and they attend Mass. They wear uniforms - best thing ever. They had some teachers a few years ago that weren't that strong (you get that everywhere), but those individuals have all moved on and all replacements are upgrades. It's hard to comment on the homework - it was on the hard side for my son and so far is on the easy side for my daughter. Depends on the kid. Both of my kids like the small school feel - it's one class per grade - as it allows all ages to interact and you really get to know your teachers and classmates. Lots of opportunity to engage in different activities. Generally feels supportive rather than competitive. It's also more diverse than our local public school was. SPN is not just a school, it's a community. I recommend it.
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2017

My son's catholic school was closing and the disconnect was happening quickly. I toured several schools, Catholic that is, but I fell right in line with this school St. Philip Neri. Unfortunately, I quickly saw what was lacking at the closing school. The principal at St. Philip, Mrs Murray was aware of what was going in the diocese and was very attentive to my son's needs. As a family we decided to leave the closing school 6 weeks before it closed because the teachers were interviewing other places and there was always a substitute. I lost a lot of sleep and decided to give Mrs.Murray a call. I asked if my son could start now. I didnt' want to wait to next year. This was urgent. I didn't want his studies to fall with the chaos at the other school. She agreed to let him start. And the first day walking into the school with my son, it was so easing to my soul. They took care of him and made sure he was comfortable. They jumped on wherever the other school had him lacking. I know that my son will get what he needs here. I am pleased with the willingness to make an adjustment for my child. For that I will be forever grateful to this school. He is excited and he comes home telling me how exciting his English teacher and Social Studies teacher. He is working hard in his math class. They are not leaving him behind but bringing him up to speed.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2016

Warm community, emphasis on my child's character development as well as academics. Lots of enrichment classes and great student-teacher ratio.
Submitted by parent on July 03, 2015

This school is fine for general ed children who are very obedient. If your child is challenged wth special needs, the staff is ill equipt to support anything like this.Class was chaotic and teachers had a hard time structuring class and redirecting. Often would just give up and start calling the principal in to handle the situation.
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2015

Saint Philip Neri School is a very welcoming community with dedicated teachers and a strong commitment to educating the whole child. SPN is an active community with parents and families taking part in events like a family Ice Cream Social, Auction & Crab Feed, Fun Fair, as well as Winter and Spring Concerts. Principal Jessica Murray has a wonderful combination of business and scholastic experience and brings a wonderful attitude and great skill to leading our school. We have been with the school for 5 years and could not think of a better fit for our family and our children's needs for success.
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2014

This is our third year at SPN with our daughter in second grade. What I really like is how the school goes beyond academics and puts a lot of focus into development. In addition to the new Transitional Kindergarten program, the K-8 students and parents are told upfront about the Student Learning Expectations (SLE's) - to be respectful, responsible, reverent and a life-long learner. There are school year themes, like Goals which get repeated and intertwined throughout the year. Sports start early in the private schools so not only is it nice to get the Kindergarteners out four times a week for Cross Country in the Fall and Track in the Spring, but it's is a great way to connect with other parents. The teacher ratio is about 15:1 which we really like in addition to a lot of modern technology, a wide array of extra curriculars like Spanish, Art, Music, Broadcasting, Debate, just to name a few. And the parents, let me tell you about the parents. I've never been around so many parents that are so generous with their time and talent. Because so many parents help out, it keeps the tuition low and the fun up. We couldn't be happier at SPN.
Submitted by parent on September 19, 2014

We are relatively new to the school entering our 3rd year, are not members of the parish or even Catholic and have found a very welcoming community of parents, teachers and administrators. No school is perfect but SPN is doing all the right things. Our new principal who is starting her 2nd academic year with us is absolutely excellent and has been very proactive and bringing significant energy and renewal to the school. Our tuition is one of the lowest in the Oakland Diocese, due in part to the active parent community volunteering, our test scores are some of the highest, SPN sent several students to the countywide science fair last year and they did very well a few receiving top honors. So if a small welcoming open minded school community, with parents, teachers and administrators who really care about the kids and their success sounds right for your family, then do give SPN a look it may just be the perfect fit for your family!
Submitted by other on October 10, 2013

Love the new principal! She seems able and willing to celebrate the great aspects of the school and creatively, but directly address improvement areas; we all have them, & schools are no different. Always a good, solid school - now moving toward excellence.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2013

A wonderful school with a warm and welcoming community. We have a fourth grader and kindergartner and could not be more pleased. The teachers and staff are professional and committed to the students. A community gem with rigorous academics and strong spirituality right here on the island! The new principal has a clear vision and collaborative style.