Lesley Ellis School

34 Winter Street

Arlington, MA 02474

11 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-9
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 12, 2022

Lesley Ellis is a great school for curious, bright children. The teachers are engaged and thoughtful. The overall curriculum is challenging in a good way, designed to capture kids' imagination and interest. Lesley Ellis is particularly strong in the preschool and elementary programs, where social and emotional learning are just as important as academics. Throughout Lesley Ellis there is an active culture of tolerance and mutual respect. This is true at all levels - faculty, staff, and students. Fighting bias, or "anti-bias," has been a core element of Lesley Ellis' philosophy and curriculum for a long time, starting well before it became the phrase du jour. This doesn't mean the school is preachy, or that academics are neglected. Instead, kindness, self-understanding and understanding others are ideals infused throughout a typical school day - along with a solid academic foundation that prepares kids for life beyond its walls.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2022

We love Lesley Ellis! Our kids are currently in 7th and 4th grade and have both been there since preschool. With small class sizes and a team-teaching approach, each student is appropriately challenged. Academic expectations are high, but students are well-supported and never feel stressed or unprepared. The teachers are very well-qualified and bring a depth of experience and creativity to their teaching that makes learning fun. The unique social emotional curriculum encourages kids to become self-confident and kind and has contributed towards a culture of inclusivity where everyone feels like they belong. Along with all of this, Lesley Ellis also offers an amazing visual and performing art program, unique after school activities like sports teams, ski club, and chess club, all within a very tight-knit school community. I am so glad we chose Lesley Ellis and feel very confident my kids will be well-prepared for high school.
Submitted by parent on January 23, 2020

Lesley Ellis has been an incredible place for all three of my children -- my oldest transferred from our local public school in the middle of 1st grade, and my younger two started this year (Kindergarten and preschool). The caring teachers, the strong emphasis on the anti-bias curriculum and social-emotional learning, and the balanced curriculum allows them to explore their interests while making sure they have a well-rounded base. We love the outdoor time (4x as much recess as our local public school) as well. We highly recommend LES!
Submitted by other on November 27, 2017

This school emphasizes community and it is clear in every interaction, between parents and teachers, students and staff, and among all the constituents. Wonderful learning experiences grow out of authentic lessons. What a good experience!
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2014

This is the best school ever! My son attended and it gave him such a great foundation and love for learning. It gave our family an amazing sense of community and great life-long friends. He still goes back to visit his favorite teachers.
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2014

Great Early Childhood Program! This is our first year at Lesley Ellis and couldn't be more happy. Our daughter is in Pre-K this year and she's learning so much. We were in another program last year and the quality of education is so much higher than her previous school in Brookline. She does the afterschool program and because of that so many teachers know my daughter so well. Its nice that care is offered until 5:30 and we look forward to when she's in the Elementary Program, as she'll then be able to do Ski Club, Rock Climbing and so many other fun activities in afterschool. Not only does our daughter enjoy her experience, my husband and I feel part of the school community. We've been able to get involved on many levels and have met so many other families - so we're really not missing out on the "neighborhood school" experience. All around - this is a great school and we're thrilled to be part of the community!
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2014

Our family loves Lesley Ellis. We have two kids who go to the school, one in Elementary and one in Early Childhood. We love the caring teachers who not only know their stuff but also know kids as individuals. In the Early Childhood program, the teachers grow the curriculum out of the interests of the children; they make sure kids are getting all of the important skills they need but are very creative in how they get there.And the young kids get to benefit from being in a school with older children. They get weekly Spanish classes with a native speaker, time in the library, music, and movement! In Elementary, the multi-age classrooms (Grades 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, and soon 7&8) give the kids a chance to learn from others, and then in alternating years, practice being leaders. There are lots of chances for students to interact with each other- my little one waves excitedly to his older "buddy" when we see him on the playground after school. Because classrooms are team taught, kids get a chance to learn from and connect with a variety of adults. All school assemblies led by the older kids, the great anti-bias curriculum, and teachers' focus on the whole child are a few favorite parts of LES
Submitted by parent on January 15, 2014

We sent our child here for two years in the early childhood education program and it was a $40K mistake. The emphasis on high quality early education seems to be getting worse as the school expands. While the enrollment in the school is highest for preK and lowest (i.e., less than 10 students) in grades 5 and 6, the efforts of the administration are seemingly reversed. The effect of this seems to be very high turnover in the early childhood classroom and directors. Lesley Ellis is definitely not the place to send your young child if you are from a family with two working parents. A preschooler who is there for the whole day could experience 4 different classrooms and teachers combinations in a single day (early dropoff, assigned room, merged room, and afterschool). The teachers from 8:30 to 3:15 will be the same each day, otherwise they change everyday. The quality of early education afterschool program leaves much to be desired - many days there is an education student looking at the phone. There are a lot of half days and extra holidays, all of which require extra money and forms and, again, of which the quality of the program and teachers, highly varies.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2012

My daughter has been going to Lesley Ellis for 3 years now, & I feel so lucky to have found this place. Every teacher is extremely talented so you never have to worry about which classroom your child is assigned to each year. They are wonderful at engaging each child and quickly figuring out your child s strengths & how to best teach them. This is not only from the small class sizes, but the multi-disciplinary, project-based learning that goes on at LES. For example, my 3rd grader learns about what life was like for Native American children in Social Studies & then is creating a doll from a corn husk as an Art project. Or they will learn how settlers imposed laws on Native Americans unlawfully & without warning. Later in the week, teachers are imposing new rules on the children when the class plays Uno together. Then of course the class discusses how they felt and how the Native Americans may have felt too. This example also touches on the strong anti-bias program that is a cornerstone of the school s curriculum. The school and parent community are truly partners working together to create thoughtful, caring, & responsible children. So glad LES has expanded through middle school!
Submitted by parent on November 16, 2012

Our daughter is a third grader at Lesley Ellis School & has been there since Kindergarten. Here is a summary of what we most like about LES: The great teacher/student ratio enables them to teach in even smaller groups at different skill levels. The teachers are truly dedicated to their work in a way that makes it a fun, creative and very involved experience for kids. The school invests in technology without forgetting how important it is for the kids to do things hands-on, the old way,as well. The way the teachers work as a team and integrate their class time for a common goal. The parent community:Open and caring,which creates a fast feeling of belonging for the new kids as well as their parents. The head of the school listens to parent feedback, takes actions accordingly. The fact that the school will be adding 7th grade (2014) and 8th grade (2015) gives us peace of mind. I think above all, what we appreciate the most about LES is how our daughter is growing up to be a kind, respectful individual with curiosity and love for learning as well as an awareness and appreciation for different cultures and backgrounds while having fun and laughter in Lesley Ellis School environment.
Submitted by parent on March 29, 2012

Okay school. Lousy grounds and so so building. The pre k teachers are really inspiring, at least two I know of, and every penny was well spent. The pre school teachers....well, not so good. Funny that that is the weakest group given that most parents seek preschool from Lesley Ellis. First grade and second grade teachers are strong. The administration Is okay. We hung in there at LE for three years but really in hindsight would have been fine at a local preschool at half the cost. That said the pre-k was quite good.