Bellevue Children's Academy

14640 Northeast 24th Street

Bellevue, WA 98007

33 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-9
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 14, 2025

Disappointed with Declining Quality and Poor Communication.I am deeply disappointed with the way this school has changed over time. The quality of education has noticeably dropped, with less focus on academic excellence and student growth. The school has made significant changes that negatively impact students, yet there is little to no transparency or communication with parents.The worst part is the administration’s attitude—especially the head of the school. Instead of addressing concerns or working with parents to improve the situation, they either ignore feedback or provide vague, unhelpful responses. Parents who raise valid concerns are met with indifference rather than solutions.A school should prioritize its students and work collaboratively with families, but unfortunately, that is not the case here. If you are considering this school for your child, I strongly suggest looking elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2025

Starting from the 2025-2026 school year, BCA has decided to implement half-day Wednesdays, with students dismissed early so that teachers can have meetings and training sessions. Parents have repeatedly protested this decision, expressing serious concerns about reduced instructional hours and declining academic quality. Unfortunately, the school has ignored all parent feedback and continues to push forward with this change.We are extremely disappointed and are now actively looking for a new school for our child. If you’re comfortable paying expensive tuition for fewer instructional hours than public schools, then BCA might be the right fit for you.Additionally, the lunch portions are very small, and many students have complained about still feeling hungry after lunch.
Submitted by parent on December 06, 2024

We are incredibly pleased with our experience at BCA. The school provides a nurturing and stimulating environment that fosters learning, creativity, and confidence in children. The teachers are not only highly skilled but also genuinely caring, ensuring that each child receives individual attention and support.Huge shout out to: Ms.Lisa Wang and Ms.Kristiina Von Pohle.We have noticed remarkable progress both academically and socially. The child looks forward to going to school every day, which speaks volumes about the warmth and encouragement provided. The activities are thoughtfully designed to balance academics with creative exploration, making learning fun and engaging.We couldn’t have asked for a better place to lay the foundation for our child’s future. Highly recommended!
Submitted by parent on September 21, 2024

If you’re considering sending your child to this school, I would strongly advise against it. The quality of education here is deeply concerning, and it could have long-lasting negative effects on your child’s development. Many of the teachers come from non-educational backgrounds, such as real estate or retail, which raises serious doubts about their qualifications to teach. I regret the decision and would not recommend this school to any parent.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2024

Bellevue Children's Academy is no longer an IB school but falsely advertises as such. There is little room for accommodation if your child should need support, this is cookie cutter education. Parents are pushed to spend while teachers are scraping by with a small budget to prepare their classrooms. The teachers do the best they can but you can feel the low morale. Packets upon packets of homework that have little value other other than busy work.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2024

Hands down one of the best schools around if your family values academic rigor along with critical thinking with how the world works. The IB curriculum is a solid A+ and we are a family of high achievers who came from another IB school across the world and have also experienced other private schools on the Eastside as well. BCA taught my daughter responsibility and accountability. She built academic stamina and developed confidence in herself. Teachers are incredibly supportive and provide a ton of feedback on homework and tests. Yes, there’s a lot of both which can be overwhelming but that’s how they develop time management and study skills. Math is particularly rigorous. Your kid will blow standardized tests out of the water. You will succeed here if you are an engaged parent and work with the teachers when your kid is struggling in an area. You will not succeed if you expect the school to do everything. It needs to be a real partnership. Your kid needs to work hard with the support of parents and teachers. They also do a school musical and have many enrichment classes. Though it is academically rigorous, my daughter found it fun as well. Lastly, her peers were well behaved and respectful. They helped each other a lot in group work and had lots of presentations. We didn’t experience any bullying at all. BCA is a truly a great school!
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2024

I'm so glad that we chose BCA a year ago and here's why:1) I see my son's remarkable progress in Math. Thanks to the engaging curriculum and teacher helps kids to build a solid foundation. Learning is fun. Each kids has their personalized math journal books.2) Presentation skills have blossomed, with lots of opportunities to present in front of peers. Each child seeks the spotlight, showcasing their ideas with confidence.3) The peer groups are exceptional, with students excelling in various fields like ice hockey, chess, dance, art performance, etc.4) The school culture fosters a sense of inclusivity and compassion, emphasizing that everyone is a winner. My son's desire to raise funds for street kids reflects the school's values of community contribution.Special thanks to Mrs. Wilson, our classroom teacher. Not only myself but I've heard from several other parents in this class mention how much the kids love her.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2024

We have been with BCA since our child was in Pre-K. BCA is one of the best elementary private schools in the area. They ensure all round development of the child. The staff and teachers are very supportive and work in great partnership with the parents to bring out the best in the kids. Our child went to the satellite, BCA1 and BCA2 campuses, the head of schools for all these campuses are great educators. All the teachers know the kids by their names and my child has really blossomed from the experience they had at BCA.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2024

I totally regret sending my kid to this school. While some of the teachers (music, art) are very good, vast majority offer downright vile toxicity to the kids and parents. We were hoping new grade, new teacher would change things - but it has gotten order of magnitude worse. Expect to be told things like "in my x years of experience, no kid behaves like this" -- right from the 2nd week of school. This is for making silly faces & such. From 6-8 year olds. Learning here is a total solo endeavor, and it is largely on parents to help their kids actually learn. The school seems like a place to go get tormented and get complaining emails from. To make it worse, parents aren't even equipped to help their kids - for instance, in their 25 page homework, they add in pages of worksheets on topics they haven't even covered in class yet. And, guess what - those pages aren't even marked as such. Parents & kids are left to their own elements wondering what to do of those.Really - avoid this school like the plague. I cannot imagine a worse and more toxic environment for little ones to deal with.
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2024

The school is expanding rapidly, reflecting the growing demand for private school education in the area. Unfortunately, the school is being poorly managed from both administrative and educational perspectives. The teacher turnover rate is astonishing; we didn't know who would be the leading teacher three weeks into the semester. Additionally, there is a pervasive feeling that the teachers are neither happy nor motivated. While my child seemed happy during her short stay there, it's worth noting that she generally enjoys any environment. It appears that the person in charge is primarily focused on profit rather than the quality of education.
Submitted by parent on September 29, 2023

My kid making the switch to public school this year? Huge deal! She's going on and on about how amazing her learning experience is now. And her new teacher? Total rockstar! Way more experienced, super helpful, and patient, especially compared to those BCA teachers. I can see my kid getting more into all the subjects she's learning.Back at BCA, my kid used to feel pretty down because the teachers there weren't big on helping out. They'd even throw shade her way, saying she wasn't paying enough attention. But at her new school, she's feeling the love and getting the support she needs for her school journey. It's a whole different vibe.
Submitted by parent on April 02, 2023

My kid joined the new preschool program in September 2022. The school is inexperienced in this junior program. It started with the 'no license' issue. Many families decided to leave this place, which was a wise option. The kids in this program could not experience healthy study and play environments. Most parents came from its old reputation and would end with disappointments. Generally, it harms kids' growth. Quality daycare or other schools could do better than here. It is not wise to spend money on this school.Safety: The school cannot handle the kids' safety which is the biggest concern. Due to a lack of resources, the kids may have conflicts and get hurt more often than in other places. In addition, the school cannot provide more helpful explanations. Most of the time, the school would push back on parents or blame kids, which generates a more tough environment for kids to study.Facilities: The school has generated many barriers and unnecessary disciplines, making the young kids like to be in jail. There is only one kid's bathroom for the whole floor. The kids must go to the toilet and wash their hands in a line. Every day kids must spend most of their time walking to the backyard, a long distance, and overcome those facilities' barriers. Kids spend little time on study or play. Most of the kids are unhappy with being in line all the time. Teaching: The majority of teachers are exhausted from their teaching tasks. The teachers are not qualified, well-paid, or lack resources. So there is little care for kids' emotional needs or if the kids could gain the actual knowledge.
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2023

I wish I could give it a zero. Teachers cannot take their students' concerns seriously when they express feeling anxious or sad.Staff members disciplined children for expressing their emotions rather than helping them learn to regulate their emotions healthily.A lack of resources or support for children who struggle with mental health issues or emotional regulation. This has happened many times, especially from Kindergarten & First Grade. The school teachers or directors would often use sentences like "In my past 20 years, I have never seen this and that" to talk with parents, which shows their poor abilities to handle the cases. They intentionally put those pressure on parents instead of listening to parents feedback.
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2023

I regret to send my kid to this school. The teaching style is not very acceptable for young kids and not up-to-date. The school doesn’t have experience to teach from P-school to primary education. The school focus disciplines which intend to guide your children to all the opposite directions to kill their natural mindsets. The encouraging innovation and creativities is a joke. Basically this is not a school but a business where they only consider how to take easy money from parents. Please think carefully to send your kids here.
Submitted by parent on September 01, 2022

New campus is UNLICENSED. No playground, toilets are outside of classroom and adult sized for preschool and preK kids.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2022

A very academically strong school. Whatever school you go to after this one you’ll always find your child being ahead. Great teachers, challenging curriculum and clever kids! Highly recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2021

This is the most unorganized school I have ever seen. Teachers are quitting left and right. My kids come home from school everyday to let me know that AGAIN they have a new teacher or that they had a substitute all week. It all boils down to bad leadership... If you want your kids to be in a hectic learning environment, this is the perfect school for you!
Submitted by parent on May 28, 2020

This review is for Willows Preparatory School which is the sister school of BCA. I have removed my child from Willows Preparatory School and would not recommend this school. This school has made so many bad choices this year and has taken so many steps backwards. It is the lack of transparency from the leadership and the sneakiness of it that do not make it a healthy learning environment. The teachers are not treated with respect by the leadership and they do not have competent staff in leadership that can support the school. There are many more schools with better learning environments and personnel on the Eastside, including public schools with gifted programs. Parent feedback is not taken seriously or handled appropriately.
Submitted by teacher on April 24, 2020

I rate my experience at this school between 4.5-5 stars.
Submitted by parent on October 27, 2018

I am not a fan of this school and I can't wait to get my kid out.