Charles Armstrong School

1405 Solana Drive

Belmont, CA 94002

24 Reviews

School District
Grade

2-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 15, 2024

This school is the best thing for our son. We love it. He was able to learn and helped in his confidence. The teachers were all so great. This year he loved being part of the flag football and last year he was able to excel in mountain biking class. Overall our experience was great!! Would totally recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on May 23, 2023

The lower school 2nd-5th is strong at Armstrong. Middle school has not been a great experience. Had the pandemic not happened, we would have transitioned our student out after 5th grade. Community engagement at this school is difficult because students come from all over to attend school. There are students from SF, the peninsula, east bay and South Bay. Communication from the school has been limited this year compared to past years. There is bullying but the school tries to keep everything hidden. The pandemic brought many challenges to schools and students. Armstrong has very little support for students who struggled. There is no middle school counselor. We are happy to be moving on.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2023

We sent our son to Charles Armstrong for grades 4th - 8th. Overall, this school places great emphasis on executive function and traditional academics and minimal emphasis on enriching extra-curricular activities from sports to clubs and labs, or collaborative project work where kids' true passions often emerge. Our biggest frustration as parents has been the excessive homework load. It seems as if too little material is covered during class time, leaving kids with an abundance of assignments for each class that they must complete independently. It is not unusual for kids to have as many as four or five outstanding assignments per class, with many due on Sunday evening, forcing the children to forfeit family and weekend time (not to mention sports or other enriching activities). Not surprisingly, Charles Armstrong's emphasis on executive function, homework and independent study results in excess stress, as it is difficult for many students to keep up and the additional assignments keep piling up. While the teachers offer accommodations, the teaching philosophy detracts from the intellectual endeavor of learning, leaving the kids feeling more frustrated, not more confident or intellectually engaged. They are just checking boxes, not fully applying themselves. We are not the only parents to have experienced these challenges. It is widely perceived and also reflected in the culture of the school.
Submitted by parent on June 24, 2022

I think this school has well meaning faculty that want to help dyslexic kids but the admissions staff are aggressive. They seemed to care more about “selling” us a product than assisting our family in navigating a learning difference. At times I felt like the tactics employed were similar to a time share or used car saleman, ie “sign up now or within 24 hours your place will be gone and your child will never have this opportunity again, and oh yes- pay ASAP or miss out.” Once they get your money, communication drops off.I feel the admission staff prey upon and exploit the fears that parents of dyslexic parents harbor.If they could tweak their admissions process, I think it would do the school more credit.
Submitted by parent on September 17, 2021

It is hard to give Charles Armstrong such a poor review. We came to this school with such high hopes, only to meet conflict at every turn. Academically Charles Armstrong did help our child with reading and writing. But their science and math programs are really lacking behind the public schools. As far as social-emotional support, Amstrong does not offer any, my child was even bullied by some of the teachers.
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2021

Charles Armstrong School is a life changer for our dyslexic daughter. Completely changed the trajectory of her education! We are so impressed with the school, teachers, admin, and COMMUNICATION!
Submitted by parent on October 17, 2019

Sending my son to Charles Armstrong has hands down been one of the best decisions we have made as parents. He has been there for years and is a confident, happy, self-motivated, diligent student who loves school. I cannot imagine what school would be like if we hadn't found Charles Armstrong.
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2019

This school changed the course of my child’s life academically and in every other way. I will be forever grateful for this school and it’s wonderful teachers.
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2019

My daughter went to CAS at 5th grade and became more confident and happier. She has developed a lot of executive functioning skills that are so helpful to her future studies. We are very happy to make the switch. Since she struggles much less, parent-daughter relationship has also been greatly improved as a result.
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2019

AMAZING! Our time at Armstrong was a game-changer!
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2019

Excellent! If you child is having trouble reading have them tested as early as possible. If they have dyslexia, Armstrong is the best school for this in the broader Bay area. It draws students from SF to Los Gatos and the east bay.
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2019

My daughter attended Armstrong from 2nd- 8th grade. This is her first year in High school in the bay area and she is doing great. The skills she learned at Armstrong provide her with the confidence and tools to attack any assignment. She also has a strong bonds with her Armstrong family that will last a life time, she still talks to many of friend and teachers. She is not ashamed that she learns differently and knows when to ask for help. I credit Armstrong for her confidence and resiliency. The teachers know what they are doing, they are very passionate about their job and really love the kids.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2019

This school teaches kids go-arounds and does not teach reading and writing. If you have a dyslexic child and you want them to learn to read or write send them somewhere else. If you want your kid to feel better about their dyslexia and learn how to use an iPad as a crutch and listen to a book rather than learn to read it this is your place.
Submitted by parent on August 11, 2019

I highly recommend this school for any students with dyslexia. The leadership, teachers and administration are all amazing. The school is focused on academics, self advocacy, strengths, creativity, emotional support and more.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2019

Disappointing. Admissions told su that the school does accommodate differences in learning and accommodates strengths academically with advanced educational opportunities. This is not true. There are fundamental aspects of education that are missing. Emphasis is on building confidence in the absence of substance.
Submitted by student on April 23, 2019

Excellent! It has really helped me grow and meet new people.
Submitted by parent on September 04, 2018

Armstrong is truly a special place. We feel so very fortunate that it is a school that we can access. I have a non-dyslexic child and a dyslexic one. I have been at public and private schools. I considered mainstreaming my son last year and leaving Armstrong. But in the end, I knew Armstrong was going to continue giving him the strategies, self-reliance, and self-esteem that will take him thru high school and college. It is such an unbelievable gift to be at a school where everybody "gets it." You just have to go in with the right attitude and expectations. No school was going to make my child read like a non-dyslexic. Because he is severely dyslexic!! But this school has set my child up to succeed in life as a severe dyslexic. And that is our end goal!
Submitted by parent on July 13, 2018

Our child came to CAS after losing self confidence because of her learning disability. She’s back to her old self. We credit her wonderful teachers, the support staff and leadership.
Submitted by parent on June 05, 2018

Glad to leave after 5 years. New admin with no wait list. A first in 5 years. Not worth the cost and nickel and dining with speech and tutoring extras. Find a tutor, a more effective approach. Many parents of boys like this school because of low academic demands pot aide of school. Children are not at grade level at year end. Older parents.
Submitted by parent on March 29, 2015

For parents who are wondering, "How can I help my dyslexic child?" CAS offers some excellent, research-based solutions. While there is no single solution for a child with a gift like dyslexia, CAS may provide the right experience for many students. Just remember, every child is unique and has their own way of learning. When I attended the information session, I recognized the desperation in other parents, wondering if this might be the solution we had been waiting for. When I realized the cost of the tuition, and the distance we would need to travel, I knew I had to find a way to try this before fully committing. The summer camp program was the perfect test drive for us. It allowed our family to try out the school, without the investment of a full year of tuition and major lifestyle change that would come with the daily commute. Instead, we hired a family member on break from college to drive her to summer school. As an added bonus, I received a parent/teacher conference at the end of the summer session. The experience empowered me to go back to our neighborhood school with a list of adaptations for them to implement at the beginning of the next school year. Thank you, CAS!