Berkwood Hedge

1809 Bancroft Way

Berkeley, CA 94703

29 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-5
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 08, 2024

I have been (delightfully) surprised at just how good, wise, and skilled the educators at Berkwood Hedge are and how much they "walk the walk" of progressive education. I work in a field adjacent to progressive education/pedagogy and to say that progressive education is important to me is a ridiculous understatement. That my kid is a quirky, sensitive white boy (of queer parents) that "marches to the beat of his own drum" means that a learning environment deeply committed to progressive educational practices is the only one where he can really thrive. (My son is now in his second year at Berkwood Hedge). What I have witnessed is teachers offering differentiated, experiential learning; flexibility and creativity in approaching learning differences; engaging and innovative curriculum; amazing explicit social-emotional lessons that I see my son utilizing regularly. And you know what really amazes me? The cultural norm in the school of kindness, compassion, and support. While picking up my now first grader from after-care, he was sitting at a table drawing something and another student at the table (a year older) said to him something like "really nice writing." (FYI: handwriting is NOT my kiddo's strongest-suit). It is a small enough school with enough adults around to support children navigating the complexities of recess/unstructured time--the times where such juicy and rich learning can occur if there is enough scaffolding for it. And their restorative justice approach directed by Silver Samuels? Many places will say they do restorative justice but don't or do it pretty poorly (and it is time and relationship intensive to do!). They really actually do restorative justice at Berkwood Hedge. As the parent that does most of the picks-ups, drops-offs, and volunteer hours, I am around enough to directly observe the school at work. No place is perfect-- for example, BH does not have the administrative heft to ensure always timely (non-essential) communications. You might not hear about an event as early as you might like or you might find a billing error on occasion. But the education and moral-emotional formation that happens at the school? The wisdom and skill of the educators? As I hear from other parents about other historically progressive schools in the area that are scaling back in their commitment to educational progressivism, I am delighted to have a found a place that is doing education in a way I wish all children got to experience
Submitted by parent on September 08, 2022

New family at BH last year and we have found it to be an AMAZING environment for learning and community. The teachers care so much about the kids and are so attentive and dynamic. They have expanded the library and added a tinkering lab which our child loves so far. Forest Day is a highlight as well - Our kids are thriving.
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2022

Our time at Berkwood Hedge was mixed: Over 1.5 years I observed the following:The communal rituals (Community Meeting, Honoring) are beautiful and provide many feels and model positive practices for the children. The art, music, dance, drumming, imaginative play and restorative justice programs are great, owing in each case to a single, gifted teacher.The academics are spotty and uneven, as are the classroom best practices.My child's class cohort had a toxic social dynamic and the school's response was impressive and pretty effective but also came too late and failed to adequately address root causes.I know families who are having a dreamy experience at BH and also many who are deeply disappointed. It's not for everyone. As for academic differentiation and ability with special learning needs, it's not a given that the school will be able to meet your child's needs. The school was not equipped to handle my child's learning differences and they suffered for the lack of expertise and lack of academic intervention resources. The classroom experience was alternately permissive and tightly run, neither of which quite provided the consistency of clear behavioral expectations and guidance that is truly required and which allowed a negative social and learning environment to flourish.I would make sure this is a good fit for your child and your family when investigating. Feel free to message me privately if you have questions.
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2022

Our family is in our 4th year with Berkwood Hedge. We are very involved parents who are so very glad to have found this school community, have been consistently happy with our Berkwood Hedge experience, and find that our child is thriving. We want to share our very positive experience with Berkwood Hedge. Our daughter experienced multiple losses on top of Covid related stress, and developed high anxiety and motor tics. Because of the loving response of her school community, along with the thoughtful and carefully structured re-opening of BH in October of 2020, she is thriving. Her teachers and assistant teachers, along with Love (HoS) were always available to offer supportive input and care to address her (and our families) needs. As a therapist, I have insight into the socio-emotional needs of kids, and can say with confidence, that our child feels held and emotionally supported as a result of the care and attention she has received. We see this as an essential fundament for effective learning. She is a natural artist and musician, and feels supported in her passions. She is excited about science and math- and even feels inspired to get artistically creative with her mathematics. She is a prolific writer, her stories infused with true friendships and narratives shared by Walker, the resident story teller, and Silver Morningstar, a truly magical staff who is known to engage the children in imaginative play based character development. She frequents the restorative justice corner at school to talk with staff and peers, and create her own comics addressing adventurous, complex and sometimes difficult peer and family dynamics. Although often reserved about her emotions related to family losses, she welcomed and felt held by Love's caring attention. Her classmates describe her as focused and thoughtful in class, and a compassionate and funny friend on the school yard. She is making friends for life, as are we. We are looking forward to many more years at Berkwood Hedge and are excited for upcoming community events!
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2022

I want to start by saying that no one asked me to write this review. I am writing this because I hope to reach families who may be looking for a solution for a child that is struggling through their school experience. This is our second year at Berkwood Hedge School (BHS) and I can't express how grateful we are to have found this school. We are a family of color and had serious misgivings about sending our child to a school that didn't have a large student/family of color population. We were also wary of local public schools because we did not believe that the administration and faculty would commit the resources that our child, who is bright and a neurodiverse learner, would need to enjoy and successfully navigate school. Our child did not start at BHS. By the time that we decided to try BHS, we had been through two other independent schools, our child had no trust in educators, no confidence as a learner and hated going to school. One of the schools totally disregarded our pleas to investigate the teaching methods of our child's teacher until after we pulled our child out of the school so we know what it's like to be ignored and I am sorry for anyone who feels that they have had that experience. I was inspired to write this review because our child came to us last week to let us know how much she loves school. She loves her teacher, she feels loved, respected and seen by the staff and other teachers, and, our entire family feels embraced and respected by the BHS community. Those things are true because of the people who have chosen to be apart of the BHS community and because of the leadership of the Head of School-Love Weinstock. As a person who heads up a mid-sized organization, I know how outrageously difficult it has been to steer an organization through the last two years of this awful pandemic. Love and the team of administrators and teachers have done it with grace and love. It is clear to me that they love the school, they love what they are doing and all of the children and families are important to them. There are still challenges related to being a little short-staffed and maintaining faculty that are the right fit but, over the two years that we've been at the school, we've seen steady improvement and our child is thriving. Our child is doing very well academically and, most importantly, our child knows themselves to be a bright, creative, talented child of color embraced by the BHS school community!
Submitted by parent on March 31, 2022

My son has attended Berkwood Hedge for the past two years.The short version of this review will be that this institution has provided a phenomenal experience for my boy, transforming him from a friendly if somewhat shy and awkward child into an outgoing, vivacious, curious person with a wonderful and supportive community of friends that he has made during his time there. I can't say enough positive things about the caring environment provided by his teachers. If you want more detail, please read on.The learning at Berkwood is customized to who he is as a person and the support is tremendous. This is not an assembly line school where supplemental education support is doled out to only those who need is truly great. He gets learning assistance from Berkwood that he would not receive in the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD). We also take comfort in the fact that during the pandemic Berkwood , in distinction to what was done in the BUSD, prioritized in person education at the earliest possible opportunity for the youngest possible learners. These children and the lowest risk of COVID transmission and had the most to lose from being stuck on "zoom school" for early elementary school education. I give Berkwood and similar schools a lot of credit for doing what was right for the youngest learners even when we were scared and there were things we were not sure about...this is what true commitment to kids looks like.My praise for Berkwood comes in part from my experience at another school, which shall remain nameless, that my son briefly attended. This school was not a great fit, and while I am unhappy with how that went down I also recognize that the issue is the right school for my son, not of some intrinsic flaw with the other school itself. I certainly have no desire to attack this other school in an effort to undermine what is for many other families a great learning institution just because it did not work for mine.Is Berkwood Hedge perfect? No. Is it the Devil? Also no. In the year 2022 we should all be savvy enough to recognize that several 1 star reviews do not indicate some fatal flaw any more than universal 5 star reviews indicate that a place is perfect. My advice is to look into Berkwood Hedge yourself; ask the hard questions about what you have heard or read. See what positives they can offer. And then make your own decision on what is right. Don't let online reviews make decisions for your children.
Submitted by parent on March 20, 2022

I realize most people are reading the negative reviews about one bad teacher who is no longer there, but I cannot say enough good things about this school and feel like it’s necessary to combat any negative misconceptions out there. We joined in the pandemic and from Day 1 noticed that this school took special interest in our child in a way his prior (also independent school) did not. They have loved him and his strengths and weaknesses and helped him develop in a way i could not imagine. I thought it was maybe just us who were so lucky, but when i mentioned to a local education specialist about this, she told me that BH loves ALL their students like this. She said its the best school in the bay area. Every student is an individual, their strengths celebrated and their challenges addressed, and not seen as weaknesses. I cant imagine what our educational journey would be without this school. The community is tight, the parents all really do care for each other. Many are like me and thought their kids would be in public school but realized thats not the right thing for every child, as much as I wish it were. I sincerely hope anyone considering this school gives it a chance. Its so worth it.
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2022

We've been parents at Berkwood Hedge School for the past 16 years. Four of our children have graduated from the school, with one more child continuing to matriculate. All our kids started at kindergarten. My spouse and have been heavily involved in the school life over the years. We've been part of the major leadership change in 2012, participated in the school's strategic planning process, and have experienced changes in both faculty and administration. We cannot express how integral BHS has been in our children's lives and our lives as parents.Berkwood Hedge offers not only an extraordinary hands-on, inquisitive education but its teachers and staff hold the students with such care, love, and compassion that students are truly seen and heard. Do students experience hardship, conflict at school? Yes and absolutely as they naturally will! What's distinct about a child's experience at BHS is that they have a community of adults who expertly guide the child through these challenges with deep empathy, compassion, and grace. The restorative justice model of conflict is alive and well at Berkwood Hedge, even before "restorative justice" became more widely known. Teachers and faculty at Berkwood Hedge truly understand childhood development, all the ups and downs and the resilience needed for children to navigate the world outside the school's gates.What we've deeply appreciated just as much as the social-emotional foundation nourished at BHS is the parental support provided by the teachers and staff. As parents of five with different temperaments and needs, we've learned to become better parents to our children. We've had productive conversations with all our kids' teachers about how we can better support our kids at home as students and as human beings. Sometimes, conversation are tough to hear, but we know and trust that the teachers and staff always prioritize our kids' well-being foremost and want to partner with us as much as possible through open dialogue.Academically, Berkwood Hedge has been amazing for all our children. Our four older children all attended different middle schools (BHS had no middle school then) and had very little difficulty transitioning to middle school work. BHS absolutely excels in its writing and reading program; it's extremely iterative, rigorous, and well supported. Ditto for math and science! Worksheet are _not_ the norm, rather the STEM program is heavily hands-on and self-directed. Lots of writing and inquiry, YES!
Submitted by parent on March 04, 2022

I would not recommend Berkwood Hedge. Our daughter did not feel safe there due to so many behavior issues. When parents brought the issues to the attention of the administration, the response was not effective or consistent. I think the school tries to foster kindness through certain practices (e.g. honoring each other at community time), but there was a lot of teasing and boundary breaching at the student level. I can see the difference in my daughter's current school (Aurora School in Oakland); when there is strong leadership and clear behavioral expectations, kindness and community flow more authentically.
Submitted by parent on February 24, 2022

Wowowow has it been a doozy of a year (or 2 and 1/2 years)! I honestly do not know where my child and our family would be without the amazing teachers, administration, and staff at Berkwood Hedge. My now 9-year-old daughter has been going here since first grade. She's highly sensitive and empathic, so group experiences can be challenging. However, thanks to the skill and support those at the school, she has really blossomed into an emotionally intelligent person who freely advocates for herself and others. This school fosters students' unique gifts, and encourages them to tackle important issues (i.e. climate change, racial justice, gender equality, etc.) using projects to ignite their passions for creating a better world. At the beginning of COVID I sent my only child to school because of the careful, thoughtful, meticulous way in which Berkwood Hedge was handling in-person learning. This was scary for all involved, but there was a particular weight to it for our family because I had been newly diagnosed with breast cancer and was dealing with a compromised immune system. But thanks to the school's COVID task force, I felt my child was as safe as humanly possible, and therefore, so was I. As a mental health professional, emotional safety is very important to me. I feel as though Berkwood Hedge has been an incredibly safe environment for my daughter and the other kids in her class--at least that's what I can gauge from speaking with other parents about their experience of the school. Whenever there's an issue between kids, teachers have helped to bring about reconciliation. If an issue has somehow flown below the teacher's radar, I have been thanked and appreciated for bringing it to light so it can be dealt with either in a one-on-one conversation or in a restorative justice circle. As for academics, I really appreciate the school's Socratic- and project-based approaches to learning . As a result, my daughter is becoming a real critical thinker who can make a sound argument, as well as a person who will grow up learning to approach the world's problems with curiosity and an all-hands-on-deck attitude. My husband is a public school teacher (high school) and has been consistently impressed by the balance between academic support and whole child development at Berkwood Hedge. I hope this is helpful. Good luck on your school search!
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2022

I am very happy to read so many positive reviews of BH. I really wished this was the case for our family but our short time at BH was nothing but a huge disappointment. Our family was excited to transition her there because of the promise of academic differentiation and their constructivist approach. When our family signed the contract and paid the tuition we never imagined that we would have to pull her out of school after the first five weeks of school. Some of this was due to the teacher’s lack of instructional control that impacted her ability to teach the curriculum. When my daughter finally brought classwork home I was shocked how behind it was compared to the local public schools. She constantly complained that she was not learning anything and was bored. There was little socioemotional learning going on as well. Children were taught to fend for themselves and solve their own problems, which caused high incidents of bullying and some physical altercations. Although my daughter was not directly targeted it was stressful for her to hear constant name-calling and put-downs, especially when it was targeted at her friends. I took her out because I felt Berkwood Hedge was not healthy for her well-being and the poor academics did not justify the high tuition. I also felt the head of school blamed students and the ongoing Covid pandemic instead of focusing on what their real needs were and why these needs were not getting met. All behavior is a form of communication and this was ignored by the admin. Instead, they pushed out children who needed extra support and guidance. As a longtime psychologist for a sizeable school district and someone who has consulted in multiple schools all over the bay area I acknowledge that the Covid pandemic has significant impacts on education and children BUT the significant behavioral issues I saw here were due to a permissive environment that lacked the consistent reinforcement of rules/boundaries, did not teach positive behaviors, and lacked supervision in unstructured environments. There were also several children that needed additional services that the school does not provide. Our family also felt little support from the head of school, which was disappointing because besides being a new family to their school community we were also one of the very few families of color in the entire class. I asked her twice if we could schedule a quick call about my concerns and she never made the time.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2022

I'm a current parent and I simply just love my experience at this school. Our kid used to be a super shy and emotionally sensitive kid. We have received so much social-emotional coaching with love since my kid's K year. The pandemic has taken a toll on all of us. The school didn't let us down. During a short period of the at-home-learning at the beginning of the pandemic, every kid was given an individual iPad preloaded with learning software, all paid by the school. Each kid also received a bundle of textbooks, musical instruments and art materials for their daily work. Full day online classes were scheduled 5 days a week and our kid was well occupied and taught. The teacher even scheduled in-person visits to each family to check in with the kids. Soon later, upon the permit for private schools to open, the school effectively applied a set of measures to ensure children's safety. Our kid didn't get sick at all, she feels safe and we do too. When we were searching for a suitable elementary school for our kid, our focus was on the social-emotional learning, a loving and well-diversified community. On top of that, of course, solid academic foundation. So far we are very happy with what we see. The teachers are very cool and loving. The kids were taught ways to recognize their feelings, and were given many tools to deal with negative feelings. They have also learned to empathize with other people's feelings, to articulate and resolve conflicts in respectful ways. In meditation and yoga workshops. the kids were taught to love themselves, to appreciate nature, community and to find inner balance and peace. My kid is also doing very well academically. She learned reading from phonics at the school and had already made it to the level of chapter books after one year. For math, she was taught the formation of a number and had been having fun applying the math theories in multiple games. As a family of color, we especially appreciate the diversity and culture awareness in this school. The community welcomes families from different backgrounds and skin colors. we are all encouraged to share our culture and languages. It takes a big heart and a lot of effort to bring together different people, i'm thankful that the school has taught my kid what inclusion truly means.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2022

I don't know what's going on with the flood of negative reviews, but my daughter is in her second year of school at Berkwood Hedge and we've been really pleased with the education she's receiving there. The teachers are very attentive to the students' needs, and there seems to be a nearly endless array of awesome guest speakers and special activities the students get to benefit from. This is a small, intimate school; every adult knows every child, and acts with the mentality that "it takes a village to raise a child." Special props should also go to the amazing music and art teachers, as well as the resident storyteller.For what it's worth, I think the school's Covid response has been totally reasonable given the difficult circumstances.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2022

Another current parent here. I find it comical how some parents mentioned how well Berkwood Hedge responded to COVID-19 but the truth is they only started Covid testing last month! Totally absurd given the amount of tuition we pay. Other schools such as Park Day, the Berkeley School, and BUSD have offered weekly testing from the first week of school. St. Pauls even offers weekly PCR testing. We have two children at this school and as another parent mentioned, the school experience of our two children has been the polar opposite. Overall, this year has been incredibly stressful for our family. The head of school will happily walk you around the block but does not offer any concrete guidance on ongoing challenges in the classroom. There are many wonderful families and staff at Berkwood but the issues here are so severe that our family has also decided to apply to other schools in the fall. Just remember that there is only ONE class per grade so if your child does not “click” with their cohort or their teacher then your child is just out of luck. As a current parent, I also know firsthand that the admin specifically asked parents to write “positive” reviews. If you look at the review history the last positive reviews for this school were submitted over 7 years ago. Admin must be really worried about enrollment if they are pushing for reviews.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2022

We have two children at Berkwood Hedge. We started there this fall after struggling with the public school system during Covid. We have been very happy with the school so far and highly recommend it. It is an incredibly warm environment and we felt welcomed from the very beginning. Transitions are not easy and coming in as a new family was a little scary for all of us. But the teachers, staff, and parent community at the school really extended themselves and brought us in. We feel that both our children are thriving. They are truly valued, cared for, and known at this school. It feels like a safe, nurturing, and contained environment which is exactly what we wanted for our young kids. Creativity is fostered and difference is valued. The teachers have been exceptional. We have been blown away by how communicative the teachers are. They initiate reaching out to us and are genuinely interested in how are children are doing and they are available to be thought partners with us. Having been in the public school system with our older child, the curriculum at Berkwood Hedge is far more engaging and creative. Our child was "flying under the radar" in public school but at Berkwood Hedge they have been proactive about providing additional support where needed. Deciding to leave public school was a very tortured decision for our family and we really struggled with it. Having now been at Berkwood Hedge since the fall we feel very good about the decision to transfer and feel confident in the education and care our children are receiving.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2022

We started at Berkwood Hedge last fall after being in the public school system for three years. We thought we would never be private school people but toured a few in the area given all the challenges COVID was presenting. Berkwood Hedge was our favorite for a few reasons. We always felt welcomed and heard, and the teachers were so transparent with their methods. The kindergarten came with high expectations and they were met. Our child is seen and welcomed each day and they are progressing in their academic growth beyond our expectations. Our older child is now thriving as well. The 3rd grade teacher is amazing. Engaged, responsive, tireless, and kind. Administration is also available which is unique I think. The after school program is beyond compare and includes yoga, theater, sports, music, role-playing games (Equinox!) and a host of other programs to broaden our kids interest. Rolling skating on Wednesdays too. We feel lucky to have found this school as it flies under the radar but are our kids are so so happy and are curious about the world and excited about school.
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2022

Our child has been at Berkwood Hedge for three years, and it's been a very nurturing and personalized learning experience and I have also found it to be a warm community for parents. The teacher/student ratio is very favorable and our child has received a great deal of individualized instruction. It has always felt like his teachers really knew him and could appreciate his strengths and the areas where he needed more support or growth. We recently got progress reports for the year and it reminded me how much I appreciate the progress reports at our school -- they are so detailed and thoughtful and evaluate both academic and social-emotional skills in ways that feel like they can really help you support your child more, rather than just being labels. There isn't a lot of homework in the early grades and our child's current teacher emphasized that in general they work hard during class in order to be able to rest and restore at home; when there is homework, it feels meaningful like a specific project or it's flexible like being able to read books at the appropriate reading level of the child's own choosing and then journal about them so you can reflect on them later in class. The extracurriculars here are fantastic, especially the art classes which involve really cool projects like ceramics, bookmaking, and printing, and the music classes which my child enjoys so much that we end up singing the songs at home. I am also happy with how the school has responded to COVID-19. They have dedicated two staff members as COVID liaisons who stay up-to-date with policy information and they also compiled a detailed parent handbook specifically about pandemic precautions. I had concerns at first because the physical space of the lower school campus is not that large compared to some schools, but they use it very thoughtfully by dividing it up into zones for different types of activities and moving around a lot and that part has actually been fine. Even after several years, my child still enjoys the playground and outdoor areas and doesn't want to leave at pick up time. We are satisfied with Berkwood Hedge and recommend it to friends looking for schools for their kids.
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2022

This our second full year at Berkwood Hedge. Our daughter feels safe and cared for in this wonderfully nurturing environment, and we, as parents, have been able to send her to school with confidence during the pandemic. The staff and teachers all harmonize around creating a stimulating learning environment and giving kids the space they need to explore. They are also experts in social-emotional learning, which we find crucially important during these stressful times. Kids are known and loved, and their problems and challenges are taken seriously and attended to with thoughtfulness and care. There are many opportunities for parents to communicate with teachers and staff, and the administration has an open channel for discussing concerns. We feel very fortunate to be in this wonderful community.
Submitted by parent on February 09, 2022

Current parent here. Sadly, Berkwood Hedge isn't the school it once was for us. Experiences here have become quite uneven, depending on grade level, with seemingly no room for improvement for those in the unlucky grades. While we once loved it here, we've applied elsewhere for next year. We used to rant and rave about this school, but alas, no more.
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2022

If you want a school with extracurriculars, a small class size, and a concrete yard for your child to play in then this your school. If you want a school geared toward academics, strong leadership, and solid Covid protocols the please look elsewhere. Communication at this school is best described as defensiveness with a lack of transparency. There is a lack of regard for students' safety (physical and mental) that I can support with documentation. The turnover is high that it makes people wonder what is going on. At lease three staff members left during his school year and multiple well-loved staff left the year before. I do not recommend this school.