The Quarry Lane School

6363 Tassajara Road

Dublin, CA 94568

35 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 09, 2024

Our experience at Quarry Lane has been great so far. This is our second year with two children, one in middle and one in high school. We couldn't be happier with our choice in transferring over to QL after our previous school. Our kids get a lot of support from their teachers and are always available during their office hours to offer help which my kids have taken advantage of. This has been one of the biggest differences and advantages from our other school experience. I feel like the teachers really want their students to learn and succeed, while not sacrificing their mental health and balancing other activities and classes. Anytime my kids or I have reached out, we've received supportive, positive responses that make a huge difference to kids. It's true that the academic rigor is high but there is a lot of support and resources so that kids don't feel too overwhelmed. I'm not sure what the previous reviewer was referring to when they mentioned no library, science labs, or lunch room.. To my knowledge, the school has all of these available (perhaps minus an elementary school library) which are actually quite nice.. Overall, we are very satisfied and are happy to recommend QL and feel that the investment has been worth it.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2024

Quarry Lane School has not met our expectations. While it's one of the few private school options in the Tri-Valley area, it seems overrated. We won't expect the service from the school where we are paying $40K. Here are the things we came to know after the admission:No Library: Surprisingly, there is no library, which is disappointing for a school of this caliber.Lack of Science Lab: There is no dedicated science lab. Instead, teachers perform practical experiments at their desks, limiting students' hands-on learning.Teacher Shortage: Due to a shortage of teachers, classes are not held for all subjects throughout the week. This was not disclosed before enrollment and has significantly impacted the learning experience. They have alternate days of classes per subject.Homeroom Class: The school requires students to attend homeroom in the morning and after lunch. This time feels unproductive and could be better utilized for academic activities or other meaningful engagements.Academic Gaps: While the math program seems strong, students appear to be falling behind in other subjects, which concerns their overall educational development.Physical education: PE is part of the elective subject, not a year-long activity.No Dedicated Lunch Room: The school lacks a proper lunch room, and students have to eat in the gym, which is far from ideal.We are regretting by sending our child to QLS.
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2024

Quarry Lane has been a part of our family for quite a while and we've been very pleased with our experience. They really seem to cater to students' interests and needs in terms of programs, clubs, sports, and extracurriculars. I've seen this area grow and shift quite a bit over the years as students become interested in various areas or petition for a new club or sport. In our experience, the administration has been very responsive and supportive to make these initiatives happen. They started a middle school cheer team, offered new clubs, started a swim team, developed a theater production, hosted new events from student clubs, etc. They're still well-known for their academics program (which I agree with a past review - is rigorous, but well worth it), robotics, speech, and the IB program, but I've been pleased to see them expand and invest in programs that cater to different interests. I can only speak for our experience, but I have found the school pretty open, transparent, and of course, proud to share their college matriculation data. It was made easily available to me, and I believe it is also posted on their website (you can see where students were accepted and matriculated to for the past few years). Obviously, it doesn't show individual student college data, I'm not sure any school shares that. For a relatively small school, it's pretty impressive and I can see why they'd want to publicize that. They have a very small student to counselor ratio, comparatively speaking with other local schools. So,it seems like students get a lot of support in achieving college acceptance. I've told our friends about the school's college acceptance data, even though my kids aren't at that age yet, because it is so impressive IMO. I'm sharing our perspective to offer a new one for those considering Quarry Lane and reading some of the more negative reviews. Our experience has been great and we're happy we chose the school and foresee us continuing here through high school. Take what you will, but hopefully this will be helpful to families seeking a new school.
Submitted by parent on July 14, 2024

Quarry Lane is a for profit school owned by Sr Sabri Arac. It is a business with a mission to make money for the owners of the business. The parents/students are the customers and the "school experience" is the product. It is as simple as that. The school therefore is very focused on how to maximize profits.The school therefore focuses on a few students that they feel have a good chance of being accepted in renowned colleges. They encourage these students to apply to multiple schools to boost up their "acceptance" ratio and publicize and market it heavily. The rest of the students are neglected. If you ask the school to provide matriculation data ie. where did the students actually attended college, they will tell you that they cannot share the information because of privacy reasons. In fact since that information is generic and not associated with an identifiable student, it is not only not in violation of the law but it generic. On the contrary they will publish the names and photos of students that got accepted to renowned school which of-course it a violation of privacy rule. If they are trying to hide the real information and lie about it, you have to take that into consideration and ask why do they have to do it.I think they have a decent campus and decent teachers (not as well paid as public schools so the teachers leave when they find jobs at public schools) but their attitude towards students as product sucks.. I would consider if I want my child to be used like that.
Submitted by parent on June 03, 2024

We've had a great experience at QLS (starting in Lower School through Middle School so far). As a couple of other reviews have mentioned, the academics as tough, no joke, but when comparing what my kids are learning to their peers (through friends and families of their peers outside of school), they really are at an advanced level. Luckily, my kids have also made great friends, have had great teachers, and have also been able to participate in a variety of extra-curriculars at the school which I'm not sure they would've at our local public school. So, yes, it IS a challenging curriculum - they are pretty upfront about that, but if your child is up to it and is also open to seeking out extracurricular activities, it's a solid school and I have no doubt that they'll be prepared for college.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2024

What it looks like throughout other write-ups are sour-grape reviews because either their child didn't get in or they are struggling in school. To be clear, the school has always been upfront about being a college prep school, which means it competes against the Pingry (NJ) and Nueva (San Mateo) of the world. This means there's readily 2-3 hours of homework, plus expectations of participation in extra-curricular activities. It's a tough school, but it's a good school, and I know it'll be worth the investment. My advice is if your child is struggling or finding it hard to get in, try to hire a therapist and tutor to help prep them mentally and academically for the school.We like it here, but we'll keep our options open when middle school is around. I'd like to see more investment in the Arts, Writing, Music and Sports.Fundamentally:1. School is hard2. School is academics first3. Security is excellent4. It's one of the top 20 schools in America because it's hard5. If you want your child to win, this is the place, but it will be hard6. The curriculum is on the best, bar none. Programs on diversity, advanced mathematics, STEM. None of this exists in even the best public programs in the SF Bay Area.
Submitted by other on February 11, 2024

The school is overrated and hyped due to the fact there is no mother private high school in competition in the areas. The home room teachers are not well trained and qualified. The fees they charge is in line with private schools but their lab infrastructure, library, field trips, management are all below par and don’t justify the fees. They promote kindness but the staff has zero empathy. They show no transparency in the selection process and create rules on the fly that suits them. The school safety is the poorest as they have no control over who can come in and go out. Every public school is the Bay Area has better safety as compared to QLS. I would highly discourage anyone trying to get into this school to not do it and prefer to join public schools that are far better with some extra after school your kids will do great. Mine has. I feel glad to have not wasted my money at QLS.
Submitted by parent on December 26, 2023

Verily, Quarry Lane High School emerges as a poignant exemplar of educational neglect, akin to an artifact from antiquity within our modern educational tapestry. Its once-esteemed grandeur, now sullied by the relentless march of time, encapsulates a profound disregard for its foundational precepts.The learned custodians, entrusted with the august responsibility of knowledge stewardship, paint a lacklustre portrait bereft of scholarly zeal. Their archaic pedagogical approaches fail to kindle the embers of intellectual curiosity, fostering instead a prevailing ennui among the student populace. Devoid of dynamism and sagacity, they serve as mere conduits, lacking the requisite fervour to cultivate an environment conducive to genuine erudition.Administrative inertia pervades the venerable corridors of this institution. Pleadings of students and parents, articulated with impassioned fervour, dissipate into the quagmire of bureaucratic indifference. Transparency, an esteemed virtue, remains elusive beneath the shroud of administrative opacity. Arbitrarily meted discipline, bereft of due diligence, epitomizes the capricious erosion of fairness within the student community.Extracurricular pursuits, integral to holistic development, languish in dormancy. Meager clubs, devoid of sustenance, linger as vestiges of their potential. Athletics, bereft of necessary support, languish in mediocrity, depriving students of the platform for collective accomplishment.The composite scholarly tapestry at Quarry Lane High School presents a forlorn tableau, bereft of the indispensable pillars essential for intellectual growth. Its pedagogical deficit stands as an irrefutable indictment.To enroll at Quarry Lane High School unwittingly consigns one to an abyss of academic neglect—a realm where the sanctity of education languishes, impeding the pursuit of scholarly distinction. Seek enlightenment elsewhere, where academic vitality and pedagogical rectitude flourish, emancipated from the desolation veiling Quarry Lane High School.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2023

Not sure what the latest write up is…repeating the word pedagogue so many times, it’s clear the writeup is sour grapes, or satire. That said, Quarry Lane is a tough school, but excellent school. What I mean by that is (fact driven):1. The school focuses a lot on academics, a little too much, but our daughter has become accustomed to it.2. No, the building isn’t peeling, and no, it’s not deteriorating. That parent who wrote about that clearly is sour grapes that their child has been over-challenged or not making it. The buildings are in perfectly fine shape. Comparing to the Danville schools, it’s just as well kept, if not better. The only parts I’d say are “lesser” are the buildings are small, but the gym is excellent. The library is reserved for upper school and is small, but it’s an ok trade-off. Lastly, the parking can be better to drop-off the kids.3. Learning can be tough because the curriculum is one grade higher. Our fourth grader who was scoring 100% most of the time in Math and Writing in one of the top SRVD schools is still getting As, but not 100%. Homework is also double the amount, but the school encourages a “learning mindset” to try, to make mistakes and learn.If you goal is to score high in mediocrity, this won’t be the place that works for you. You’ll need to be a good sport, learn to make mistakes, and maybe even learn to accept your child can get a C, and embrace it. A lot of the sour grapes in the reviews are bitter that the school won’t “bend” on exceptions to grades or attendance. In the public system, attendance isn’t as critical - at Quarry Lane it is.We found the teachers and staff incredibly engaging and willing to work with you on helping the child adjust. Like I said, it was easy and it’s not cheap, but it’s been worth it. In a hard to handle world since COVID, we hope Quarry Lane will give our child coping skills, learning skills and interest in being a better person.
Submitted by parent on November 21, 2023

we had horrible experience with this school. The teachers and admissions are so lack of professionalism. They are very condescending, treat students with no respect and esteem. My kid was very outgoing, confident and energetic , now, she is in tears and fears and depressed everyday. The math teacher is horrible, has favoritism, and negative bias against these young student. I would never recommend anyone to enroll in this school at all.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2023

Not worth my 40k for a school to take kids outside of school experiences and advertise them as their own, while kids do nothing at school. Sadly my child’s favorite teachers have left the school every year while the ones that don’t teach stay. For an assembly for women’s history month the school teenagers were shown a kids picture book that was videotaped and played on YouTube. Kids were being told that there has been a lot of theft of AirPods and cash. Out of touch administrators. What a mess.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2023

Stealing, horrible admin managament, good teachers being let go bad teachers that didnt teach anything at ALL are staying.
Submitted by parent on May 12, 2023

This school is getting worse every year. Management focuses more on making money and growing fast than the quality of students' learning and engagement. Even though most of the teachers are great, management could not retain them or had no intention of retaining them. Student-teacher relationships become one-offs and make them transactional as teachers' attritions are high. There is no easy way to provide parents' feedback. No proper parent-teacher meetings. Poor admin staffers. I will not recommend this school at this time.
Submitted by parent on August 15, 2022

As a longtime QLS family, I'm happy to share our experience with the school. My children attend their Lower(elementary) school and going into the Upper(middle and high) school and have had a GREAT experience. They have always felt supported by their teachers and I've found the administration easy to work with. They constantly make updates to try to improve and listen to feedback from their parents, student body, and teachers. Unlike a public school or maybe even other private schools, where change can take so long with so much red tape to go through, I feel that QLS is very responsive in this regard and are willing to make immediate shifts if they feel it will be better for all. It's grown quite a bit within the last few years, but it still retains a small community feel. My children love their friends and my oldest child has been able to participate in the sports and arts programs. It's true, that it isn't for everyone, but i think the school has outlined their standards and expectations well. I would highly recommend QLS to any families and students looking for high-quality academics, but also with an emphasis on community and developing well-rounded students.
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2022

Would You Sacrifice Emotional Health and Experiences for College Admissions?_I went to The Quarry Lane School for 8th grade and 9th grade, coming from a public school, and did not have a good experience. If you are in a public school, stay. The public schools in the area are excellent for a student academically and socially. As a rather outgoing, and social person with countless hobbies, I was expecting this school to be socially well-rounded, well diverse, and fun(for the price).This school is the polar opposite.Grademates were talking about how they are emotionally unwell, getting pressured academically by their parents, and have no "real" friends. Everyone was chasing the A's.The facilities are also poor, which is a common down point for K-12 schools. Tax-funded public schools have swim teams, and football teams, while only 3 sports are offered here. College Sports Recruitment is also absent.The diversity was also poor, students were Asian, and from the same background.If college is your #1 goal, this school is excellent for you, but if not, please do yourself, and your bank a favor, and hold back on admission.I joined Foothill High School (public) and am having an amazing time with a great community.Best
Submitted by parent on July 15, 2022

Wastage of money. These are some of the traits of Quarry lane upper schools teachersA lesson taught is a lesson learned. Kids are not given the opportunity to ask any questions. Teaching without empathy.Effective instructional strategies should change with time. Quarry lane's teacher learning style is not relevant to current standards. Teachers have an " I am the boss here" attitude. Never bother to answer any students' questions or concerns and the answer is it is the textbook. Do it at home.Just surprised this school is still in business. Public schools have much better education and quality teachers. Wonder how much they pay the teacher, they seem very unhappy.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2022

Worst school ever. Tried to avoid as much as you can. They faked niche ranking and their teaching quality if horrible. Before my kid joining the school he is very outgoing confident and happy boy. In 3 months joining quarrylane, he hated going to school everyday and become very silent and scared to do lots of things he used to enjoy. The teachers had 0 patience and can't treated each kid equally. The head of the school knows nothing about education.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2022

WORST experience ever! My bright, energetic, kind child was made to feel dumb and “bad”. Mainly from administration and staff. Sadly he observed some kids being treated even worse. He silenced himself in an effort to maintain the perpetually unhappy state to prevent the greater misery he saw imposed on some others. It’s beyond dysfunctional. If something feels off and you or your student feels intimidated for feeling that way, it’s NOT your imagination. Children of parents who throw their money and clout around in obvious and flashy ways are just fine. But if you’re “regular” working professionals trying to give your kids the best you can, don’t count on it. It was a rough road and even years later my son’s self esteem and trust is still impacted by that awful experience, but after transitioning to a normal school with a functional culture and basic supportive environment, he learned to cope and worked through the aftermath. He is now at a great university and I’m hoping the experience will eventually be far in his rear-view mirror.
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2022

We had two kids in Quarry Lane - in elementary and high school respectively. The school has been going down in quality - and the current year has been the low point. Overcrowding - to the point where the classes have begin to look like public school size, high attrition of teachers, poor infrastructure (a tile from the roof fell next to one my children). It has personally made me sad to see the decline of this school - but the administration does not seem to care.
Submitted by parent on August 29, 2021

We transferred into QL after 5 years of public schooling. We regret not enrolling our daughter sooner. Small class sizes and extra access to teachers (via office hours or by appointment) are the advantages here. No school is perfect, no kids are perfect (especially in middle school). Yes, you may still run into issues with some teachers or other students, but the admins/teachers are responsive. During the pandemic, QL was able to transition to full day virtual learning seamlessly. That was a challenge for students, parents, and teachers, but compared to the horror stories we heard from our friend's kids, we were so thankful. QL is tough academically. There is a lot of homework. These are facts. So, it may not be the right choice for your kid or your family. After 2 years at QL, we have seen tremendous growth in our daughter's math and reading/writing comprehension. But, don't be scared off by the academic rigor of the school. We load our schedule with "easier" elective classes like dance, art, PE, and theater so she can be more balanced. There is something here for everyone, but you do have to do the work. Overall, we definitely feel she is getting a better education here versus our previous school.