Prospect Sierra School

960 Avis Drive

El Cerrito, CA 94530

25 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 22, 2025

This school has taken a huge downturn in the last several years. We joined for the academic rigor plus the whole child curriculum, global citizen and social emotional aspects. The school has just totally lost all focus. The academics are mediocre at best, the school is a lot of fluff and no real substance anymore. It’s very sad bc it used to be great but we ended up leaving as the cost was just not worth it.
Submitted by parent on January 09, 2024

My children love this school, and at the end of each day, they do not want to leave!This is a well-resourced, beautiful school perched at the top of the El Cerrito Hills. The school culture, which has become our home culture, is one of overt and active kindness. My children learn in an environment of safety and celebration of difference, and from my perspective, the school's administrators actively seek to build community wherever possible, and the faculty actively work to remove all barriers to learning.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2023

Prospect Sierra is a truly exceptional elementary school (K-4 at lower and 5-8 at upper) that fosters a welcoming and vibrant community where diversity is celebrated both among students and faculty. There is a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence woven throughout their curriculum which feels balanced with their focus on academics.The faculty is beyond exceptional and what sets Prospect Sierra apart. The teachers and administration are all dedicated educators that embody PS's commitment to leading with respect and joy and creating an environment that fosters a love for learning.Prospect Sierra has a very well-rounded enrichment curriculum that creates a rich and engaging learning experience. Specialty classes include drama, music, art, Co-Lab, and Spanish to name a few. The campus and the physical spaces including the classrooms and enrichment rooms are also beautiful.We could not recommend Propsect Sierra highly enough!
Submitted by parent on November 30, 2023

Prospect Sierra Schoolblue checkmarkPrivateEL CERRITO, CAprofile headerAdd To ListPrivate SchoolProspect Sierra SchoolThis school has been claimed by the school or a school representative.grade AOverall GradePrivatePK, K-8EL CERRITO, CARating 4.45 out of 5 11 reviewsBack to Profile HomeVisit School's WebsiteProspect Sierra School ReviewsRating 4.45 out of 5 11 reviewsRating 5 out of 5 Excellent8 reviews (73%)Rating 4 out of 5 Very Good1 reviews (9%)Rating 3 out of 5 Average1 reviews (9%)Rating 2 out of 5 Poor1 reviews (9%)Rating 1 out of 5 Terrible0 reviews (0%)Rating 5 out of 5 Prior to our two kids attending Prospect Sierra School, my k-college public school education had me scratching me head about the value of an Independent School. Boy, did my eyes get opened FAST. PSS provided excellence across the board: Academics, Administration, Community, Cohort. Greatest gift we couldn't have given our children, AND our family. The small community also made for great accountability and engagement. I went in to it not appreciating how great it would also be to have our kids' education unlinked to the annual budget and union fights and ever evolvin government's take on curriculum. Yes, we were extremely fortunate to have this option; AND tuition assistance IS available.
Submitted by parent on November 30, 2023

8 years of Growth and ExcellenceAs a parent of an 8th grader, I'm happy to share my gratitude for the exceptional education and nurturing environment at Prospect Sierra. From the moment our kid entered 1st grade and was promptly brought up to speed on reading and writing, we knew we’d made the right decision.PS is not just a school but a vibrant community committed to fostering holistic growth in its students. The hands-on learning experiences and project-based assignments have ignited a genuine passion for creativity and critical thought in my kid.The emphasis on social and emotional learning ensures that students not only excel academically but also develop essential life skills, including empathy, resilience, and effective communication.The genuine care for each student offers a nurturing atmosphere and the small class sizes allow for personalized attention.The open lines of communication between the school and families, regular updates, parent-teacher conferences, and involvement opportunities keep us all connected.The generous flexible tuition opportunities allowed our family to stay at the school for 8 years.Prospect Sierra did especially well providing structure, guidance and community during the extra-challenging and often scary times of the COVID pandemic and I’ll always be grateful for that.
Submitted by parent on November 29, 2023

My daughter attended the middle school 6-8th grades in 2019-2022 from having attended independent and public elementary schools. What makes Prospect Sierra truly unique among all the schools is the intentionality and thoughtfulness that permeates all aspects of the school, with the best interest of the student always anchoring all decisions. A key strength are the stellar teachers with long tenures and very low turnover. In terms of curriculum, humanities, world languages, science, and arts (especially drama and visual arts) are outstanding. The only area of improvement is math, where the advanced math learners may not be challenged as the school has dropped the dual track in favor of a single track. If your child falls into this category, I would still highly recommend PS, perhaps just supplement with enrichment courses like Berkeley Math Circle or UC Berkeley's ATDP program. Overall, my daughter is thriving academically and socially in high school and I attribute much of her success to the strong foundation she gained at PS, most notably her growth mindset, life skills, critical thinking and academics.
Submitted by parent on November 26, 2023

Prospect Sierra is a very special school - it is intimate, yet large enough for kids and families who prefer larger social circles. The school is very intentional about its curriculum - for example, the specialist teachers (Art, drama, music, co-lab, PE, spanish) coordinate their lessons and projects with the work and conversations happening in the classrooms. The teachers care deeply about your child, and it is evident in the care and quality of the communication with parents, that the faculty and administration go to great lengths to understand your child and support them in just the right ways. At Tapscott specifically, the students really learn how to write all genres of writing (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, biography) and build on their writing from grade to grade. By 4th grade, it is truly incredible to see the level of writing of our children. And at Avis, in humanities, the learning continues - students are encouraged to write about history and/or the reading that they are doing as a class from different points of view. In math, the learning is differentiated, so students who need the extra challenge are given that, and students who need more 1:1 time with the teachers, are also provided that opportunity. Students are encouraged to explore their identity in a safe space, and as a community, different identities are celebrated in an intentional way. These are just a couple of examples of why this school is such a special place. I recommend it whole heartedly.
Submitted by parent on November 14, 2023

We were introduced to Prospect Sierra (PS) in 2015 when our eldest child was getting ready to enter Kindergarten. Living in Richmond, we toured our districted school only to discover that it wouldn't be a good fit for our child. As a result, we toured independent schools in our area at the recommendation of our preschool teacher. It was meant to be a temporary "fix" until we could move into a district that was better suited for our family. I recall saying to my wife "you know we will never be able to leave this place". And here we are, 8 years later...A few things struck us initially about PS which still holds true today. Aside from the beautiful space and facility, all of the kids in every class and every grade, looked genuinely engaged and full of joy. The robust social-emotional program teaches deep empathy, evident by the handful of students that ran to help my wife who was carrying a carseat with our budding kinder's youngest sibling. As parents looking back at our youth, we could see ourselves here, happy and thriving. The curriculum is varied and addition to the "core" classes, we sincerely appreciate the arts which include, but not limited to, "art" class, music and a maker's class; all with specialist teachers.We are now in our 9th year at PS with all 3 kids enrolled between the elementary and middle school campuses. The middle-school experience feels age appropriate with facilities and programs that help our students develop a keen sense for how they learn and furthering their interests. There's never been a day that our kids have been reluctant to go to school. As we look into our high school choices for our 8th grader, he feels well prepared for this educational journey ahead.PS has reinforced our family values in raising conscientious and well-adjusted people. As a bonus, we've made life-long friends with our kid's friend's parents and feel grateful for the ride thus far. No school is perfect and it's really a matter of finding the right "fit". There's a plethora of great schools to choose from, but we feel fortunate to have found a school and community that's been a fit for all three of our children and the parents alike.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2021

We entered Prospect Sierra with high hopes but have become increasingly disappointed. There is less and less focus on actual academic skills, and more focus on questions of social justice and identity exploration. The school recently had a major overhaul of its leadership and seems to be taking a very different direction.
Submitted by other on November 22, 2020

We are new to the school, less than three months into the middle school at Avis. So far, even through distance learning, we feel very pleased with the school's engaging curriculum and overall approach to a well-rounded education. It has been remote for the most part (not a surprise to us) and the school administration has seemed to struggle a bit with flip-flopping on campus versus home learning. Obviously this is a unique year and we will see if this waffly/poorly communication administration stuff carries over into next year, because we will definitely be back. The other slightly less awesome part is the math teacher/curriculum we are seeing. I am a little concerned it may be behind CA state standards, however my child is enjoying it so... we'll see.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2018

My daughter is completing her Kindergarten year, and the experience has been wonderful. When I drop off my daughter in the morning, I know she is in good hands. I've seen her evolve into a confident, happy and curious person - all because of what she is learning and how she is developing at this school. She is also reading which is amazing to watch happen! The school is inclusive of all economic levels, and they work hard to make sure all families can afford it.
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2018

Excellent. My daughter has excelled and the PS community is very inclusive and supportive.
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2017

My child has been attending Prospect Sierra School for the past several years. I have been very pleased with all of the teachers at the school and feel my child is getting a high quality education. However, I have been unimpressed with the school leadership and administration, particularly this past school year (2017-18). This year, the school started using a new transportation service provider (Zum). The school did not notify parents of this change until a few weeks before school started, and key details (schedule, routes, etc.) were not disclosed until just a few days before school started. The school previously had a bus service -- families who had historically used that service and new families who had enrolled in the school expecting bus service were caught off guard by this change. As it turns out, Zum is a start-up that was not equipped to provide safe and reliable service parents were expecting. After only 2 months, there have been multiple issues regarding safety, reliability, and service--e.g., students not picked up, taken to the wrong stop or left behind; drivers using the phone while driving and/or taking unsafe and poorly lit routes in the dark; inconsistent dropoff times (up to 25 min difference in dropoff times for same stop within one week); poor technology (GPS not working on regular basis) and customer service (unprofessional and rude service from Zum founders and reps) etc. We have complained to the school multiple times but school leadership has been dismissive and unresponsive, at one point even suggesting that parents should not be taking their complaints to external sources/parties. I feel our family has become trapped in a situation where we are being forced to accept unsafe and substandard service or find alternate transportation at extreme inconvenience to us. I would never have chosen to send my child to this school (which is very expensive!) if I had known transportation was going to so problematic--we have spent hours of time over the past few months waiting for our child to be dropped off and/or trying to address all of the safety and reliability issues we have experienced. As a result, I have a hard time recommending this school to others, particularly families who are expecting to use transportation service.
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2017

Our son joined Prospect Sierra in the 6th grade, not knowing anyone else at the school. He was embraced by the PS community, and quickly felt quite comfortable. He has benefited from the excellent teachers who encourage him to explore his various interests. They have added to his his love of math and science, and have helped him become a more skillful writer. The curriculum is not only academic, it also emphasizes an awareness of the social realties of the word in which we live and the impacts that individuals have on the people nearby, as well as the world as a whole. As we get ready to transition to high school, we hope to find a school with the same mix of academics, social consciousness, and caring staff who strive to know each student and help them achieve their potential.
Submitted by parent on October 04, 2017

Prospect Sierra is a wonderful school and my children are better students and better people because of our membership in the PS community and their attendance K-8.
Submitted by other on April 13, 2017

Prospect Sierra is full of extra bells and whistles- lots of learning specialists, great music program, art, a special science room and even robotics. The facility is also great. However, it is a school for one type of kid and is very curriculum driven. If your child has trouble sitting still for long periods of time, trouble focusing on worksheets and lessons (none of which are custom tailored to the needs of your individual child), then they will probably struggle at this school. It is a very academic school and while they talk about their social emotional and social change curriculum, it is really secondary to the hard driving academics. Also it is not a good school for black kids or hispanic children - many of those kids leave after a few years for various reasons. If you have an african american or hispanic child and are considering this school, talk to some other black/latino parents who have been through this school because the experience they sell you on is very different from the reality.
Submitted by other on August 30, 2015

Prospect Sierra is an exemplary school. The teachers are all very enthusiastic about their respective subjects and take time to help each student. The school provides extremely rigorous classes for students. Especially, I would like to note that the humanities program is very strong. A recent graduate from Prospect Sierra, I find that I was prepared in excess for high school. The drama and music programs are extremely strong and provided a fantastic outlet for students' creative interests. I have personally taken part in many music and drama performances and found them to be extremely valuable experiences. I performed in roles in two plays. In music I have played with the orchestra, rock band, jazz band, and with my own student led group. The math program is very thorough and caters to students of all mathematical backgrounds, while providing advanced students with the opportunity to enrich their knowledge. In 7th grade, I explored topics in trigonometry, combinatorics, and the basic theories of probability. The science at Prospect Sierra takes a hands on approach. Students initially learn various topics in several branches of science, while learning scientific procedures. In 8th grade they take a thorough and current events centered course on biology.The visual arts program is very challenging and students learn many advanced skills and techniques. I found the art teacher to be extremely patient and enthusiastic. Prospect Sierra incorporates technology in modern, inventive ways, although occasionally they overuse it. The robotics program was a very good experience for me and my team won innovation awards two consecutive years. The athletics program at Prospect Sierra was also extremely well developed. I participated in the basketball team, cross country team, track and field team, and ultimate frisbee team. The coaches helped me improve immensely so that I could win third place in the 800m. The student council at Prospect Sierra was an amazing learning experience. Being President, I had the opportunity to play a role in the many student activities that exist at Prospect Sierra. I found this to be a very gratifying experience. Prospect Sierra is very welcoming to new students. 5th and 6th graders have a chance to participate in an orientation led by 8th grade student ambassadors. Having been a student ambassador, I found this experience to be valuable.
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2015

Everyday I am thankful we found Prospect Sierra! My child s classroom is bright, spacious, well designed and well stocked. The walls are covered with vibrant child-centered art, creative learning tools and diverse family photos. My child doesn t sit at a desk, but instead goes from center to center exploring foundational concepts in reading, writing and math in an integrated highly creative way. My child gets to attend art, music, library, PE, Spanish and science lab every week. Individual attention and differentiated learning are the norm. The teachers are professional, happy, supported, collaborative and accessible. There is a low student/teacher ratio. The school has a well-developed, fully integrated K-8 social emotional learning (SEL) program. Snack and lunch are eaten outside at picnic tables in spacious age appropriate play yards. There are numerous volunteer opportunities and coffees to engage and build community with the parents, administration and teachers. This school lives and breaths their tag line, Heart, Mind, Community . The children at Prospect Sierra are given an environment that fosters the love of learning which will last a lifetime.
Submitted by parent on September 30, 2014

When I was looking for a school for my children, I wanted a school that would foster a lifelong love of learning. I wanted a place where my children would be safe and comfortable and learn in a way that was suitable to their unique personalities. I toured many schools, both private and public, and narrowed down and applied to 3 schools. We were fortunate to have been accepted in all 3 but in the end decided that Prospect Sierra was the right fit for our family and children. We were very impressed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere. The teachers and staff were very dedicated and they all seem to love the children and were willing to meet the kids at their level. We felt a very sincere sense of community and openness from the parents, who were all very happy to volunteer and actively participate in their children s education. Now that we are Prospect Sierra parents, we can honestly say that this is definitely true. The parents and families love Prospect Sierra and the kids love Prospect Sierra!
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2014

A middle school that works to help students become thoughtful and creative citizens who think globally and independently? This is it! Our son is thriving here. He loves everything about the school and so do we. The academics are stellar and so are the arts and music programs, Dedicated teachers who love their jobs and have the support and autonomy to build classes and assignments with contextual meaning, independent and collaborative problem solving, and cutting edge technology make this place very dynamic for learning. In our experience Prospect Sierra delivers everything they promise and the children are incredible there. Also the place scores pretty well on a culturally, racially, and economically diverse community; definitely worth visiting and seeing if it's right for your child.