Great Hearts Academies - Arete Prep

4525 East Baseline Road

School District

Arete Preparatory Academy
Grade

6-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:9
Type

charter

School Map for Arete Preparatory Academy

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 24, 2024

If I could not give any stars I wouldn’t, it’s all lies! The school is filled with kids that have no morals and aren’t thought better. My daughter Actually main teacher and not the assistant was lazy and mean to them she would draw pictures in front of the kindergartners and throw them away in the trash and would state that she didn’t like them but here I have my child saying it was beautiful they just don’t have a heart for the little kids My daughters shoes and very nice uniform jacket were Stolen and no one ever returned them to lost and found. The uniforms are expensive (sense they have to be from their uniform store) and very cheaply made. I talked to them about it but it was my fault for buying her that jacket and her not taking care of it, It concerned me how careless they were. Isn’t it supposed to be a nice school? I want the best for my child and this school is not it.
Submitted by parent on August 29, 2023

We were so excited to find this school and have all of children thrive in this school from start to finish. The curriculum seems good. However the leadership at this school is completely inexperienced, afraid, or both. Or does this come down from the Executive Board of Great hearts, Im not sure. My son was threatened in the bathroom by 7 older high school boys, and later outside in front of the school. The leadership/administration failed to say the least at providing any information or plan that would allow my children to feel safe at this school. They had no answers to any questions, especially "why would 7 boys be in a bathroom at the same time" or How do we prevent this in the future. Not only did they lack a response, or a plan, but they completely disregarded my children, and us. They claim theres a strict bully and harassment policy , but let me assure you it wasn't followed. There was no evidence that these boys making the threats even received a detention. It is concerning what is really going on at this school, and they should be investigated further. The one thing they said they would do, they didn't, they lied. Then when questioned about it, would discuss it further, didn't return phone calls or emails. The school appears fabulous on paper, and in theory. But there must be a reason bathroom doors were recently removed? Parents be ware. There was no truth, beauty or goodness in our experience in Arete Prep. Disappointed.
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2019

10 plus ...off the charts! The best school I have found in my area. Hands down!
Submitted by parent on October 19, 2018

We are so happy to be a part of this school!
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2018

Archway Arete is a wonderful school. We are continually impressed, grateful and thrilled that our daughter is a part of this top notch experience that will serve her well her entire life.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2018

We love this school. The staff is amazing. They truly care about the kids and how they learn and comprehend the subject matter. In response to reviews below: Pick Up and Drop off is slow for the first few days, once the new parents get the hang of the process, it picks up. There is a lot of homework but this prepares the students for what college will be like. If there is an issue, talk to the teachers. A lot of the issues parent's brought up about the school before 2014 were at the old location. The new facility is amazing and very well run. So much so, that my wife decided to work for the school part time.
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2018

Too much homework. Pick up and drop off is terribly slow. Parental involvement is not supported. Very low score on the Dept of Ed website.
Submitted by other on January 31, 2018

This is our second year. We have had nothing but an amazing experience. Teachers work her and have a passion for what they do that reflects how they teach our children.
Submitted by parent on November 17, 2017

We were not impressed. The school does not offer services for gifted students. They say they are "a year ahead" of other schools but that does not address the special needs of these types of students. Another issue I had was that hot lunch is provided each day by a local fast food restaurant. This adds up to $10+ somedays for a single hot lunch! When I asked how free and reduced lunch students paid for this I was told that they don't have any students who qualify for free or reduced lunch! Not exactly an imclusive environment. The 3rd issue we had was the "C" rating given to them by the Board of Education. We expected a better quality education for all of the hype that they sell. It may be a good fit for some but it was not a good fit for us.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2017

Love this school. Our kids have thrived there
Submitted by parent on May 26, 2017

We have been at this school for 3 years and have had a wonderful experience. The teachers are excellent. Ms. Pantalena is very kind and helpful, anytime I have had a problem she has made sure it was addressed.
Submitted by parent on May 12, 2017

Just as another reviewer stated, I wanted my children to see their education from start to finish at this school. However, this will not be the case for us. I agree that Mr Gillingham is a charming individual, but if you want to see improvement or be heard as a concerned parent, he does not deliver. Mr. Gillingham likes to advertise that there are two teachers in every classroom, but this is not the case. In many cases there is one qualified teacher in the classroom and one aid with a high school diploma that may have no previous experience and is ALLOWED to teach the class more often than not. This is just not ok and should not be overlooked. I do love the curriculum, but it is not worth falling short in other critical areas.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2017

I LOVE the curriculum at this school. I wanted this to be the school where all my kids start and finish. There is a high bar for academics and discipline both in the classroom and on campus. While this is a positive in most cases, it can be oppressive in the hands of young, inexperienced teachers. And there are quite a few of those. The teacher turnover rate is HIGH. Many teachers and parents are happy until there is an issue that they need to address with the administration. And then things get bad. Mr Gillingham is a charismatic and charming man. But don't be fooled by his charm. He is no leader and can't make decisions. Eventually this trickles down to the classroom and children in the form of bad or absent policy. Day-to-day my kids are getting a great education. Overall the leadership and administration for the school stinks. I have gone to the parent organization (Great Hearts) numerous times with no results. I would pull my kids to go somewhere else but truly, no other school has this curriculum. The only viable alternative if I want this caliber of education is to homeschool and while I have done that in the past, I don't see that being as effective in educating my children as where they are now. It is a frustrating experience as a parent to have a world class education available but the school is being run by incompetent "leaders".
Submitted by parent on April 04, 2017

Best teachers and great liberal arts education.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2016

This is a public charter school that includes language arts (FRENCH) in the curriculum. The art and music classes are taught by professionals in industry. It is a true liberal arts education where children read classical literature and are also educated on virtues of the heart. I like that my child's school environment promotes secular ethics- educating and encouraging children on what it means to be a good friend, good citizen, and a good person. They teach children How to think, NOT what to think. Overall State test scores reflect that this is a superb school. In addition they offer an array of after school clubs such as: Engineering, Chess, French, Garden, Art, Music, World cultures (Passport) clubs. Overall we are satisfied with our experience at this school and highly recommend it to our friends.
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2015

This school is a wonderful environment for children who desire to learn. This school doesn't just teach mindless drivel, it's a liberal arts education based on a vast pool of knowledge that the public schools refuses to consider. My children only read classics for credits. The children sit as a class and discuss what authors are attempting to convey with imagery. My child is doing math far and above where we were only last year. This school is nothing less than fantastic. The headmaster has been open and genuinely cares about his students and the parents always making sure that we are in the loop and working with us to make changes! He's always listened to our ideas and insights and more than once I have seen the school implement discussion items from his coffee talks!
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2014

Staff are very rude, Unhappily, and just mean. Not a great leaning environment for any kid.
Submitted by parent on February 24, 2013

Am very impressed with the academics at Great Hearts Academies. The teaching staff is outstanding, but in response to the poster about administration and athletics, it is to be expected. These schools are small in size, allowing for big fishes in small ponds to go unchecked. The same goes for the athletics. There is no such thing as tryouts, because it's a small school, the player roster is pretty much fraternally predetermined even before registration for that sport is open. It's another example of big fishes in small ponds where politiking is the norm. Unfortunate for the kids when it comes to sports. If you can overlook the egos, avoid the politking and the beauty pageant backstage menusha of GH sports programs, and just focus on the academics and find outside athletic programs, your child could benefit academically.
Submitted by parent on October 22, 2012

The previous comment (posted on 8/26/12), regarding complete disorganization, is absolutely true! It's at this school and the main office. Whether it be uniforms, sports, field trips, volunteer fingerprinting, etc., the only consistent is a complete lack of organization. To make it worse, none of it makes logical sense. For a school that claims to be built on pillars of logic, their own actions repeatedly defy it. Also, if you re coming from a private school then you're in for a surprise. The class sizes are BIG (25-26 students). The facilities are cramped and overcrowded! Every day my students class locations change due to disorganization and a lack of space to accommodate as many students as they can stuff in. Likewise, the school does NOT seek parental involvement or input. They don't seem to care what parents have to say. I'm not impressed or easily dazzled by rapid growth or test scores. If it weren't for their competition being in a state with horrible public schools (AIMS), I don't believe they'd look nearly so good.
Submitted by parent on July 03, 2012

Follow the advice of the parent who suggested doing your research. Rely on solid numbers from the AIMS and Standford scores; not the highly subjective grading system the school has in place. Although a Great Hearts School, Mesa Prep is probably one of the worst administrated schools in the network. Do your due diligence before you place your child here. All Great Hearts Schools are NOT created equally.