Phillips Brooks School

2245 Avy Avenue

Menlo Park, CA 94025

25 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-5
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on September 13, 2024

Our children have absolutely thrived at PBS. It has provided such an incredible community of teachers, parents and fellow students that really know each of them for who they are. They wake up eager to go to school every day (often begging to go early to the free morning care). This environment has fostered the real love of learning that we had hoped for in them. We feel our children are going to be exceptionally prepared for middle school (though it will be a hard transition for them leaving the PBS nest!)
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2023

My 4-year-old had an accident while at PBS. He required 8 stitches in his face. I was saddened by the accident and the school’s response. We made the decision to leave mid-year.
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2021

Incredible faculty and educational experience! We've had our two children at PBS for 3 years now, and have appreciated the partnership and community. They did a great job with COVID, and I always appreciate how thoughtfully major decisions are communicated. My kids enjoy school and love learning, and are challenged in the classroom and (even more importantly to me) appreciate the focus on social-emotional skills as a complement to the academics. The kids are kind humans first and foremost, and it’s evident in all their in- & out-of-school interactions. I read through some of the older reviews and wholeheartedly do not agree. I have been part of the community for 3 years — academically my kids are easily above grade level to public, and love learning and reading. Further I find the head of school to be incredibly responsive to feedback and open to a conversation about any aspect of the school, from faculty to tactical stuff. Particularly coming out of Covid, this is a place that is 100% aligned on what matters — delivering an exceptional education to our kids.
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2021

We love the love of learning this school brings to our children. They have handled COVID beautifully with such precision and keeping the kids top of mind. Our children love going to school every day and we have made some amazing friends through this community. We would highly recommend this school to others if they want their children to get a strong social emotional experience and amazing community that focusses on kindness, courage, and love of learning!
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2021

Amazing elementary school - caring, supportive community, top-notch academics, core values that always shine in everything the school puts forth. Made amazing friends and launched both my kids well along their educational journeys (now international).
Submitted by parent on June 20, 2019

My kids wake up everyday excited to go to school. They are inspired, exposed to different opportunities, supported and loved. They are learning to be risk takers and to embrace new challenges. I love the language they are learning in the classroom with their teachers and peers and how they share that with me at home. I feel very grateful that my kids are building a real foundation for their social and emotional awareness and using those tools to build kind and meaningful relationships.
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2019

I feel very fortunate that my children experienced PBS. They love learning, have strong friendships, and we have developed life-long friendships with families. The adults on this campus know my children and make decisions that is in the best interest of elementary aged-children.
Submitted by parent on June 17, 2019

I would strongly recommend any prospective families to really read the negative reviews on this site especially the ones about how they cater to out of state families moving to the area. The campus is nice, admissions staff are kind and welcoming so at first glance this school seems like a great option. But once you are in you soon discover the cracks concerning the teacher's qualifications and poor teaching styles, bullying amongst peers across many fronts, disrespectful behavior in the classrooms and so many kids seeking remediation programs by mid-year. It was a complete disaster for our oldest child. I regret our decision to attend this school and hope that our child can overcome the challenges in academics and confidence caused by attending PBS. I would highly suggest avoiding this school.
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2018

We are finishing up our 5th year at PBS and couldn't be happier with our experience. The teachers are incredibly bright, caring, dedicated and always looking for new ways to grow. The community is welcoming and wonderfully tight-knit. The school provides a safe, encouraging environment for students to challenge themselves and take risks. It's been a very special place for our whole family!
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2018

With two young children already attending, and a third set to attend in a couple of years, I cannot imagine a better academic or social environment for my kids. Our entire family loves PBS. It is a true community, where everyone is working together to make sure our kids feel supported, stimulated, inspired and loved.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2018

I have one child in the preschool and another in Kindergarten and could not be happier with our choice to send our kids to this amazing school. My kids LOVE going to school and I really believe that PBS is fostering a true passion for learning. I am also blown away by the focus on the whole child and social emotional well being. They lean into character building and developing kind hearted people and I have already seen that come to life in my kids with only 9 months at the school. The Kindergarten teachers are top notch and truly foster independence, confidence and creativity in their approach. My son is thriving! The preschool is small and warm and the teachers go above and beyond to develop unique age appropriate activities for the kids each with a specific purpose (fine motor, problem-solving, communication skills, etc). They also look for passions and interests in the kids and will tailor activities to follow themes they are hearing in the classroom. It's wonderful!
Submitted by parent on March 16, 2018

Education for the whole child! Children graduate from PBS with a love a learning, confidence, compassion and an academic base to build on. Couldn’t be happier with the education my two boys received here.
Submitted by parent on March 16, 2018

We have been at the school since 2011 and have had such a positivite experience. PBS has caring and compassionate teachers who want the best for our children. We have seen both our children grow into caring, compassionate and engaged learners who are excited to go to school every day!
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2018

Bad experience thus far and will likely pull my daughter out in a year or so (for kinder), unless there's a dramatic change. School does a great job of marketing itself, but the pitch doesn't match the reality. I would encourage families applying to the preschool to really look hard at the [low] quality of the teachers. I can't comment as much on the quality of the teachers in other grades. I hope it improves. Her younger brother and sister will not be attending the preschool for sure.
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2017

Our family has been at this school for nine years and we absolutely love it. The teachers are engaged and caring. The community is warm and welcoming. We have three kids and they have all been very happy here. Two thumbs up!
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2014

The combination of top flight academics balanced with a strong social emotional learning curriculum are excellent. Children thrive here.
Submitted by parent on July 19, 2014

PBS is an excellent school. We had one child graduate in 2012 and our next graduates in 2016. A few negative reviews exist below about preparation for middle school and they are grossly exaggerated. Our eldest went to one of the best and most academically challenging middle schools without receiving any outside tutoring. Was the middle school transition hard? Yes, but it is always hard, as middle school is one of the biggest transitions personally and academically for children. His academic foundation was there and his exceptional character education led him to have no social issues from the start. If you research the negative perception about middle school preparation, you will see that PBS kids thrive in their new schools. They are also often the kids that become school leaders, due to the school's emphasis on creating kind and empathic children. Harvard Business Review recently had an entire magazine on the connection between success and emotional intelligence. The public schools in the area are strong academically, yet they pay very little attention to collaboration and creativity, which are critical 21st century skills. Go visit the school and decide for yourself how it feels!
Submitted by parent on January 04, 2014

We had four children start at PBS, one graduate and removed the other three after patiently waiting for meaningful change. PBS draws on the the relocation crowd (which we were) and provides some of the best Marketing spin in Silicon Valley. Academics and curriculum are below public school standard, teachers are over appreciated and under achievers. Children succeed because of after school endeavors, tutoring and enrichment elsewhere. Administration is focused on fund raising and definitely not on the healthy development of the child. If your family provides "commitment" (read funding) your child is given free reign on anti-social behavior. Four children (~over 8 years of time) and not one of them can name a teacher or administrator that had an influence in their life. Tutoring for academics and Therapy for bullying are required. Private school options are limited but your children will suffer if you attend PBS.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2013

We were drawn to PBS in part because of the strong stated commitment to a "no mean kids" philosophy and concerns about potential bullying of our daughter. We found the commitment to be largely illusory - in large part because of intense snobbery and clique-ishness among the mothers, which was reflected in even the youngest of the children. Efforts to engage the administration on the issue went nowhere. The facility is wonderful, the teachers were very good but we pulled out daughter out after third grade. She (now a highschool sophomore) views it as a very mean place.
Submitted by parent on June 27, 2013

This school is absolutely amazing, I have yet to find a school like it. Kids are taught to become kind, appreciative, understanding, and accepting. Not only do they develop into great people, they discover a true love of learning and curiousity. They become like family with their classmates and have friendships that last a lifetime. Every teacher is a standout. My child, (now a senior in high school) has learned all of her most important lessons form this school. She remembers everything from her teachers, from Shakespeare in 1st grade, yosemite trip in 5th, to the Indian bazaar and family Fridays. This developmental age of preK to 5th is crucial to child development. If you can get your child into PBS, they absolutely must go there!!