Head-Royce School

4315 Lincoln Avenue

Oakland, CA 94602

20 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 17, 2024

The school is in decline. Standards have gone down. Bad teachers are not removed. There is little oversight of teaching standards. The focus is on discipline. Families who complain or want to participate in the child’s education are treated as liabilities. Socisl-emotional support is minimal and are under a lot of pressure. Racism is rampant. Tuition ranges from about 40K to 56K a year, but the school constantly asks for donations. Students of employees, big donors, and board members get special treatment. As to the safety rating, in my experience, this school does not provide an environment safe from discrimination, and harsh punishment. Minority students are disproportionately pjnished. The school needs to invest in staff training on equity, diversity and socio-emotional support.
Submitted by parent on December 25, 2023

We have now transitioned from Head Royce after attending the Elementary division for a couple of years. The pros are the art program, exposure to variety of language classes, small class sizes, secured campus and a group of individuals on staff and teachers that do really care. Drawbacks are too much focus on pushing identity topics (without informing parents though requests were respectfully made to keep us in the loop), lack of corrective action towards students that behave poorly towards others but come from families that donate heavily to the school. Other drawbacks are there is a lack of follow through on DEI initiatives (a lot of talk about DEI being a priority but when you look closer it’s more talk than action). For instance as an African American family we shared our concerns to a variety of staff about what our child was experiencing in terms of not feeling a sense of belonging, we had requested that for our child’s next school year that our child not be the only African American boy and to our surprise our request was ignored and they proceeded to keep the only two African American boys in that cohort separate. Lastly, there is a BIG focus on money. We were on financial aid and when we decided to transition out before the school year began we requested that the tuition we had paid be returned given our financial situation. We asked to speak to the current Head of School to share the reasons we were leaving, our request to speak to her was denied and the school kept the tuition we paid. If you are interested in this school, really do your due diligence, ask the hard questions and do your research on if the school is truly putting in action the value and commitments they promise.
Submitted by student on December 06, 2023

Title: Disheartening Changes at Head RoyceI've been a part of Head Royce since 6th grade, and I've noticed a significant decline in the standards of the mathematics program. The once high standards have been removed, and the dedication from teachers doesn't seem to match what it used to be. This shift has made my experience at Head Royce less than pleasant.Moreover, it's disheartening to see the focus on money for new construction taking precedence over maintaining the quality of education. The school seems more invested in financial endeavors than in upholding the academic excellence that initially drew me to Head Royce.I hope that these concerns are addressed to restore the educational integrity and the sense of community that Head Royce once embodied.
Submitted by student on December 11, 2022

The high school has no homework regulations, and the learning environment is counter-productive to students' mental health. Numerous high school teachers need to retire because they have been there too long and are WAY past their prime. The school needs to focus on hiring for the QUALITY of teachers and NOT hiring for diversity. Having a diverse group of bad teachers to check that "diversity" box is not good. I would not recommend going here. It's a small school, the students live in stress, and several high school teachers are over-the-top liberals. Even if two students take the same exact course but have different teachers, your learning will be so different because the teachers can change the curriculum so much and will give you 2X the amount of work as the other teachers, teaching the same class.
Submitted by parent on July 17, 2021

We have had two children transition to Head Royce at the Middle school level. Overall, we are absolutely thrilled with the school. Both of our children are happy and thriving. There is no substitute or greater joy than that. The transition from OUSD was a soft landing for each of our children, who are very different people. I do agree with some of the other reviewers that the focus on social justice and inequity are a little too intense at the moment. I realize there are many factors at play that have caused the administration to move in this direction and I fundamentally agree that we as a society need to make these causes an urgent priority. However, there are only so many hours in a day for school and I do feel other aspects of development are being compromised because of it.
Submitted by parent on July 03, 2021

Superior teachers and students. Challenging environment and would recommend Head Royce only for a child who’s highly motivated. Graduates are accepted to all the top colleges and are well prepared.
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2020

We transferred our child after middle school. If you want a good education for your child, send them somewhere else. If you want strong indoctrination into political correctness and victimization politics, then go to Head Royce.
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2018

We have two children in Head Royce. Our first is in the middle school and our second is in the lower school. We love the teachers and the commitment to social justice.
Submitted by parent on May 01, 2018

We have two children in the lower school at Head-Royce. We've been very happy with the academic progress and social emotional development of both our children (who are very different). They both enjoy going to school and have developed a love of learning. The teachers have been thoughtful, passionate, and committed. The communication from teachers and administration is consistently excellent. We've found the parents to be warm and welcoming. We're very pleased with our experience so far at HRS.I do want to address the comments from other reviewers regarding diversity. We have mixed-race children and diversity is something I was cognizant of when evaluating schools for my children. Head-Royce is far more diverse than any other private school we looked at; certainly more diverse than any of the private schools in San Francisco. It's also more diverse than our neighborhood public school. I've never witnessed anyone at the school demonize the neighbors. Quite the contrary, the schools seems to bend over backward to be a good neighbor. No school is perfect, but we've considered moving to another city due to an excellent career opportunity. We had our pick of the best private schools in the new city, and after doing our homework, we concluded none of them were close to the quality of experience at Head-Royce.
Submitted by other on November 09, 2015

Friendly and Interactive teachers have really made up what this school and what schools should really be like at Head Royce.
Submitted by other on August 27, 2015

I am a very proud alumna of The Head Royce School. I graduated in 2008 and still feel strongly connected to the school, the faculty, and to my friends. The education I received prepared me extremely well for University. While many of my college peers struggled their freshman year, college felt like transitioning into 13th grade for me. It was a step up but a reasonable step up that I felt challenging but not overwhelming. I credit Head Royce for the inspiration it gave me to pursue my passions and for helping me to develop strong communication, writing, and critical thinking skills. I made lasting friendships and was able to engage on many levels (e.g. theater, sports, student council, clubs, etc.) I never felt the need to stick to one label or click. Yes, I had my group of friends but I never felt unwelcome in other circles. I cannot recommend this school more highly. Go Jayhawks!
Submitted by other on August 01, 2015

I attended this school from middle- through high school. The academics, aside from a few strong teachers, are not worth the high tuition. The school prepares students well to get high SAT scores, but poorly for basic college skills, like effective writing. I agree with the comment who characterized the academic side as "smoke and mirrors". The atmosphere is definitely elitist. If your child is shy and thoughtful or reticent; creative and/or unconventional; a member of an ethnic or cultural minority; or simply moves to the beat of his/her own drummer, s/he will be miserable at this school. It's very conventional and cliquish. There are much better choices in the East Bay, especially considering the cost vs. the mediocre academics.
Submitted by other on September 15, 2014

If only academics were the only factor when considering a school... The teachers are INCREDIBLE really - like second to none. One of the best educations for a K-12 in the entire U.S.... no exaggeration whatsoever. However this school breeds arrogance and elitism. I second the other review talking about a gossipy culture between teachers and parents. During my time at Hrs there were many instances where parents and teachers would send awful emails about students or other parents. GREAT EDUCATION, SICKENING ENVIRONMENT.
Submitted by other on February 03, 2014

I am a high schooler at HRS and have been attending since I was in Kindergarten. The lower school is great, with wonderful, kind teachers and a wide variety of different academic, athletic, and artistic classes that your child can experience. The middle school is, admittedly, very cliquish and can be socially straining with such a small grade. But the teachers, including in high school are absolutely fantastic, qualifies, and ready to help you in any way possible. The high school has a great selection of classes and activities, so whatever your passion, you can find something for you. However, the school does put too much emphasis on sports, and runs the budget low when it comes to theatre. While the academics are rigorous, the social world of high school is much better and more open. Teachers are accessible, and truly passionate about what they are teaching. The scholastic side of school is very stressful at times, but I know I will be well served and prepared for college.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2013

We have a 3rd grader and kindergartener. We love Head-Royce for the academic excellence and emphasis on a well rounded education.
Submitted by other on March 22, 2013

I've been looking everywhere for a great private school, and after going to Bentley, Athenian(oh, that one was like a public school),and a few others, I felt awful. But then my parents enrolled me in HRS, and I was skeptical. But when I entered, it was like a whole new world. The teachers were amazingly knowledgeable, funny, accessible, and caring. The student body are all great friends, spirited, and smart.(generally, there are 2 or 3 that don't fit in to that category) The academics were rigorous and entertainingly taught. I'm graduating with a full scholarship to MIT with a scholarship next year, and I thank HRS for everything. I couldn't have done it without them.
Submitted by parent on March 17, 2013

The academics are what you would expect for the price tag on the education. However, there is so much more than the academics. The school s elitist and arrogant reputation is well deserved and permeates the environment. As noted by another reviewer, the school s enrollment has increased significantly and is well beyond its conditional use permit, resulting in formal action by the City. (The school has handled the problem by demonizing the neighbors who are understandably upset by the traffic, safety and lowered property values.) Despite the marketing photos, there is very little diversity. The community can be very gossipy (I read an email sent by a HR teacher (and parent) to other parents making disparaging comments about a HR student!), and there is a large landing pad for helicopter parents. If your child fits the mold , the school is a good fit. Otherwise, you may want to look to elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2012

Class sizes in 9th grade are now up in the 20 student range. Certainly not what what we expected nor what we were told when considering our choices.
Submitted by parent on April 15, 2012

My daughter loves the school !!!! Very kind and loving teachers! The lower school is amazing. All the teachers and specialists really get to know each child!!!
Submitted by other on April 11, 2012

As an African-American student, I had a hard time fitting in at Head-Royce(HRS). The majority of my class, for the three years I attended, were White and extremely wealthy. Myself and other minorities found it hard to fit in with children who bragged of summer vacation homes and yachts. Although fitting in with other students was a challenge, HRS has many other good factors, for example, the teachers at HRS are some o the best I've ever had. All students are divided into homerooms with a different teacher as an advisor, so in addition to having a bond with your teacher as a student, you also shared a bond because they were your advisors. The teachers are honest, realistic, down-to-Earth, generous, fun, and intelligent people. Another positive factor about HRS is the beautiful campus. There is a rose garde, a cafe, two libraries, a fully functional theater, and a pool. Personally, I saw nothing particularly special about the education to be recieved at HRS. I think the school is a lot of, smoke and mirrors. Education wise, it's just an average school, I personally believe a little below average; there's nothing particularly challenging about HRS's cirriculum. NOT WORTH THE MONEY! :(