Thornhill Elementary School

5880 Thornhill Drive

School District

Oakland Unified
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
Type

public

School Map for Oakland Unified School District

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 August 06, 2024

Thornhill Elementary has been a safe haven for my child and our family. We have been very pleased with the teachers and other administrators including the principal. Our child is neurodivergent and he has found his "people" and we have also felt truly supported during our time at Thornhill. Of course, things can always be better, it is an Oakland public school, but we are so happy to be a part of the Thornhill community as it continues to strive to be better.
Submitted by other on December 22, 2023

This school is well-run with an active PFC, but the community at large tends to be remarkably toxic. There is a lot of gossip and privilege that undermines the wonderful individuals here, staff and parents and even amongst kids. If this community were less focused on complaints and more focused on actively supporting one another, then this would be a really nice place, but I would say that families considering this place should be wary.
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2023

We have two kids at Thornhill, and first lets get the bad out of the way: the principal. Largely a non-factor and when he is a factor it's never great. Aloof, somehow fears confrontation but also is combative, doesn't really relate to kids, not very involved with the ongoings at the school, I could go on for a mile... There are people employed at the school who would excel at this leadership role but are unfortunately not given the chance. So why do I still give this school 5 stars? Everyone else who works there and the community of parents who strive to make it a special place, which all happens despite the principal. The teachers try hard daily and are so committed to the kids. The administrative support staff cares deeply about each child. The PFC funded teachers (music, librarian, PE, art, gardening) are exceptional. The community of parents fundraises and goes above and beyond to make it a true community.
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2022

Teachers are fantastic and fellow students/families are welcoming.A very welcoming environment for kids to learn & grow in. Attentive, caring teachers & faculty - other students are generally friendly & well behaved, parents engaged in the school/community.Not as familiar with certain programs (special needs, etc), so can't really speak to that, but school is diverse & inclusive.
Submitted by other on March 10, 2022

Our second child is leaving Thornhill this year and going to middle school. We have dearly loved the school, but as another reviewer wrote, the principal is definitely the low point. He is self-centered and immature, leading him to make decisions not for the good of the school or community but more to build his ego. He is completely unable to form a sentence (really). I think the school has gradually declined as a result of poor leadership.The teachers (as we have found to be the case in pretty much every school) are hit and miss, but there seem to be more better ones here than worse ones and some definitely memorable and wonderful teachers as well.We have loved the community, but it is slowly deteriorating because of poor decisions by the principal, who is threatened by the community and therefore works hard to keep it away.The school does not do this anymore, but it used to have "buddies" of different grade levels that would get together weekly or bi-weekly and play a game or other activity. Our kids loved that and it really helped to build community. So much has changed because of the pandemic and it's looking unlikely that it will return.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2021

I have 2 children at Thornhill. My daughter is a wonderful little social-butterfly and would do well pretty much anywhere you put her. My son has some emotional difficulties and anxiety and has had a hard time adjusting to school. For both of my children Thornhill has been wonderful. The principal is one of the most caring people and has been amazing whenever I have reached out. Two examples - when my daughter was in kindergarten she had an issue with some boys bullying her. I emailed Mr. Daubenspeck and he called me back within and hour. The school not only contacted the families of the boys, but also had a meeting with my daughter to say how brave she was to say what happened and to ensure she knew she could always come to him if it happened again. Then the school took the extra step of incorporating anti-bullying curriculum for the entire kindergarten class over the following weeks. I was so impressed by this holistic approach. My son has anxiety and possibly ADHD, and school can be triggering for him. He is not easy, but again Mr. Daubenspeck and all the teachers at Thornhill have been incredible in making sure he has the extra support and accommodations he needs to feel safe and learn. Mr. Daubenspeck has gone out of his way to be a friend and advocate for my son. We feel truly lucky to be at Thornhill, and highly recommend the school. Oakland Unified has its challenges but the teachers, staff and principal at Thornhill do an amazing job.
Submitted by other on July 06, 2021

We love this school, we've been attending for 4 years now, it is not our neighborhood-assigned school. I don't get the negative reviews. We have a child with behavioral issues and have felt understood and supported. Less so by other parents. When problems between kids have arisen, staff has been very proactive with meeting with us and coming up with a solution. Not all parents have been as generous. Yes, the school does not have a lot of resources from the district but that is how it goes in Oakland, yay. Lots of opportunities for parental involvement and interaction with staff. It's a gem. We also think the principal is doing a great job balancing the very diverse needs of the student body. He may not be out front putting on a show for the parents, that's because his energy is 100% for the students and staff. If you need a show and top of the line everything, go find a private school. This place has a great community and I hope it stays that way.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2021

We are in our 6th year at Thornhill. Overall, it has been a been very good experience,and my kids have been very happy. Between my two kids, we have had several phenomenal teachers, and a couple of ok teachers. The community is wonderful. The PFC works hard to raise funds to provide a lot of things that the school would have to go without if it only relied on OUSD's funding (library, PE, art, music, gardening, extra instructional support aides). In non-COVID times, onsite aftercare is very hard to come by, which is stressful. And Thornhill's parking and drop-off situation is congested and less than ideal, though this has more to do with the location than the school administration.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2021

Thornhill is a fine school if your child doesn't have any learning challenges. The staff at Thornhill aren't prepared/trained to manage kids with learning differences. The teachers are great but don't have the resources to focus on struggling kids. The resource team is limited and are also not well supported. It is pretty disappointing because the school asks for monetary donations and parent volunteering constantly but when you need support for your child, it is hard to find. Unfortunately, the Principal is not approachable and tends to downplay concerns. The parent community is great at Thornhill and they are really what keep the school functioning.
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2020

We have two Thornhill students, and we've been really happy. It is a great school community with caring, creative teachers. There is a lot of fundraising for things that I think should be paid for by the district or the state, but I think that may be par for the course in OUSD.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2020

Had such high hopes when my son started first grade at Thornhill. It turned into an absolute nightmare. I've learned that there are many other families who have had similar experiences.
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2019

Community oriented, wonderful school. The teachers are great, parents are very involved. Great acedemics and cool extra curricular slime African drumming. We love it.
Submitted by parent on April 23, 2018

Very impressed with the rigor and positive approach to learning by teachers and staff at Thornhill. Love the music focus and weekly community building sing along. The school has a very caring climate and strong parent involvement.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2018

I love Thornhill Elementary School, we have had a wonderful experience at this school!
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2017

I 've had a terrible experience with our principal , donations and bullying.
Submitted by parent on June 29, 2017

We are happy with our community with in Thornhill Elementary. Many good families attend the school and with out their efforts and involvement this school would not be nearly as good. However, many parents extremely dislike the lack of leadership of the principal. He is dishonest, lacks confidentiality, and is not very professional. There are many amazing teachers and a couple not so good teachers that must have tenier. Overall the school could be better with new leadership... a new principal!
Submitted by parent on May 11, 2014

My child is in third grade at Thornhill. We have been here since kindergarten. I like the teacher my child has. She is caring and supportive. The new Principal however, just hides out in his office all of the time. He is not warm and welcoming as the wonderful previous Principal. Who knows if he will be our Principal next school year or if we will have a new one. There is too much homework and projects for a child of 8 or 9 to do. It's like the homework is for the parents. If your child doesn't fit their mold then the school is quick to state that your child has "problems". Nice variety of after school programs. Lots of stay at home parents and and work at home parents. There are some bullying issues, that are not dealt with properly. Lots of parent volunteers. Recess is only 10 mins in the morning and in the afternoon. Short lunch also. We are currently looking into private school or homeschool.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2014

This school was a great start. I couldn't have been more pleased with the parent involvement, and the teachers care, but some are better and more organized than others. Kindergarten is a wonderful experience. Summer mixers turned into friends on the playground and the weekends, for the parents and children. Despite mostly all being from wealthy backgrounds, there is never a feeling of elitism, and there is diversity. The parents are also highly organized, and involvement opportunities are as frequent as you can make them. The school itself is worth a 5 star rating, but leadership changes cause me to dock it a star. For political reasons, things went south spring of 2013, and OUSD assigned a new principal, starting the '13-14. He is the polar opposite to the previous- our new one is not charismatic, seemingly has no point of view on education, and doesn't truly engage the parents (although he will hear you, there is no action). He is not a servant leader; he only operates the school. *Surprised* no one has commented yet. The education doesn't seem to suffer, but aside from your own teacher engagement, you won't get that warm fuzzy feeling that the school is going good places.
Submitted by parent on November 01, 2013

This school has a great community. Feels like a nice, neighborhood school. Caring teachers, parents and a nurturing environment. Our children thrive there. There seems to be a healthy emphasis on academics and lots of extracurricular activities. The parents fundraise actively to provide added benefits for the kids and the school.
Submitted by parent on October 31, 2013

the school might have good rating, but for the special education classroom is bad. if i wouldve know how it actually is in the classroom i wouldve looked for another school. the teacher seams unexperienced, and looks frustrated with her inavility to control the classroom and the kids. the teacher/student ration is redicilous! the director is not as friendly and great as they make him seem endless your a white upper class parent! He lacks understanding and compassion with the special needs children and from my experience i believe he needs more education on Autism and understanding them and their behaviors!!