Arches Academy

280 South 400 East

Orem, UT 84097

13 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 17, 2024

We recently moved out of state, but while we were in Utah, we had such an incredible experience at Arches. At Arches, all of the teachers and employees have such intentionality and pride in what they are building. They are passionate about teaching and instilling knowledge, skills and good character in our children. The teachers care so much and during parent-teacher conference it is clear they are really paying attention to our childrens' development, and actively trying to help them grow. I also love the focus on character, leadership and behavior development. My young kids learned how to follow instructions, respect other peoples' space, respect authority, work hard, find joy in learning, be responsible for completing assignments, and be organized. Also, all of our kids made massive leaps academically at Arches, which has set them all up very well. The intentionality of Arches cannot be beat. Arches has left a positive mark on each of our children that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Thank you!
Submitted by parent on November 26, 2023

We originally came to Arches Academy because it had an all-day kindergarten. Now we have our two kids there, one in 1st grade and another in their nursery (2 yr olds) and it is super convenient because they both are at the same place from 8:15am-3:15pm. The teachers are great, very supportive and friendly, family-like atmosphere. They like to keep parents informed and some teachers are awesome at pushing students just enough to excel. Our son reads so well and loves to write. Our 2-year-old is learning alphabet, numbers, colors, songs, and social behavior, which we never got much when my son used to go to daycare at that age. They help do diaper changes for her and willing to help her become potty trained when we give the go-ahead. They emphasize performing arts, with multiple performances and a big school play that is top notch compared to what I remember of even high schools. Students rotate between a home room and specialties (science, art, music, global culture/language, computer skills). We give them both sack lunches, but there are food options available to purchase if you want to do that. The 2-year-olds do naps and snacks in the day as well. They have an indoor gym and outdoor playgrounds (including a toddler set for the little ones).
Submitted by parent on November 05, 2023

We love Arches! It has a good balance of STEM, Arts, and hands-on experiential learning. The kids are all friends.
Submitted by parent on February 14, 2023

I had a very poor experience with this school. My 4 year-old daughter was afraid of her teacher. After only two days with this teacher, my daughter told me that she didn't want to go back to this school because her teacher was "mad at her". She begged me to not make her come back here. My wife and I personally witnessed this teacher talking harshly to our daughter in the brief time she attended. After only two days of the school year, we asked to withdraw and had to pay over $1000 in fees (and this was after fighting with administration for several months to get this amount reduced). Needless to say I would not recommend anyone send their children here based on my experience.
Submitted by parent on September 19, 2022

Our two boys (9, 7) thrived at this school. The teachers were engaged and caring, the school has a more diverse population than some surrounding schools, the administration was more than fair and responsive in every interaction, and the community of families was enjoyable and a huge asset. We loved our time at Arches!
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2022

I love it here! I wish this school was available when I was growing up.
Submitted by parent on July 18, 2018

Arches has added more STEAM classes, a new computer lab, and I hear more advanced curriculum. The school has grown significantly in the past year and has split a couple of classes for the upcoming school year. The small home room class size (18) across all grades leads to accelerated and customized learning. Leveled learning, hands-on learning, Singapore Math, Leader in Me, the specialty classes, the all-school play, all lead to a fantastic experience your children won't get elsewhere. I highly recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on July 27, 2017

We were really disappointed with Arches. The administration is very unprofessional. Our daughter developed anxiety due to the school's 'study hall' policy (if a student doesn't finish an assignment in the morning, they are isolated from their friends at lunch and have to eat by themselves while they finish an assignment). I addressed concerns with the school principal about this policy. She assured me she'd discuss it with our daughter's teacher. I found out, almost a month later, that she never spoke to the teacher about it and our daughter was still being sent to study hall multiple times a week. I always felt like the administration cared more about the survival of the school than about the kids' well-being. They are desperate for money. On top of the $7500+ tuition, they are constantly asking for more money. The school principal even rented out a classroom in the basement to her husband's company to use as workspace and never told students' parents about it. I was quite upset to learn that there were several strange men in our kids' school who weren't teachers. They essentially teach 'common core' and simply tweak it. When we toured the school, we were told 'what we wanted to hear', only to be disappointed later when we discovered that they didn't offer several of the things they claimed to ( i.e. STEM programs, an exemplary art program, superior education to public schools) At Arches, you're essentially paying for a small class size. But, Kindergarten and first grade are the only grades with truly small class sizes (starting in 2nd grade, they combine two grades per teacher and the classes have 25+ students per class).
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2017

Couldn't be happier having our kids at this school. The faculty is out of this world ! The environment of Arches Academy has to be experienced first hand. When we took the tour we knew we finally found where our kids needed to be.
Submitted by teacher on December 03, 2016

Teaching at Arches Academy is FUN! The students are motivated, love working together, and are always supportive of each other. The other faculty are wonderful to work with and are always helpful. I love this school!
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2016

Leveled learning -- children get placed in math, reading, etc, based on where they are at not based on age. Leader in Me -- Covery's 7 Habits for schools! Singapore Math -- Math that makes sense, no busy work. Great use of students time -- allows time for exposure to more topics. Many out of class learning experiences. Regular feedback on child's successes and struggles without having to wait for parent teachers meetings. You don't have to hope your child gets the "good teacher" like public schools. My kids fake being well so they can go to school even if they're sick -- they love it that much.
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2015

My son's first year at Arches as a 6th grader was the best year of school he has had since preschool. He is bright and kind, but was often overlooked in public and charter schools, because other kids required more of the teacher's time in those large classes the public schools have. He really feels like he belongs here, and he's not just a number on a test. His character matters and he is praised for who he is. He has some health challenges and had anxiety, and they really worked with us to help him succeed and get good grades anyway. They challenged him and in the process he found new things he excells at, so his confidence has really increased.
Submitted by teacher on February 24, 2015

Arches is a great place to send your child to learn! Small class sizes, fun teachers and exceptional students make it the perfect academic environment for growth. There's no other school like it.