Bowman School

4000 Terman Drive

Palo Alto, CA 94306

18 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on August 05, 2024

Pre covid, this school was amazing, now, it sucks. I would strongly advise parents not to send their children here.Learning:Before covid, I was learning a lot. I learned decimals in second grade, but in seventh grade, I learned nothing. I am now going into high school, and am nervous, because I don't feel smart enough.Teaching:Some teachers are amazing. Others are terrible. There is one teacher (Who is now gone) who was supposed to teach math. She did not know how to simplify fractions. Also, she made us call her Miss __ (Bowman frowns upon this), when I confronted her, she only got mad at me.Social-emotional support:Bowman is good at this.Special Education:I am "Profoundly gifted", and bowman has done nothing to help. Safety:I feel safeFamily Engagement:My mom had to send so many emails to keep the school in check. She was definitely involved (She's on the board).Please don't waste your time on this poor quality school. Show some care for your child.Also, they can't touch me now, I'm gone!
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2024

Bowman used to be a good school with great teachers. However, recent several years they expanded the school size, added preschool and even started a high school. My kids complaining room teacher changes often and good teachers goes to the new highschool. I agree with them. Considering the tuition, I don't recommend Boman like I used to.
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2020

Absolute waste of money....but that is not as bad as destroying my child's confidence in maths, leaving my child's English years behind his peers.If you giving your child an easy time.....no targets, and are happy with a child totally unable to go to the top classes in public high school, yeh this could be the school for you.Being honest, you can do much better in a standard public school......
Submitted by student on November 19, 2018

I love Bowman. I am currently in eigth grade, and their preparation for high school is really helping me get all of the applications done on time. My class is like a second family, and we all know each other. Bowman is an amazing school with great curricular and extra-curricular opportunities.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2018

Not worth the money. Look at other private schools and do not be fooled by the leadership, who knows how to talk sweet, but seems unable/unwilling to focus on making sure students receive the best education possible.
Submitted by other on February 11, 2017

Both of my children have attended school at Bowman and for my son especially the experience transformed him from a distracted--perhaps bored--going toward rebellious person into a young man who engages his work with personal initiative. Once I asked him "What consequence do we need to set for you if you don't get this work done" and he said "Mom, the consequence is that _I_don't_get_my_ work_done"--said in a way that indicated that his self respect would be injurious enough. Not for all kids perhaps but definitely a great school.
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2016

Curriculum is a major problem. Yes the kids are confident, but the maths course leaves your kid years behind public school, and the teachers do not correct spelling, apart from one journal which is supposedly used daily by the children, but if the child chooses to write only a couple of lines that is all that is corrected. If you look at the number of kids at each grade you will see the numbers drop rapidly. One of the reasons is many find they need to send your kid to remedial maths class outside school hours.If you want your child to be an actor in school plays yes this school is great. But this is the Bay Area, and to survive here you need to know maths. The cost of tuition also goes up yearly by very LARGE percentages.
Submitted by parent on April 05, 2016

Both of my daughters have been attending Bowman for the past 7 years and we couldn't be happier! Our children love going to school every day! Bowman teaches kids to be curious and love to learn. Every child is valued and is able to learn at their own speed. The teachers are wonderful and the atmosphere at school is very friendly and inclusive. Kids have smiles on their faces. I only wish I attended a school like this when I was a child!
Submitted by parent on April 05, 2016

Just to name a few great things about Bowman - we love the small group instruction, the individualized learning, the daily PE, art, music and theater, yoga, Mandarin and Spanish lessons. The school focuses on teaching the student master the subject. Even though education is not focused on taking tests, Bowman students understands concepts well and manage to score high on tests. So glad we found a Montessori school that fosters our son's curiosity along with giving him a solid foundation in academics!
Submitted by parent on March 18, 2016

Our child was attending a traditional academic preschool when we started our search for a kindergarten and beyond program. We went looking for something different, an environment where our child could come out of their shell and become a confident and expressive young person. We came upon Bowman without any specific expectations as we were not familiar with Montessori. We were quite impressed with our tour, observing how the kids were learning and how the middle school students were active participants. Now 2 years later we are pleased that we chose to enroll our child at Bowman. They offer a very balanced curriculum with a focus on nurturing your child’s independence. In addition to a challenging academic program, children are exposed to theater, music, art, yoga, two languages (Mandarin and Spanish), and daily PE. With multi-age classrooms the younger students benefit from interacting with the older students in the class, and the older students gain confidence in teaching the younger students. Bowman is a year round school, which is great for working parents. You choose when you want to take your child on vacation, since it is a self-paced program. Bowman also has a flexible drop off time from 8am to 9am, which is great if you are commuting from further away. A Montessori education may not be for everyone and can be more difficult to navigate as your child works at their own pace and does not have homework or grades at the lower levels. However, from our experience so far it appears that our child is adjusting well to this style of teaching and education. Finally, the teachers are readily accessible to addressing any concerns and give timely progress reports. Take a tour and experience Bowman for yourself.
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2015

This is a school with a very poor headmistress, a very poor curriculum and a very high turn-over rate of students. If you are thinking of going to this school ask any parent who has been at Bowman for a while how many of their friends have left over the years. Then consider how many replacement students they get, but the school still has so few students at the upper years.
Submitted by parent on October 03, 2014

Bowman teaches the way all students are meant to learn! My current 8th grader joined in December of 7th grade and immediately fit right in! The teachers and students were beyond kind and welcoming to him. I love so many things about Bowman ... no homework, no grades, late start time (9am), school day ends at 4pm, small class size, individualized instruction, each student in middle school has a one on one check in teacher (no advisory with 20+ kids), it is also a year around school so when your child misses school - for any reason - there are no nasty e-mails or guilt trips. The teachers and administration at Bowman are good and kind people, they really know my son and they really care. My only disappointment with Bowman is that we didn't know about it when my son was starting Kindergarten and that it doesn't go up to 12th grade! We need more schools like Bowman!
Submitted by parent on November 20, 2012

My daughter loves Bowman! She has made many friends and is very happy. The families are down-to-earth and are committed to their children, but not in a competitive way. The teachers are caring. The Halloween parade is awesome!
Submitted by teacher on July 19, 2012

Students thrive here and the environment is positive and welcoming. Bowman has a wonderful community and the administrators care deeply about the children and their unique skill set.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2012

My Child has been at Bowman for two years and has accomplished so many things! One of the most important things to our family is that our child has continued to be and has been supported to be a kind, caring person who cares for others and his environment. The Bowman approach has been very successful for our family!
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2012

Bowman is an excellent school with incredibly dedicated teachers and staff. The environment fosters a love of learning and independent study. It does require your child to be self motivated as kids are encouraged to pursue their own interests. Some parents are surprised that there is no homework, but you have to factor in that the school is open from 730a to 6p. If kids plan their day right they should be able to get it all done at school.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2012

We were thrilled with our child's progress. Teachers are very passionate about their jobs. For some reason, with no explanation, teachers who are amazing at what they do are leaving the school. We were saddened to see an incredible teacher leave and for administration to give lame excuse/explanation of the situation.
Submitted by parent on November 21, 2011

Fantastic School for our gifted child!! We were in the much touted Palo Alto schools which were a nightmare for gifted kids. Bowman has been incredible. Great teachers, responsive administration and nice welcoming families. Finally!! This is what schools should be.