Inside Outside School

5530 Killingsworth Ln

Pflugerville, TX 78660

14 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-5
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 02, 2024

This school has been great for my kids. The nurturing teachers and staff have helped my kids grow into amazing humans. I'll be heartbroken when my kids finally graduate.
Submitted by parent on November 26, 2024

Before our daughter was born, I stumbled upon the Inside Outside School (IOS) while researching elementary school options and quietly observed from afar for several years. Now, we are fortunate to be part of their community as our daughter started her formal schooling journey. This extraordinary school empowers students to actively participate in their learning by fostering an environment where wonder and discovery are key. Moreover, students learn valuable community service skills by collaborating on house, animal, and porch jobs. Our daughter is flourishing, and instead of spending the majority of her day indoors, she has the opportunity to immerse herself in nature, applying her classroom knowledge to real-world experiences. IOS also helps each student discover their own potential, unique talents, and encourages them to nurture and develop these gifts. Our daughter eagerly attends school each day and thrives in the IOS environment. If you unsure about where to send your child to school - I would highly recommend looking into IOS - it has exceeded our expectations and truly is a dream school.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2019

The Inside Outside School will always hold a special place in our family's heart. Our daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia and could not get the services and support from her public school in Round Rock. She was to the point that she cried each morning on the way to school and was had become so critical of herself and her ability that she was convinced that she was "stupid" . We finally made the change and tried IOS halfway through her 2nd grade year when we could not longer tolerate it and the change was amazing from her first day. She loves school and even complains on days when schoool is out. She feels so empowered and her teachers were so quick to see the strengths and brilliance that we had always known. They have also worked with her to find innovative and effective ways to address her reading and writing. She used to fight us about reading time and now she can't get enough reading. The progressive environment at the school reinforce so many of the values of kindness, compassion, and justice that we have taught our kids. I have been impressed with the skills that she has gained around critical thinking, logic, etc that our other kids in public schools aren't taught. We can't say enough about IOS and the amazing things they have done for our daughter. It truly is an amazing place.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2019

The Inside Outside school is an AMAZING place! My daughter is halfway through her kindergarten year. As a former public and private school teacher I can tell you I am incredibly impressed at how deftly the staff works together to successfully implement the best teaching practices I learned during my 7 years in the classroom. I was attracted to this school because of the focus on time spent learning in nature and a child centered environment, but I've come to appreciate the philosophy of the school. My daughter has enjoyed her electives, learned to care for her learning space, and learned how to advocate for herself as a learner and community member. Academically, she's grown by leaps and bounds this year, not only in her aptitude but in her confidence as well.I was concerned about my daughter adjusting to a new school after only attending school part time and our family transitioning to two homes. She was emotionally supported and cared for by the staff during what could have been such a tough time. She adapted to her new school much more easily than I could have expected, and adores her friends, teachers, and learning experiences. The only complaint she has EVER made was about marathon, which is clearly because she just doesn't like running and won't walk. That's saying something for a kiddo as expressive and analytical as she is. She's truly found a happy place and a second home at IOS.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2019

I have visited and researched more than 20 elementary schools in Austin area including Sudbury and Waldorf before finding this gem called “Inside Outside”This is a school that truly work on the holistic child on all levels, emotional, mental and spiritual. Their philosophy of “human greatness” is unmatched and they totally practice what they preach.When I walked into this school for the first time I met with happy and confident kids who had the freedom to think and express themselves. The kids approached me and discussed what they think about the school and their different perspectives. This was very unlike the other schools where the kids are expected to follow the rules and do not have the freedom to work with their own ideas or openly discuss them with a stranger.Each classroom feels like a yoga studio. The Zen of the room make you feel like learning and exploring. They use the most efficient tools of teaching like jolly phonics, rainbow letters, Electives, nature hunting etc that sparks curiosity and a natural urge to explore. To top it all the teachers are just amazing. You can tell that each teacher is there for the love of teaching and the holistic philosophy. One time My daughter’s teacher made hot chocolate for her class because the kids were doing a project outside and it was a very cold day! Can you believe it?Deborah, the founder is such an inspiring lady. She has more than a decade of experience in the education field and has combined the best practices from different programs to start this amazing school. We feel lucky to be part of this wonderful school!
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2019

Our son is thriving at IOS! The faculty and staff there really work to weave together their considerable and diverse talents and skills to teach and nurture students as a team, with a focus on taking the time to appreciate every child for the unique individual that he or she is. The guided learning fully embraces a differentiated philosophy of instruction, meeting each student where his or her needs and abilities intersect with his or her interests and passions, whether this is conducted in the classroom, the garden, or along the creekside. The blend of structured learning with time for deep imaginative play that is self-directed, the time spent outdoors, the care for others and self enhanced by caring for animals and each other helps foster a true sense of community that is not bound to a single class or group of students.Most importantly, the kids really want to be there. They get joy from their school day, and are engaged in their learning processes. They are encouraged to find and use their authentic voices. Instilling values like self-reliance, creativity, joy in learning, respect for others, love of the natural world and the animals we share it with, this school is the total package!
Submitted by parent on April 27, 2018

Life affirming and positive in every way.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2018

The staff at this school is committed to providing an amazing childhood academic experience.
Submitted by parent on January 19, 2017

We could not be happier with the Inside Outside School. To know that our kids spend their days in a happy, healthy environment brings so much peace of mind to our days. Kids are free to be themselves and learn at their own pace. Family participation is encourgaed and it is so fun to spend time with all of the kids at the school! Being part of such a wonderful community has been an amazing experience and we cannot wait to see what the next years bring!
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2016

I can't even express how happy we are with the Inside Outside School. Our two kids were drowning our (highly rated but huge) local elementary school. IOS is just what we needed. While structured (this ISN'T some school where the kids don't learn math is they don't feel like it) the curriculum is self-paced enough to remove much of the stress caused by the ridged pace and the endless test prep of public school. As a result, my non-reader turned into a reader in just a few short weeks and my math-hater voluntarily kept score for a game of dominoes the other night. Lots of outside time, including daily visits to the woods and creek, are a great way for the kids to burn off energy and reduce stress. We love the emphasis on community stewardship and seeing it paying off at home too. The community — teachers, parents and kids -- is warm and welcoming. We are so glad we found IOS!
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2015

My son was enrolled at Inside Outside School. After several days, his teacher tried to diagnose my son with a faulty diagnosis. I asked on what criteria she based her comments, and she said he doesn't always pay attention and likes to swing on the playground. HE IS IN KINDERGARTEN! Of course he doesn't pay attention and likes to swing. She also stated he didn't know his alphabet or letter sounds. She clearly didn’t know him at all, as he knew his alphabet and was already reading. She also requested we move him from the part-time program to full time.Less than a month later, she and the director told us they COULD NOT teach my son. They told us he could only come to school one day a week to participate in electives. This action conveniently opened up a spot for a full-time student, while still getting money from us. They then quit offering part time enrollment. I emailed the director a list of concerns and questions, which she never addressed.We subsequently enrolled him in public school. He loves his teachers (who CAN teach him) and loves riding the bus. My son is getting everything he needs and more in his neighborhood public school. He is excelling and regularly making the honor roll! We are realizing most of his lack of attention stemmed from not being challenged at IOS because of weak teaching strategies. Overall, I would definitely skip this school. Our bad experience was not the only one at this school.
Submitted by parent on February 25, 2015

We LOVE the Inside Outside School! The class sizes are small, there are many opportunities for mixed-age learning, there is direct teaching of core concepts, highly individualized learning, lots of outside and student-led activities, and an integrated social/emotional component that is woven throughout the structure of the days that helps our children learn one of the most valuable skills that will serve them through life - emotional intelligence! I love the way IOS approaches assessment of the students - I received a 10 page document that took me through the semester, explained what was learned in class and how my daughter is progressing. We used this document to review our previous goals and set new ones as a team - teacher, parents, and student. This is authentic learning at its best!
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2014

This school is really amazing. My kids love it and want to go to school even on holidays. The teachers are caring and dedicated to each child's personal goals and progress. We feel very fortunate to have our children here.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2014

I can't say enough wonderful things about this school. We are so lucky to have found a school with such amazing and caring teachers who nurture my daughter. They inspire her to learn and grow in so many ways. Her academic progress has been fantastic and she has so much fun every day. She's only in kindergarten but I already feel sad for the day when her time there will be done! I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found this school. I knew it was amazing the very moment I stepped through the door. Each day just reaffirms that initial feeling.