Raleigh Oak Charter

9400 Forum Drive

School District

Raleigh Oak Charter School
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:13
Type

charter

School Map for Raleigh Oak Charter School

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 January 21, 2025

We will be back next year. I wish they would provide alternative transportation like buses to those parents who can not meet school hours because of their work schedule. This would be really helpful in the near future.
Submitted by teacher on January 21, 2025

I am a teacher at Raleigh Oak and absolutely love it. I love that we deliver the Waldorf Curriculum through creative and mindful lessons that are aligned with the depth of North Carolina State Standards. We are not just a school but a community! We problem solve together and we celebrate together!
Submitted by parent on January 13, 2025

My child has been at ROCS for 6 years. Early on, it faced its challenges, as all charter schools do (funding, finding its way pedagogically, hiring quality staff members, etc.) but it has become a really wonderful place in the last couple of years under Dr. Johnson’s leadership and as the original staff members were given more responsibilities around the school. We’re happy to have a middle school option where bullying is actually unacceptable, where kids don’t do drugs or vape in the bathrooms, and where the point of going to school is to learn who you are and how you can improve the world—so many schools seem to be growing employees instead.
Submitted by parent on November 08, 2024

We have a 1st grader at the school and have loved the warm and inviting feel of the entire staff. ROCS is a very grass roots, still a very young school, which means that it is very agile and able to run with new, great ideas with ease. The teachers are very knowledgeable and focus on a child first approach to learning. Since the school is inspired by Waldorf principles (but also being a charter school means we are required to follow NC State standard course of study), we have a many students and parents that are eco conscience, interested in giving back to our community, and we have a diverse community.
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2024

We owe a debt of gratitude to Raleigh Oak for the years of amazing education we had there for my children. We were one of the first families there and my older son went there for six years, starting in 3rd grade. His prior school had been heavily reliant on screens to keep the kids interested and they often cancelled recess. He didn't do well in that environment and his teachers had complained that he couldn't pay attention. When we switched to Raleigh Oak my husband and I were amazed when at our first parent-teacher conference, his teacher told us he had no problem paying attention. I think what helped was the hands-on experiential learning, two recesses a day, and the focus on creativity. His teachers led by example with their kindness and unlike at his prior school, bullying was not tolerated and the kids were respectful to each other. I also loved that there was very little reliance on screens to keep the kids engaged. Like any school a lot depends on which teacher you get, and we were lucky that my kids' teachers hit it out of the park. The Waldorf philosophy focuses on the magic of childhood and the uniqueness of each child. It is hard to explain the vibe but if you are considering the school you might want to take a tour there to see what I mean. The last thing I want to mention is that a lot of kids left after fifth grade because their parents wanted them to go have a typical junior high experience, so the classes became small in the middle school years, which ended up being amazing for us. It was the the middle school experience I wish I had as a kid: small, personal classes with a nice group of kids and a lot of individual attention from amazing teachers. Some people pay a lot of money for private schools so that they can have those things, and we got it for free, so we feel very lucky that we could give our son that experience.
Submitted by parent on May 13, 2024

This school is very poorly run and isn't following the Waldorf plan well. The teachers try but recieve little support from administration. The EC program is a complete joke. They refuse to acknowledge diagnosed disabilities and put the blame on parents. There is a reason they have such low test scores across the board. Their 2022-2023 3rd grade EOG had 15 of 36 students fail. When barely 50% of your students are passing the EOG, you've got a serious problem. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN HERE.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2024

This school is poorly run and disorganized. Leadership chances didn’t help. My children received better support for social and emotional learning, and less punitive punishments in the public school. We returned to our base school and are so glad we did.
Submitted by other on January 02, 2024

Raleigh Oak Charter School offers an unparalleled educational experience, combining academic excellence with a nurturing environment. Its dedicated faculty fosters a passion for learning, ensuring students thrive both intellectually and socially. The school's innovative curriculum incorporates real-world applications, nature inspired projects and helps prepare students for a dynamic future. ROCS prioritizes holistic development, encouraging extracurricular engagement and fostering leadership skills. The strong sense of community is evident through collaborative projects and a supportive network. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, ROCS truly stands out. I'm so glad my children attend ROCS. They have a chicken coop, a garden and a brand new eco school built just for their unique needs.
Submitted by parent on December 02, 2023

This has been an amazing option for my two children. We've had many ups and downs and have experienced hardships like short staffing due to the pandemic and the school moving farther away but the truth is this has been a stellar set of teachers and staff who have helped both kids thrive. The school does all the standards assessments when it comes to reading and math. (So nothing is "missing.") It's not the school for those who like everything polished and all the rough edges sanded, there's many schools in the area like that. This is a warm and engaging *fun* school with plenty of heart!
Submitted by parent on November 21, 2023

All of my children (who are all very different in their needs, interests and personalities) have thrived at Raleigh Oak. My EC student has made enormous progress and has amazing support not only from their EC teachers and resource, but also from their classroom teachers and admin. My children have attended this school from kindergarten and have all become engaged, smart and creative kids who have long-standing positive connections with their peers and teachers. The community here is KIND and encouraging, even within the upper grade and middle school, in a way that I just don’t see at other schools. I hope they continue to grow and succeed for decades to come!
Submitted by other on November 02, 2023

We chose Raleigh Oak Charter School for my son when he was starting Kindergarten in 2018, right as the school was opening its doors on Forum Drive, following in the footsteps of many new charter schools before it. This school was the perfect fit for our family, as my son was on the younger side for K and the Kinder experience at ROCS is incredibly unique in its approach to helping children transition to the classroom. While the school has gone through many of the growing pains expected for any community-initiated startup, ROCS has always been far more than just an educational institution; it's a place where our son - and later our daughter - truly flourished. The teachers consistently made magic from the limited green space at Forum, and created a dynamic learning environment that sparked intellectual curiosity and early problem-solving skills through play. The emphasis on hands-on learning and outdoor-in-all-weather activities kept our children engaged and active. Raleigh Oak Charter School nurtures every aspect of a child's potential.
Submitted by parent on February 28, 2023

This school’s Exceptional Children’s department is poorly run. They take on students that they are unable to handle and then push the blame to the teachers. I would not recommend sending your student here if they have an IEP and especially if they have complex needs as the school is unable to handle these needs,