Gateway Middle School

1512 Golden Gate Avenue

School District

San Francisco Unified
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

charter

School Map for San Francisco 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 January 13, 2025

Our student started at Gateway Middle this fall. It's been an overwhelmingly positive experience so far. We value the diversity of the school and our son has experienced a strong sense of community. He only knew a few students when he started and he was able to make connections with peers through his cohort and advisory in the first month. As a learner, he reports that he loves his teachers and we see that he is engaged academically in Humanities, Math and Science. He has also thrived in his Art class this fall. As a parent, I noticed immediately that my kid was known well by the adults in the school; his teachers and the staff could speak to who he is -- his sense of humor, his strengths and how they are encouraging him to grow. In our conference, his advisor celebrated his success and also discussed how to offer opportunities to challenge him in his strongest subjects. He's also built strong connections through the sports program; the coaches/PE teachers are loved by the students and playing on a school team has been a great opportunity to make connections with peers. Overall, it's been a really positive experience and I can't recommend the school enough.
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2025

A 5 star rating might imply that there is no room or desire for growth or improvement, but that is not the case here. Always striving to listen, learn, and make changes is what keep Gateway nimble, responsive and growing. We were initially drawn to Gateway on the strength of the community, and have not been disappointed! The faculty and staff clearly enjoy being at the school, and clearly like one another as well - this strong internal community sets the tone and encourages a strong community amongst students and families. Gateway's small size means staff and faculty truly know the students. There have been multiple examples in which I have met a staff member for the first time myself, and when I mention my student's name, the staff person readily responds with an insightful and caring comment about him, indicating that he is seen and appreciated. The transition from elementary to middle school is a challenging one for all parties involved, but being part of a supportive, dynamic, and diverse school has made all the difference for our family. We have hit our groove and are thankful and happy to be part of Gateway Middle School.
Submitted by student on November 03, 2023

This school has a pretty good learning system and I think that I learn decently here.
Submitted by parent on September 25, 2023

My kids are doing well and thriving at Gateway. The smaller size makes it makes such a difference at this age with all the middle school angst and drama. The staff and teachers are caring and do their best to support all students. When challenges arise, they work with families on effective solutions in a timely manner. We are happy to be part of this diverse and inclusive community.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2022

Love! People here are great, small school, bullying is uncommon and teachers are very good at what they do. So glad to be here <3
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2022

Our ninth grader, now at an elite private school, credits GMS for the organizational, time management, and socioemotional skills he needed to get in, as well as succeed, in his current environment. Yes, there was the usual middle school issues, but they were much more manageable at GMS due to the small campus size and student body. The teachers were 110% committed to their students and knew everyone. This is a school that takes equity seriously, so I am surprised to see lower scores on this metric. The sports program was almost non existent during our time there, but a new director is doing a great job getting that up and running. We compensated by doing sports outside school. My kid would have attended GHS is he hadn't gotten into his dream high school within biking distance to our home. GMS helped my kid become a leader and a scholar when he was more groomed to be an athlete. I cannot thank GMS enough for introducing us to lifelong friends and him to engaged learning. GMS may be small, but it is mighty and what it does, it does well. For reference, we are a biracial (both brown), bicultural, upper middle class family with a history in both public and private school.
Submitted by parent on April 24, 2022

Teachers and principal try very hard but there’s only so much you can do with this student population. My child is bullied and ostracized daily. It is heartbreaking and I don’t think I’ll ever get over the guilt of sending him here.My child has struggled emotionally and the school counselor never reached out, never intervened, and I just learned didn’t know my kid even existed until two weeks ago (he’s been there since 6th grade). That’s just inexcusable with a student body of 300.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2020

Online learning with covid, this school has done a remarkable job,
Submitted by parent on March 07, 2019

Fantastic. My child is happy and thriving.
Submitted by parent on November 24, 2014

I believe that this is the best place for middle school students in the SFUSD if you like small class sizes, teacher involvement, useful and current technology for communication between teacher, administrators, parents and students. The down side is there is not a sports facility of good PE program. That said, this is an excellent school. The students are kept to a code of higher ethics, motivation of life choices (think 'college') and academic excellence that is sadly lacking in most public schools in San Francisco.
Submitted by parent on October 02, 2014

Gateway is a small middle school with a lottery for entrance. I chose this school for my son because of the small size compared to SF public middle schools. The school feels like a private school in size and quality but a public school in student diversity. We feel very lucky to have received a spot. The schools strengths are in pre-teen/teen social development and academic preparedness. All teachers and staff are on the same page - supportive, motivating, clear with expectations and great at communicating with kids and parents. It makes the middle school transition easier and meaningful for kids. My son is learning to organize himself and become an efficient student who is motivated by each academic improvement and success. This is something that is hard to teach at home. The kids are very diverse in ethnicity and socio-economics but the school has a friendly vibe thanks to good adult leadership.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

Great school, with a strong focus on academics and social skills. The principals are personable and know each student by name, the teachers are readily accessible, and student scores/ progress are available online.
Submitted by parent on September 28, 2013

Our son is new to the Gateway community. So far as parents we have found the educational experience to be academically challenging. Teachers and staff are enthusiastic about their roles. Social challenges have been address appropriately and in an expedient nature to encourage positive self esteem and problem solving. We are happy with this school and our choice to send our son there.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2013

My son just finished his first week of sixth grade at Gateway MS. He states that he likes all of his teachers and that especially in Spanish, the classwork has been fun, inventive and engaging. He says all of the students are really nice and there is no bullying or unkind words spoken. We picked this school for the small class-size, individualized instruction and college preparatory curriculum. We are extremely optimistic that our son will have an joyful and challenging educational experience at GMS!
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2013

This is a super school that has a code of ethics and keeps to it. We hope the school stays put for next year but since it is a charter school the SFUSD gives it low priority for real estate and that is not good for the kids. The teachers are very dedicated to our child and email or call us when we have questions. We recommend this school to prospective middle school parents.