Stratford School

301 De Montfort Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94112

20 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-5
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 20, 2025

Pros:Strong Math Curriculum - The program was rigorous and well-structured.Excellent Vocabulary & Comprehension Curriculum - This aspect of the academics was well-developed.Engaged Families - Many parents were highly involved and invested in their children's education.Cons:Inexperienced Teachers - Year after year, the teachers lacked experience. In 1st grade, both teachers had never taught that grade before or even worked at the school prior. Their execution of the curriculum was poor.High Teacher Turnover - In one year alone, two teachers from different grades left mid-year without notice. Instead of acknowledging the problem, the principal attempted to spin it as a positive. If these teachers were truly "non-regrettable departures," why were they hired and trusted to educate children in the first place?Lack of Classroom Oversight - Teachers frequently relied on YouTube videos instead of direct instruction. They did not read books to the children, which is a crucial part of early education. One semester, my child inexplicably received a 50 in Science, with no clear explanation.Behavioral Issues & Poor Conflict Resolution - There was ongoing bullying in my child's class for all three years, with one particular student repeatedly pinching classmates. Instead of addressing it effectively, the school placed the burden on parents to advocate for their children. At the last parent event I attended, multiple families were arguing over unresolved classroom behavior issues.Principal's Leadership:The principal is more of a salesperson than an educational leader. Her focus seems to be on recruiting new students rather than ensuring the quality of education for the ones already enrolled. She took for granted the well-behaved, attentive students and showed no gratitude toward engaged families.Final Thoughts:I kept my children at this school for three years out of fear that other schools would be just as bad--but that was not the case. Their new school is so much better academically and emotionally. If you're considering this school solely for the math and comprehension curriculum, know that these programs can be purchased online, complete with instructional videos. This is a much better route if you want your child to be academically challenged in a safe and supportive environment.
Submitted by parent on January 29, 2025

I've been a Stratford parent for many years and need to share some concerns about what I'm seeing at the school. The teachers are clearly stretched thin with such large classes, making it hard for kids to get the attention they need. I'm particularly worried about teachers having to teach subjects they aren't trained in - this isn't fair to them or our kids.What really breaks my heart is seeing how my child and their friends have lost their excitement for learning. This isn't the engaging, positive environment it used to be when we first started. While many parents, including myself, have brought up these issues over the years, we haven't seen meaningful changes. Of particular concern is the lack of support for students with different learning needs - there is no learning specialist on staff, and teachers would benefit from additional training in working with neurodivergent students.The athletic program also needs work - our kids deserve better PE resources and sports opportunities. As parents making a significant financial commitment to private education, we expected stronger academic support, more engaged students, and an administration that actively responds to parent input.
Submitted by parent on September 11, 2023

High teacher turnover; the high quality teachers do not stay; no infrastructure for social emotional learning, ensuring psychological safety and inclusion. This is left to the individual teachers who are not trained for this. There is no control over bullying and toxic behavior; lack of transparency and honesty from administrators. The curriculum is good and definitely more advanced than the public school education in San Francisco, however, that was only a positive experience with particular teachers. Those teachers have all left Stratford. Consider paying more than the Stratford 20k+ for a more well rounded and safe experience. Or, explore the higher rated SF public or Catholic schools and use the saved money for supplemental education programs or private tutors. Stratford is part of a large corporate education group. Maximizing profits is important for them.
Submitted by parent on August 02, 2023

I really wish I read these 1 star reviews before I took the risk to send my child here. I eventually got a refund but still not happy about the horrible experience. Same thing going on in 2023… rotating staff, lack of communication and experience, and just expecting kids to follow orders with no thinking or enthusiasm. So happy to be out of there and letting my child develop healthier and happier, and ultimately stronger.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2020

Absolutely AWFUL. Do not send your child here.High staff turnover, poor leadership, lack of facilities, too many kids, licensing/fire-safety issues. The list goes on and on.Money/Time here is wasted. Look elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on December 14, 2019

We have been very happy with our experience in Stratford's preK and preschool program. Our older daughter started in PreK mid-year last year, and her teachers and school leaders worked with us to ensure a smooth transition. The school curriculum is structured and focuses on "STEAM," or science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. We were amazed at how much she learned and grew in those areas in a few short months. She has also developed strong reading and writing skills as well as social and emotional skills.
Submitted by parent on November 14, 2017

Our daughter goes to Stratford and we love the school. There have been some minor hiccups along the way that have been resolved but, all in all, we don't think we could have chosen a better school. The staff/faculty, teachers, assistants, etc. are amazing and we feel very confident in our decision of choosing Stratford. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND Stratford if you're looking for a school for your child/children!
Submitted by student on March 10, 2017

My 7-year-old started 1st grade from Stratford and now he is in 2nd grade. My 3-year-old just started half a year ago. Both kids love the school so much. The thing I like the most about this school is to see passion from each teach. Every teacher works so hard to improve the students. Everyday I hear great things from both kids. We love the school and will continue to support the school.
Submitted by parent on March 03, 2017

Amazing school! My husband and I couldn't be more pleased with our experience at Stratford. The teachers and staff's commitment to excellence and academic success for their students is superb! Stratford is a very academic environment but the teachers make learning fun and accessible for the kids. My kids are so excited about going to school! It warms my heart. Stratford also exposes their students to a STEAM and foreign language curriculum at a very early age and get kids thinking about tinkering and linguistics. It's amazing! The foundation Stratford is setting for my kids is setting them up for a lifetime of learning and ability to make my kids dreams a reality.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2016

High staff and student turnover. The kids are not happy. The teachers complain. Not enough active outside play-time. A common punishment consists of the entire class missing recess. (Counterintuitive..it just makes the kids that much more rambunctious) While I appreciate the challenging curriculum, the teaching style is geared toward memorization rather than critical thinking. My child will get a perfect score on a spelling test for which we spent a week memorizing the words, later to be reading a story where a spelling word comes up and he has forgotten it. More current teaching styles make lessons relevant, by relating them to real life situations. The students really learn and retain the information better that way. The curriculum seems geared toward test questions rather than teaching our kids to be smart, thoughtful, creative, well-rounded people. Not money well spent.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2016

My daughter started pre-k in the middle of the school year. She immediately loved this school. Her teachers worked with her and with us to help her catch up. She is now in kinder and continues to say she loves her school. It is academically challenging, but the teachers do their best to instruct in a fun way. Kindergarteners have a weekly spelling exam and two math exams. All the staff greet the children and most know all the kids by name. The principals are wonderfully caring people who work with the children and parents. They do all they can do so that a child enjoys being at school. I am very happy to have my child here. I know she is getting an excellent education, where she can be herself and express her ideas. She has a strong caring relationship with her classmates and with other children in the school. I hope to continue her academics at Stratford even though it is a 30 min commute for us but it is worth the drive to know my child is happy and getting a great education.
Submitted by parent on July 12, 2015

I enrolled my son my son in stratford for kindergarden, and it was the most stressful year any parent could imagine. Stratford is not a school for children to teach children it is an evil corporationthat eliminates children for not being perfect. It does not want or care for a complete child it only wants one thing a child it feels can test well and not have opinions or be an individual it wants robot children, who walk and talk in straight line and don't deviate from what they think is the Norm. Which when talking to a learning specialist concerned her.She said Stratford had unrealistic expectations,and flawed opinions of what young children should know. Can you imagine 2months into the school year that a school would say that you may need to find a new school because your child has poor penmanship or is reversing letters. He just started kindergarten, and they were already writing him off. Well by the end of the year my son was writing and kept up with the class he even tested above mid yr first grade on their star testing. Good right not for them his wring is not neat enough and he didn't test in 2nd grade level. If you send your child there be prepared for your child never to build relationships with other children because they have a high turnover rate of people leaving either by them or disappointed parents. they are like a sci movie where people disappear and never come back.Their is no sense of community children don't seem happy. They may have the quiet good students but they will never have leaders or people who create and think out of the box. I decided to send my child some place new that will help him flourish and guide, and support him, not write him off. Stratford does not have support for children at all, most other private schools do have some kind of support for students who may struggle with something. they do not, nor do they want to have one. It is also important to know that teachers do not stay there as well, the credentialed teachers leave because they too are not happy there. As I stated before it's corporate environment of stress and statistics,not of support and a true passion for teaching. Children are (a test score) not human beings. The last day of school 4 teachers/ caregivers asked me if he was returning, I told them he was not. They were genuinely upset and said my son was one of their favorite students and will miss him
Submitted by parent on August 20, 2013

My daughter goes to Stratford school for a few year, and both of us couldn't be happier with the school. It gives a log of challenges in academics but all (most) kids don't have any difficulties follow the program. New topics are explained in "kids-friendly" manner so students can get it faster and remember for longer. They are definitely at least 1 year ahead of other students their age in public schools. They promote great discipline, sometimes maybe too much but I see big difference by looking on those kids that were difficult to calm down for even few minutes. Very clean and open classes, kids and their parents are great to deal with. I would HIGHLY recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2013

My child was entrolled in Camp Socrates and Kindergarten. The school is lacking strong leadership(horrible principal) and has very poor communication. It appears to be a very immature staff of teachers which maybe ok for preschool but horrible for grade school. The office staff seem very fake and probably talk about you as you walk out of the door. We left the program feeling as if the program let down our child and family. It also has a heafty price tag and no delivery! Not recommended!
Submitted by parent on July 09, 2012

My daughter is enrolled in the Kindergarten Camp Socrates. She s thriving academically, but some basics are missing. They do not encourage basic hygiene - I wish they would encourage hand-washing before and after lunch and washing around the mouth after. They also added a new teacher after two-weeks without notifying the parents. The office staff has this sort of fake-pleasant attitude, but you feel like their rolling their eyes at you as soon as you leave as if you are always in their way. I also feel one teacher knows little about young children. She often looks frustrated and as if she can t wait until the end of the day and there seems to be no continuation between what was encouraged in pre-school (hygiene, expectations for lunch and snack). There also seems to be a lack of acknowledgement that some kids are experiencing Kindergarten for the first time, and may not know the expectations of recess and limited time for lunch! I hope the regular Kindergarten experience is better because my daughter really likes going to school and often comes home singing the songs she has learned.
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2012

When we first came to Stratford, we had a positive experience. The pre-K program was wonderful for my child. We were not going to even look at the school for elementary school (the feel of the whole place was too 'corporate' for our tastes), but we found that we liked the principal and the teachers, so decided to stick with it. Then there was a quick announcement of a leadership change over the summer, to our surprise. (They didn't even have a vice principal until the school year began.) I would have to say that at this point, the school is lacking good leadership and we ultimately have had a very disappointing experience. We have left the school feeling as if they really failed my child and our family. Some of the teachers are quite good. The program is academically strong, but there are some really odd things going on---can you imagine a group of kindergarten kids eating lunch in silence (while a group of not very nice adults 'police' the room)? There is an outdoor space that isn't very large and no green space at all. Overall, it reminded me of Catholic School without the religion and the community.
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2012

My 4 years son loves Stratford very much and looks forward to going to school each morning. He wakes up like an alarm clock, dresses himself, and rushes me out the door because he wants to be the first one to be ins class. He comes home very happy each day. My husband and I couldn't be happier. We love Stratford very much too. The principal, teachers, and staffs are all very involved, caring, and motivating. Stratford is all around an excellent school. If I can give it more than 5 stars I would.
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2011

My daughter loves Stratford and just can't get enough of it. I think there's a healthy balance of academics and play. I would recommend it to any parent looking for a solid school that your child can grow with.
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2011

My son started Kindergarten at Stratford School last year and what a difference from his preschool! We loved the school. Leadership is strong and they participate in all activites that they ask their teachers to do. Teachers are kind, caring and hard-working. Students are being challenged academically because they are a year advanced, but the designs of their curriculum are excellent, very smart, meaningful and fun. Classroom is very structured and teachers really know their students' strengths and weaknesses. I believe that they provide extremely solid fundation for these students' future learning.
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2010

We have two children (older boy, younger girl) enrolled here. We used to have them enrolled in a multi-location private pre-K place that began in Marin, but have found this school to be much better suited for us: a) more academic program (not a "go forth and be happy" program); b) a small and entrepreneurial team of teachers and staff led by a dedicated and experienced principal; c) a good community of working parents who are involved, without a sense of stuffy-keep-up-with-the-Joneses feel. Our children have absolutely flourished at this school, especially my boy who was shy and had not related well with his teachers and peers. We are enthusiastic supporters of this school.