Helios School

597 Central Avenue

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

32 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 27, 2023

We love Helios. The school is doing an incredible job in developing and challenging gifted kids. The program has a very thoughtful individualized approach to ensure each child learn at proper level with learning 360 degree skills.
Submitted by parent on March 20, 2023

Our highly gifted son attended Helios for K this year and it was not a good experience.- Inexperienced teachers: The teachers in our class did not have the classroom under control. For example, if a child starts crying, the teachers often physically remove the child, which escalates the situation. We observed another child who was quietly crying from pressure and no one comforted him. A third active child seeks attention from the teachers and the teachers would roll their eyes at him and ask another staff to pull him out to another room.- Unreasonable expectations: Helios expects children to sit still for 45 min lectures. They expect 5yos to silently meditate for 10 mins without moving. This is unusual for a K class: many children struggle.- Impractical setup: circle time involves children sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with no personal space. Frequent transitions between classrooms require kids to finish their work, line up and walk to another class. A kid might be engrossed in an activity, only to have the teachers take it away and ask them to line up.- 3yrs ago, the Helios board fought with the old Head of School, who left to form Tessellations along with half the teachers and families. Because of this, most Helios staff are new.- Ben Chant, the new Head of School, just joined in ‘22. He is alarmingly intolerant of neurodiversity. During a school tour, a parent commented on how much he liked the wobble chairs at Helios. Ben told him “this is not a therapeutic school – if your child needs these supports, this is not the place for you”.- “Expeditions”: The “expeditions program” sounded great on paper. In practice, the class dives into esoteric details of worm anatomy for weeks on end. This is boring and comes at the expense of a real science curriculum.- The community demands a large time investment. The first month involves 2-4x/week activities. The school requests mandatory donations of $3000+ and a meeting with the Head of School if you can’t donate.We’ve moved our child to public school, and it’s much better! It has a larger classroom, a better library and lab, free lunch, and free laptops. The teachers have 20+ years of experience and are more loving. At Helios, my child was starting to refuse school. At his new school, he’s happier and motivated to go to school! And the best part - it’s FREE!Overall, Helios is not good at supporting gifted children’s needs, especially at younger ages. Save your money and go to public school instead!
Submitted by parent on December 15, 2022

We have had an underwhelming experience at Helios. The teachers are not well trained to handle the sensitive needs of gifted students, and the school is not very receptive to feedback from parents. The new Head of School, Ben, has a very traditional new England education background and does not really understand the needs of gifted students. The school curriculum looks great on paper, but not practical in reality. For example, there are unrealistic expectations of these young children like sitting still and meditating for 10 minutes, or undergoing many transitions from activities. The day is so jam packed that the teachers do not have bandwidth to look after the needs of children. For example, we have witnessed several times when a child is ignored and quietly crying, but the teacher does not bother checking in with them.Additionally, there are way too many expectations of parental involvement. Fall time will require you to attend 2-3 events per week for the first couple of months. It is great to build community, and it is definitely a warm community, but sometimes it is overwhelming. As a working parent, it has been difficult to balance this.On the neurodiversity front, the school has made it pretty clear that they are not supportive of neurodiverse children at Helios and will be actively branding the school to focus only on neurotypical gifted children.
Submitted by parent on November 07, 2022

Wonderful school that does gifted education right. Ability based grouping for math, theme-based inquiry-based curriculum for humanities and sciences, interesting electives and wide selection of topics for intersession, independent projects starting in 3rd grade, imagination lab for learning design and engineering skills, twice a year camping trips focused on life skills, real social emotional learning that goes way beyond reading a few books.Huge yard and green space, wilderness exploration area, garden, older building but kids don't seem to care. Parent community is tight knit, lots of events. Oh and the aftercare and after school enrichment options are awesome and very convenient.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2020

Our highly curious and creative 7 year old has found his tribe! No unnecessary worksheets, no drama within the classroom, and always thoughtful and interesting projects to work on independently and collaboratively. Although the school has had issues (due to the past head of school), the teachers are steadfast in their commitment to the students, and it shows. A month into the school, and my child is thriving and loving every minute. I also want to acknowledge the incredible parent community who support each other, and drive meaningful change when needed.
Submitted by parent on October 07, 2020

I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Going to Helios was the best decision we have ever made.
Submitted by parent on October 06, 2020

My experience has not always been perfect, particularly during the years when our leadership was ineffective at recruiting good teachers and adhering to the mission. But my children have thrived overall, and are so lucky to still be at Helios now!
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2018

My daughter moved from our public elementary school to Helios in 4th grade. Three years later, I can honestly say that our experience at Helios has been life changing. She genuinely wants to go to school every day, which has made a huge difference in her happiness and her learning.The Helios program supports the needs of our asynchronous daughter incredibly well. We were surprised when she placed into Pre-Algebra as a 4th grader, but have been even more amazed to watch her math skills grow as she has the chance to work on the edge of her ability in a supportive environment. The school uses Art of Problem Solving for advanced math topics; the conceptual depth of the program suits our daughter's needs well.The school's use of expeditionary learning interweaves Humanities and Science in a way that better captures our daughter's interest. She can see more relevance in what she is learning and the opportunities for hands on, in-depth study suits her better than learning that is a mile wide and an inch deep.The passion project opportunities and Imagine Lab space allows our daughter to be more self-directed to decide what she learns and how far she can take her interests. This is both self-motivating and helps her learn how to break large projects into more attainable chunks.Lastly, we are always impressed with the level of support and understanding that the teachers provide. Asynchronous kids can be intense. The teachers are always willing to meet to discuss how a child is doing and how to help them grow in new ways. We are most grateful for the school's counselor, who is amazing and brings a sense of calm, joy, and understanding to the entire community.No school is perfect for every child, but Helios is about as close to perfect as we could have imagined for our daughter. With my two other children in high school and middle school at a different independent school, I can say without a doubt that my daughter will be prepared for the challenges of high school and will have enjoyed her late elementary and middle school years to boot - not a bad combo!
Submitted by parent on December 20, 2017

It is very interesting to read back through some of these older reviews. Whether or not the school was really as the reviewers say it was in 2013, it's very clear to me that it isn't anything like that today. The thing I like the most about Helios is the way they empower the students to solve their own problems and advocate for themselves. My son had focus issues before coming to Helios. The teachers were great about helping him solve these, by reflecting on the root causes, and coming up with his own solutions. These are skills he will rely upon for life. I am very happy with what he's learning there, but even more importantly, he is learning a lot about HOW he learns. This really sets the experience apart from other schools in my opinion. I am so grateful we found this school. It has fundamentally changed my son's life for the better.
Submitted by other on November 27, 2016

Excellent teaching. Structured yet innovative. Great for children who want to think and think deeply without been hot-housed. Teachers, parents and the children are an interesting mix and for our daughter it has been excellent.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2016

At Helios, we’ve found a highly experienced and thoughtful group of educators—both school administrators and staff—who are firmly rooted in gifted education research and engaging curriculum design. In addition, social and emotional learning for students and families aren’t just side notes at the school, but woven into the project-based curriculum. The brilliant and kind Head of School, the talented Teachers, and committed community of families have created an educational environment that is immensely inviting, safe, and creative. While at the same time, providing challenge, rigor, and remarkable real-world opportunities for learning for students with all kinds of amazing abilities.Here’s the bottom line: our child is learning and thriving. So much so, that we actually see her enjoyment of deep learning returning (after years of watching it drastically wane in a very good public school), and there’s no more fighting about going to school in the morning. She happily goes. When she comes home, she’s excited to talk about what she’s learned, and does the homework she has with enthusiasm (most of the time ;->). Is the school pure perfection? No school is. It’s had a few growing pains like any start up organization would. Yet, at Helios, there’s a consistent focus on getting to solutions, both individually and collaboratively when a challenge arises. Is the school right for every gifted child and family? In our experience, the students and families we’ve seen who have thrived, are those who truly embrace a progressive education philosophy. Those who don’t, find their fit elsewhere. Helios has been a gift to this family of a gifted child. If you think it might be right for your family, explore it for yourself and see. We hope you’ll get to enjoy watching your child thrive as much as we have!
Submitted by teacher on June 08, 2016

I wanted to take this opportunity to speak about Helios to those who may not be familiar with it. Helios is by no means your typical Silicon Valley school, where the pressure to succeed and compete can be overwhelming, but is instead a place that helps kids to develop as both students and people in a far more humane and caring fashion than I've seen at any other school. The culture in the whole school, and particularly the middle school, is incredibly strong, and it was so heartwarming to see the understanding and thoughtful ways in which the middle schoolers interact with each other. As a teacher, I was given the freedom to work with my colleagues to create curriculum that was meaningful for our students, helped us to meet their individual needs, and which encouraged our students to develop a love of learning and curiosity about the world around them. The administration was also very supportive and thoughtful about doing what they could to make sure all the students' and teachers' needs were met. For families whose only focus is academic achievement, Helios might or might not be a good fit, but for families who want their children to develop into kind, compassionate, and curious people, I cannot think of a better place.
Submitted by parent on December 25, 2015

We are very pleased with our experience at Helios and can't imagine our son at another school. Our son is highly asynchronous reading, writing and doing math at very different levels, and the school has worked hard to meet his needs in each area. They understand that with intense cognition can come intense emotions. They have shown amazing patience and love with our son and other intense kids as the kids learn to harness their intensity.The school understands that there is no single or simple formula that works for all kids given the diverse asynchronies one encounters at a school where all 'levels' of giftedness are welcome.We know of a few similar kids at other schools -- and no of no other school that shows such dedication to meeting both the emotional needs and intellectual needs of their students -- treating the students as individuals with individual needs rather than as simple members of an aggregate.I know of no other school in the Bay Area that takes this approach. For our family, it is the right place.I feel that the school provides a great environment for promoting intrinsically-motivated learning, emotional growth, and lifelong learning.As with ANY school, to be successful, the school and family culture need to be in synch. The negative reviews for the school seem to me to indicate cases where these may not have been a good fit.The unlandscaped area that one review mentions has been for our child (and I daresay the overwhelming majority of the students) a place where great creativity has flourished -- as the students have been encouraged to design, build and decorate their own structures -- which they then use during play time. One only has to watch the kids at work and play there to recognize how much they love the experience -- and how much creativity they have poured into it.
Submitted by other on December 07, 2015

There's so much more to being gifted than being smart or achieving. Of the schools we looked at, Helios hands down had the most humane approach to educating and supporting gifted children. The community is an inclusive enclave of support for children, parents, teachers and staff, where listening, respect, and grace for others is exemplified and demonstrated. As parents, we no longer experience the anxiety around school we had before Helios. Our children are sufficiently challenged in their ability based math groups and literature circles. Our children don't say the dreaded "B" word anymore, because committing a child to boredom for 6 hours everyday is in a way, stealing from their soul and who they are. The teachers listen to the children and foster a sense of agency in their learning. They are patient and so so so respectful of each child's sense of self. I've taken a few parenting tips from them myself. In short, Helios accepts gifted kids for who they are and helps them be who they're meant to be.
Submitted by parent on December 01, 2015

We’re impressed both with Helios’ rigor and with its focus on engaging kids so they are internally motivated to learn. The Helios semester-long “themes” are designed to give kids complex problem-solving challenges in a real-world context. Our kids use primary sources, interviews with experts in the field and fieldwork trips for most of their learning—not textbooks. In math, most kids are working 2 years above grade level, and in some cases, as much as 5-6 years.None of this would be possible if not for superior teachers and teaching. Each assignment our kids get has a detailed, teacher-created rubric to guide the work. Students are expected to refer to it to ensure their work is high quality. Teachers review kids’ work and provide comments and suggestions for improvement. If you have a gifted child who needs challenge, but not a “pressure-cooker” environment, Helios is a great place. Our children have thrived there.How many parents get to hear this at the end of the summer? "Daddy, I'm really sad that summer is ending, but at the same time, I'm so excited to be going back to school." It made my day!
Submitted by parent on November 11, 2015

To parents of twice-exceptional kids, this review is for you. By the way, the star grade is in relation to other private and public schools I considered. We are in our 2nd year at Helios, in the middle school. Helios excels in project-based learning, being a warm and welcoming place for highly sensitive children, SEL, and training/mentoring their teachers. Helios did a nice job of helping my son socially. I had to request the social help, but they did help in effective and natural ways and they paid attention to this issue over time. I have been fairly pleased with the teachers and administration and there has been no turnover in his core teachers. Helios differentiates very well in math and I love their math curricula. From what I can tell, there is no differentiation in teaching in the other subjects, but the curricula is advanced and allows children to “go deep” according to their interests. Here are my concerns, especially relevant to kids with learning differences: there is little instruction in or structured, reinforced help with organization and time-management. Helios’ strong respect for children’s choice and self-direction sometimes means that they do not push kids who do need to be pushed. Asynchronous kids often avoid their weaker skills, and Helios has not been successful in getting my kid to work on his weaker skills. This is not to say that kids with LD don’t need tutors or outside help but you want the school to set standards, so the child does not view the standards as artificial or parent-dictated. Teachers regularly give grading rubrics, but the rubrics are not sufficiently reinforced for my student. There is no real push towards excellence and doing your best. To prepare kids for high school and beyond, I’d like to see regular tests, practice in and instruction on note-taking, and the explicit teaching of study skills. Also, I’m not sure Helios’ usage of qualitative assessments is of benefit to 2E kids. Get an IQ test by someone who understands 2E kids so you have an objective measurement of your child. So, why are we still here? Helios is a good choice for us, even if it is not perfect. Also, when we were looking for schools, my son was most comfortable at Helios—we shadowed twice and both times when I picked him up, he was fully engaged and interacting. He told me without saying a word that Helios was the best fit for him.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2015

Our child has been with Helios for four years and it has been a fantastic experience. The academics are completely solid. They track the students according to ability and then encourage them to stretch from there. Standardized tests are used to identify areas of weakness and provide parents with a measure of comfort that the kids are tracking to state standards, notwithstanding the lack of regular quizzes, tests, etc. As an example, our child is working the Singapore math curriculum two years ahead of grade level. At the local public school, this would equate to the child sitting through (already covered) grade level math during the day and then taking a supplemental course at night. Instead, our child does all of the work in school, very rarely has math homework, and progressed on track by the end of the year (i.e., stayed two years ahead). This meant no boredom during the school day because the math teacher is fantastic, and more time for activities or play after school.
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2015

Our family has been with Helios for several years now and couldn't be happier. By design Helios is informed by best practices in gifted education. Helios understands that the goal is not to push kids to extract the most achievement but rather to nurture and support them so that their own curiosity can flourish. We have found at Helios a unique combination of teachers, staff, curriculum and community that, in concert, result in a truly special place. The kids are engaged. They form relationships with peers that are deep and genuine and beautifully complex. The teachers and staff care about and understand each child. The community of families includes some of the kindest, most supportive and most interesting parents we ve known. Perhaps the best testament to the impact Helios has had on our kids is seeing their joy and enthusiasm to go to school every morning and how, during school breaks, all they can talk about is getting back to school and their friends. We feel very fortunate to have found Helios.
Submitted by teacher on April 11, 2015

A young school can be an occasionally rocky place to teach, but I ve turned down several other attractive job offers in my years at Helios for the opportunity to stay and help build this remarkable program. What makes Helios such a great place to teach? There s solid trust between colleagues; Helios has a notable absence of the office politics that can consume faculty lounges. I have rewarding, multi-year relationships with families. Our head of school recognizes teachers strengths and places them in positions that play to those strengths. I ve worked at both traditional and progressive independent schools. The traditional schools tended to discourage authentic respect for children; the progressive schools, while caring, were frequently short on intellectual rigor. Helios has an exquisite balance of both that permeates the school's culture, distinguishes it from its peer schools, and makes Helios a fantastic place to teach. There have been some growing pains at Helios, but they are normal for a school at this point in its evolution, and they re nearing completion. What is emerging is one of the strongest, most humane schools I ve seen in a long time.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2015

My child is in middle school. I know of no other school with a curriculum that requires this level of original thought and work. Many parents equate rigor with acquisition of facts and progress through textbooks. Our family prefers an education that teaches students to apply the skills and knowledge they ve learned to solving problems. Helios excels at this type of education. One of the recent expeditions, titled The Nature of Change , began with an examination of systems using the concrete example of the redwood systems. Students performed a variety of science experiments on other physical systems to learn how changes in one part of a system affect the whole. They then moved on to the study of social systems. This included study of three major periods of change the Industrial Revolution, the American Revolution, and the Civil Rights era. Finally each student researched a person who had made important changes in the world, and built a website on the change-maker they had chosen. In math, my fifth-grader is working on pre-algebra and classmates in a more advanced group are working on algebra.