Cranium Academy

4068 Winter Garden Vineland Road

Winter Garden, FL 34787

18 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-5
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 12, 2017

Love this school! My son has thrived in the elementary school environment.
Submitted by teacher on July 18, 2016

Horrible administration...the children are learning things that are not developmentally appropriate. Sure your child might be able to diva math worksheet but they will lack social skills when they get into elementary school. Children at age 2 should not be doing worksheets. Children should be learning through play. There is only a 15 min recess in the morning and the "center time" is always the same thing. The front office, including the owners don't treat the teachers with respect. I know there aren't many options in the area but your best bet is to try a church school or Montessori.
Submitted by other on May 24, 2016

This was our first experience with Cranium and I have NOTHING but good things to say. My daughter has excelled this past year, both academically and socially. She is SO excited to go to school every day and comes home talking about all of the fun things she learned. The staff and leadership team do a great job with weekly email communications, hosting special events for parents to come and participate in and the teachers/student ration has been perfect. I love the attention given to creativity and art, as I know that some schools are doing away with this. My daughter has so interested in science and learning why things are the way they are - it makes our weekends together quite interesting! I love this school, this environment and I am so glad we chose it for VPK.
Submitted by parent on January 22, 2016

We can not believe how wonderful Cranium Academy has been for our kids and friends. It amazes my husband and I how academically gifted both our children are and we know it is because of Cranium. All of their teachers have been wonderful and we love the warm, loving, family environment. I just wanted to say thanks so much and be ready because my younger sister's first child will be enrolling for next year and already walks around the place like she owns it when she visits with us. M.Patel
Submitted by other on November 18, 2015

Hi I had a horrible experience. The receptionist I believe named Jen was very rude and looked like she did not enjoy working there one bit. There were children running a muck. Do not go here.
Submitted by parent on October 09, 2015

We have just been so happy at Cranium so far. Our best friends youngest child is in their preschool, and it is amazing what their daughter is learning. She is using a critical thinking program called explorers, which our son used last year. This month she is going over literature with topics such as plot concepts and fiction vs. non-fiction writing……and SHE IS IN PRESCHOOL – LOL.Our boy is in their K-5 preparatory school, and we are amazed. His classes’ core reading and math curriculum is at one full grade level ahead of all standard public and private schools in the area. This allows all of the kids in his first-grade class, including him, to get second-grade level reading and math curriculum. We have felt that the issue must parents have with elementary school aged students who are advanced or gifted is that all of the standard public and private school curriculum is way too easy. Cranium solves this for us!Our son also gets a custom learning path for reading and math, which has allowed him to accelerate beyond Cranium’s advanced levels.The elementary tuition was actually lower then other schools we toured and none of them were using advanced curriculum like Cranium. We also like his exposure to their creative music, art, science and social studies programs. I guess they have partnered with the city, and the preparatory school gets to have PE over at the soccer and ball fields at Braddock Park. We love the community feel of the school. The parent participation is awesome, and the PTA and management put together various field trips, spirit nights and parent/school events. The teachers have always been amazing and it is so refreshing to be a part of a place where everyone is so engaged and happy.CON: The one issue I can possibly see with Cranium is if a parent wants their child to move over to their elementary school from another public or private school. Since the curriculum is ahead of these other schools, I would ask how they place and teach a child who is not as advanced as the kids in Cranium. We have not had to deal with that ourselves, but I think it is a question that should be asked, just to make sure a child does not struggle too much.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2015

Pros: - Cranium is a great school and the curriculum seems to be equivalent to other local schools.- The administrative staff seems to care a lot about the children and the children feel safe. - The small classroom environment is a huge plus. - My child is happy in the small environment and feels safe. Her self esteem seems to be high. - My child liked her teachers. Cons: - I think it's better for the younger crowd than the K+ grades because they fall short on anything extra curricular such as fine arts and sports. The children don't get to experience that and I feel that having the arts and sports experience is just as important as curriculum. They claim they don't have a budget for it however, they are charging almost $10,000 a year per student for elementary so I can't understand this. - My child always seemed to be behind her public school friends on curriculum as far as what she was learning. I feel this is because of the mixed grades and the teachers not being experienced enough to teach more than one grade at the same time. - Most of the teachers they hired, except for a few, all seem to be fresh out of college and very inexperienced. I am not sure how a teacher with less than 10 years experience and a masters could be qualified to teach multiple grades at the same time. - I feel like they have budgeting issues and are not putting enough back into the school program to justify the money they are charging to the parents. - They don't encourage parent involvement that much. I always felt like I was imposing when I would come in to help. I wish there was some sort of PTA in place.
Submitted by parent on July 20, 2015

i give this school five big stars for giving kids a wonderful , imaginative, positive and organic environment to grow and learn.
Submitted by parent on June 06, 2015

We have tried other private and public schools. None of them compare to Cranium Academy. The staff is attentive and caring. We have two of our children here and they each needed something different. Our 10 yr old daughter needed extra attention and support in reading, while our 8 yr old son needed to be more challenged in all subjects. Throughout the year as their needs changed the staff was perfect. We had great communication throughout the year. Both of our children came up 2 grade levels in 1 year. Not only is their class time amazing the homework time is phenomenal as well. They utilize the time very well and they are there to help with any questions the kids have. This is the first time in 5 years of schools that I am happy and so are my children. They both love going to school everyday now. I wish they would add middle school. Thank you to the entire staff. ~Finally over satisfied mom :)
Submitted by other on May 23, 2015

Both my children (boy 4y& girl 5yrs) attend Cranium and have since they were 2yrs old! I'm from the northeast and finding a warm, yet educationally innovative school environment was priority for me. Cranium has provided this and much more! My kids love learning and request that I pick themup as late as possible because they love being there! Every teacher and administrator there knows my kids, which is what the small, child and family centered school environment provides! The level of education is beyond expectation, my kids are doing work at least one year ahead and they are not coming home stressed out by testing or school work, which is very important to me! They make learning so fun for the kids they don't realize how much they are learning! My son is learning about matter and constellations, my Kindergarten age daughter is reading level 2 books with ease and doing multiplication! Wow! If you are looking for a school that will meet all your child's social emotional and educational needs, cranium academy is the BEST choice! I only wish they would go up to 8th grade! RespectfulIy,Satisfied single mom!
Submitted by other on May 21, 2015

We have had our son at Cranium since 2010 and our second son started in 2014. Our fist son was non-verbal at 3 years old and even though he was making great strides he still was unable to communicate with words, he did however use sign language fluently. While looking for preschools our first concern was how the teacher would communicate with our son. We choose Cranium due to it being one of the few schools to offer a curriculum including sign langauge. Our son thrived in his class and was able to learn more signs to help him communicate. He is now a very talkative and sweet child who will be attending Cranium again next year for first grade. Cranium is not only a wonderful school with amazing teachers, it is a second home for our boys and a second family for us! I can't imagine entrusting my childrens education or life with any other school. If you want an exceptional education for your child Cranium Academy is the place to go!!!
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2015

After trying several other schools in the area we found Cranium Academy and I'm so happy we did! Our kids love the teachers and have truly blossomed both socially and academically. Hands down the best school in the area!
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2015

This is hands down the BEST school I have ever seen. My three year old does her ABCs perfectly... In english and sign language- my expectation was more than met---she is happy to attend, her teachers are dedicated and great with patience- if you really want a solid foundation for you children, this is the place to go- from the moment you walk in the door, your eyes will light up- it is no wonder why kids love it-- I have never seen anything like it-
Submitted by parent on May 15, 2015

As a former Elementary School PTO President, I was a big proponent of public schools. Recently, Orange County seems to have strayed too far away from the heart of education. Cranium Academy is at the heart of education. My ending-Kindergarten daughter can: perform double digit subtraction, read at a first grade level, report interesting facts about countries around the world, explain how a volcano works and so much more. The curriculum and pace are simply fantastic. She's always engaged and excited to go to school. Her class travels to a local park on Thursdays to picnic and play outdoor games. It's education the way it's meant to be= challenging, interesting, and at her pace delivered by high quality, caring teachers.
Submitted by other on May 22, 2014

I'm the grandmother of one of your students in the Cranium Academy in Winter Garden. My daughter chose your school 3 years ago because of its excellent reputation. Today my grandson graduates from Cranium and he leaves with a world full of knowledge. Cranium not only lived up to its reputation it surpassed it. He loved going to Cranium and leaves with a 4th grade reading level going into Kindergarten. I also give my daughter a lot of credit for his success in Cranium. She backed up the teachers when needed and reinforced his lessons at home. Congratulations to Cranium and my grandson and his Mom.
Submitted by parent on May 07, 2014

My child attended Cranium Academy for 2 years. He began in their Masters class and by December he was already reading. He had never been in a formal school before. Our family loved the knowledge he brought home from their explorers program. At 4 he could tell us all about the solar system in depth. We left him at Cranium for Kindergarten and watched his math and reading skills soar. I would highly recommend Cranium to all families. The teachers and staff are extremely loving and knowledgeable . They go above and beyond on all counts.
Submitted by parent on March 13, 2014

The staff is incredible, the facility is well designed and the curriculum is very creative! They utilize new technology and tailor the lessons to each student. Our son s reading and math skills are a full year ahead for his age. Not only do they focus on academics (in which the curriculum is accelerated), but they also nurture and promote character. This truly is a wonderful and positive environment for our son. Knowing our child is safe and in caring hands is priceless. We ll be keeping him enrolled through elementary!
Submitted by parent on December 30, 2012

My son is currently in the middle of his 3rd year at this school. We absolutely love this school and the staff. The technology that is used for this age group is impressive. The staff is amazing. They really do a great job communicating with the parent's. My son is the youngest one in his class and he does not have a hard time keeping up with children that are 6 months older then him. At ages 2, 3, & 4... 6 months is a bigger difference then you think. I have friends that have enrolled their children as well due to seeing how well rounded my son is. I also love the school security. You cannot walk into the school without being a registered person with your thumbprint & code access.