Keys School administration teaches the 'whole' child and has for over 40 years. The involved parent community supports the nurturing environment 100%.
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Posted by a parent on 11/03/09
Keys School is the best school in the entire world! They have great teachers and students. They also provide a hands on expirience and provide a friendly, safe and fun environment. Keys School is everything I have imagined!
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Posted by a student on 07/27/09
Keys School is one of the few schools you will find that has a clear mission and sticks to it. The students at Keys are kind, engaged, and the school helps them to become self advocates. The parent population is wonderful - many opportunities to get involved. The administration is committed to finding
... Read more the best teachers and curriculum for the students. My child was so well prepared for high school after Keys. Not sure what went wrong for some of the other reviewers as this school is really special in so many ways. The outdoor ed program is great, the music and art programs rock... They are building a beautiful new campus for middle school. Read less
Posted by a parent on 05/19/09
We are consistently impressed with all aspects of Keys School - academic, social and extra-curricular. The staff is very responsive, and we feel like our family is truly valued and has a 'voice' at Keys School. We are certainly not wealthy, but feel we are every bit as 'important' to the faculty/staff
... Read more at Keys as some other families who might have more means. We transferred from a local, top-ranked pubic school, and there is simply no comparison... our children are thriving at Keys, while they were merely going through the motions at their previous school. I grew up in Palo Alto, and am horrified to think we almost missed out on discovering all Keys has to offer by blindly sending our children to our achievement-at-all-costs-oriented public school. Music! Art! Foreign Language! Social Skills! Tons of PE! Outdoor Ed trips! Wow! Keys is school just exactly like it should be! Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/04/09
The lower school has been experiencing a lot of staff turnover - hard to know why. Also, the middle school will be moving to a different site in 2009, allowing all the grades to be increased in size (to two classes). One of the reasons we chose Keys was that the lower and middle school were together,
... Read more and we're disappointed by this change. Read less
Posted by a parent on 03/25/08
Keys is a fabulous school, with a real hands-on and experiential approach to education, but which also fosters high academic achievement. Contrary to a former post, the kids are hardly 'chained to the desks' but are perhaps the most active students on the Peninsula! Outdoor education and drama is offered,
... Read more K-8, and all classes and teachers live up to the school's mission. How many other teachers at Peninsula private schools even know their mission, nonetheless strive to live up to it? The combination of high academic goals with a nurturing supportive atmosphere is unequaled. Most private high schools will tell you that their best prepared applicants come from Keys. That speaks volumes about Keys' academic preparation as well as its focus on the whole child. The breadth and depth of the curriculum is wonderful, and its graduates are known for their independence and self-advocacy skills. A great school!! Read less
Posted by a other on 01/25/08
Keys is a marvelous school, and unique on the Peninsula in being a K-8, non-sectarian, independent school. Our kids have thrived here because of the wonderful curriculum and fabulous teachers. The teachers know the children well, and are responsive to their needs. All aspects of the program are strong,
... Read more and are constantly reviewed to make them even stronger. This is a school that truly does what its mission says it does. The community is wonderful and inclusive. The administration is top notch, and very responsive. Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/19/08
We moved our child out of Addison, the local elementary school, where she was completely unchallenged and spent long hours doing coloring... At Keys, she has been completely happy, her teacher makes her personalized 'fast finisher packets' so she always has something appropriate to do. We like the way
... Read more themes are integrated through difference lessons. The small size makes a difference too. Each class puts on an incredible play each year, and the outdoor education trips, which start in kindergarten, are a great addition. Read less
Posted by a parent on 07/22/07
Our children did very well at Keys, but the administration can't handle even the smallest of problems. Their intentions are good but on the whole the staff is much too inexperienced and uneven in their abilities to create a cohesive educational experience. They cannot handle conflicts in the classroom.
... Read more Music is strong, art is very weak, reading is strong, Spanish is just ok, science is stronger than math. They are planning to expand, which is worrisome given how uneven the teaching is now. Prospective parents should think long and hard about having their child there during a time when Keys is planning/executing such huge changes. Lots of potential for disaster through the transition. Read less
Posted by a parent on 07/04/07
Inconsitent programs, math program that is behing the public schools.
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*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Palo Alto schools — Keys School is located at 2890 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto CA 94306. 2890 Middlefield Rd is in the Midtown neighborhood and 94306 ZIP code in Palo Alto, CA Keys School is a Private school that serves grade levels K - 8.
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Test Score Ratings
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