201 Essex St #ST100
Swampscott, MA 01907

Our child attended Kindergarten at Clarke from 2013-2014 and we were disappointed enough with the experience that we moved her for 1st grade. Our main frustration with the school was with communication by both Principal Login and my child's K teacher. My child was bored in class, and when I asked for resources to work with her at home, I was told to "look it up on the internet" by her teacher. My child is a rule-follower and was put in charge of kids who would act up. When she told on them (as she was asked to do by her teacher) she would get spit on in class. I addressed this with her teacher and was told "it's a difficult situation" but no attempt to solve the issue was made. During the winter months the K kids didn't go outside at ALL and watched cartoons during indoor recess. As a room parent, I offered to come in and do yoga or freeze-dance or various other physical activities during indoor recess so the kids could get their wiggles out. I was told that "it's handled". Suggestions or offers of help fell on deaf ears and there was little more than a polite effort made to tolerate parental involvement. Additionally, when I voiced my concerns about the title choice for a movie reward for the school perhaps being a bit too mature for the youngest kids (PG rather than G rating), I was told I was "the only parent complaining" and I should "keep my child home that day". I was shocked that the principal would choose to shut me down completely rather than engage in any constructive dialog. It was at that point we started to look at alternative options. The building is definitely in need of significant work and with the taxes paid by residents, it's appalling that this isn't addressed. The issues with the building are a distant second to those we had with the teachers and administration. That said, my child was pleased with her experience and we maintain many friendships from that year. Unfortunately the academics were not challenging in the least and were left to the lowest common denominator. This fall, when my younger child was ready for Kindergarten, we opted for the alternative school that we have loved. It's a shame since we can see Clarke from our front door!

Absolutely terrible. We are grateful that Massachusetts has a lenient home schooling policy and so many private school options.

Great school environment with strong parent involvement

On the surface this school seems to be a fine establishment. However it has many flaws. Firstly, the bathrooms are always out of toilet paper. Next, the wifi is extremely unreliable. And to top it all off, one time I received 2 fewer tater tots than what is considered the standard amount, which shows this school lacks attention to detail and supports discrimination. I will say though, the janitorial staff exude exceptional hospitality which I must commend.

Has a terrible support system for students with IEPs. The head of the department Mona Blumstien once said in court "there is no purpose to an IEP". If your child has a learning disparity or a language base on don't send your child here. Try landmark or move to another town.