Temple Adath Israel Day School

Bala House is the best Montessori school around the area. Both my kids were in there for a few years and loved it. I transferred my younger kid out to another Montessori school which is closer to home. And I also heard it is a good school. But no, no, I regret the decision. The difference is more than noticable. Bala House's teachers are far better than the other school. I will give you an example --- I dropped off my kid off at the new school. The teacher was there playing on her smart phone. She did not come to say hello or welcome my kid. This had never happened at Bala House during my few years of dropping experience. Bala House's teachers are always very caring and friendly. There are a lot of other cases that I can give you, but I will be running out of space here. So parents, choose Bala House Montessori School and you will be glad you did when you see how happy your kids are. Besides, I pay some amount for both school -- Bala House is 9-5 while the new school is 9-3 :-)

This school was great several years ago but has gone way downhill. They have an expanded campus, which is great, but the problem is the culture. The head of school and school leadership are blind to what's really going on, don't want to listen to feedback, and are quite abusive to staff, leading to a lot of turnover in teachers. Very little emotional support is provided for classes, many of which are grappling with emotional problems. They are great if you want your kids to learn another language at an early age, but behind when it comes to math and science skills. Recommend looking elsewhere unless there is a leadership change (which seems inevitable).

When it came time for our daughter to start daycare, we asked neighbors, colleagues and friends for recommendations. A neighbor told us that the best school that he has been inside was The Bala Cynwyd School for Young Children. Therefore, my husband and I scheduled a tour of the school. Since we are both educators, we thought that finding the perfect school for our daughter would be difficult. However, we were wrong. We fell in love with BCSYC on our first visit. The student work on the walls was authentic and the staff were all actively engaged with the children. Our daughter has learned a plethora of things since she started including cooperative play, letter identification, sounds, numbers, writing, the seasons, and much more. In addition, she is learning to swim and speak Spanish. While all of these things are important, on the top of our list of favorites is that she has acquired a passion for school and gaining knowledge. She has developed friendships in a nurturing and caring environment. We could not be happier to be a part of an inclusive environment where the staff supports the needs of all learners.

It's a good school if you fit into a certain box. If you're a little different it won't be a good fit for your child. Also if you have a different learning style it will be hard for your child. My child had a hard time with some of the students and administration. They have a way of making it seem like it's your child's fault (not intentionally) that they don't fit in or get it. I have seen several kids self esteem suffer because of this. As far as their curriculum goes, you had to be in honors math to take Algebra 1 in the 8th grade. Most area high schools expect you to start in Algebra 2. When we first got there Spanish class wasn't that great, but it improved by the time we left. A lot of memorization not much critical thinking. The amount of homework they give with the amount of learning didn't seemed balanced. They should give less material but go deeper. Learn more about why the fact is important and less trying to memorize the fact. My child learned there and made it into an area college prep high school, so the school is not all bad. They need to be more inclusive of differences and tweak their curriculum and they will be an excellent school for all children.

If your considering this school don't waist your time. Dont settle. Very under staffed teacher splitting time between two grades not enough quality time given to children. Everything about this school is dated from the curriculum, textbooks to the building which is falling apart. STEM/STEAM forget it . Your child will not get a well rounded education. No science, No Art, No real quality computer time No spanish/french etc. Your child will not have full enriching experiences that other schools offer. Parents input definitely not encouraged.