The Child’s Primary School

After extensively researching all of our public, charter, and private school options, we toured TCPS and were immediately drawn to the school because of it’s «tight knit community» feel and it’s small class sizes. We saw each child getting one on one attention, and knew that is what we wanted for our daughter. We did not want her to «fly under the radar» in a large public school, but instead wanted her to be around teachers that personally knew her as an individual, rather than just another kindergartner. We were very adamant that we wanted her to learn AND apply knowledge, rather than just be bogged down by worksheets and facts that she needed to memorize. Hands-​on learning was also very important to us, and we were also looking for a school that allowed the children to be creative with the arts, as that is what our daughter has been drawn to in the past. TCPS has been everything we have hoped it would be! She loves going to school every day, and feels safe and happy. The educational experience she is getting is uniquely personalized and challenging, while being fun at the same time and is far superior, in our opinion, to anything she would be getting at other schools. And no other school can even come close to having the community feel that we feel at TCPS. Every teacher on campus knows our daughter by name, and it’s so rewarding to watch her interact with the older kids as well as her own classmates. As kindergarten parents we are very impressed that one school can offer everything we had hoped for for our daughter, and more. We look forward to many more rewarding years at TCPS!

Enrolled my child here and then decided to withdraw after 1^st week (fortunately bought the withdrawl insurance although it only covered a %age of fee and we were still out $ 5K.
Class was very small. 3x as many girls as boys. Not the social environment we were led to believe.
School tried to hard sell us on staying once we said we were going to leave. My child was forced to attend two weeks of classes before withdrawl insurance kicked in.
Wouldn’t recommend.

It’s difficult to decide on where to begin a review of schools, but I’m going to start with what brought us to The Child’s Primary School (TCPS) and then explain our impression of the school.
Our daughter was preparing to enter middle school after attending public school for the first part of her education. Although she scores high on STAR testing and brought home excellent grades, she was apprehensive about large classes and the new pressures that go along with this transition. Part of us thought it would help her and prepare her for the «real world» to learn to deal with these stresses, but on another level I was very concerned about her not enjoying school. She always was very close to her teachers and she was comfortable with this almost nurturing relationship. Even though she did fine in elementary school, I felt like I always had to keep up on her homework, organization, reports, and social development. I was stressed by all of this work that I had to do.
As we got closer to my daughter entering middle school I became more and more uncomfortable with the path of public school. We decided to make a change for both our daughter and our son (who was entering the first grade). I wish we had started at TCPS, but better late than never. We selected TCPS after looking at several different options, and it has been the most amazing experience for both of our children.
The school facilities were certainly not impressive, but it’s the teachers and staff that make a school. With such small class sizes it’s impossible for a student to not have close attention from the teacher. The school emphasizes a hands on approach for children to learn and research without a hint of ROTE learning. It’s dynamic, interesting, and fun. Unlike last year at the public school, both of our children LOVE going to school and ASK to stay in the after school programs. I would never have guessed that could happen, but it did. The teachers are very caring and helpful and provide a remarkable environment where the students feel safe and cared for. I appreciate the «thinking outside the box» approach and I enjoy hearing my children tell me about their projects. It used to be I would ask about school and I’d get nothing more than a short «it’s ok.» Now they enjoy telling me about the various parts of their school day.
Another benefit of such a small school is that students quickly know each other. I was wondering how difficult it would be for my daughter to step in to a class without her friends. As it turned out, the kids are excited to have new students and make everyone feel welcome. The activities allow kids to work across age groups, so my son has friends in kindergarten, first, second, and even third grade. The older students have been nice, and it’s rewarding to see a first grader wave and yell to kids much older and get a positive response. The children play across grades/​ages/​boys and girls together.
I feel a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders. My workload supervising and assisting my daughter has gone down to almost zero. I talked to the teacher and I got detailed feedback that showed me that the teacher understood my daughter better than any previous teacher had. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send me a PM through Unilocal.I know choosing a school is a difficult decision. TCPS is a hidden gem.

We have two children at TCPS and could not be happier. Some of the things we love:
— TCPS teaches kids ‘how to learn’. Beyond learning the standard subject materials the develops critical thinking, research abilities and how to express thoughts/ideas…all important for success in later school and life in general. Students graduating from 5^th grade or later are almost unilaterally accepted to top private schools, charter schools or honors programs at their local high school.
— Our kids learn how to interact with their community (i.e. classmates, other students, teachers). They learn the importance of being thoughtful, when to lead and when to follow, etc. Further, while the school has a very real world feel to it in terms of diversity and down-​to-​earth-​ness, our children do not have to deal with many of the environmental challenges my friends describe at their schools. I do not want to shelter our kids, but less negative influences has its advantages.
— Grades are limited to 12 – 14 students. In our experience, this allows the kids and teachers to all know each other very well, as well as ensure the students all get the individual attention they need to thrive and reach their potential.
— Our kids LOVE going to school. Both of them (one in elementary, one in middle school). The school is the best kept secret in San Diego… it does very little marketing, but is consistently loved by the vast majority of families that attend. And its half the cost of many other top private schools around.
All that said, the school is for families that most highly value a place that will do great for your kids. Families looking for a private school that enrich your personal social life or social status will not like what they find. Which is part of why the culture remains so great. :-)

My child has been at TCPS since third grade and I have watched him blossom and change from a child who hated school to one that loves school. TCPS is a community and each teach really knows every child and every child is comfortable with the entire staff. One of the things that amazed me is even though I have been in the computer field a long time and done everything from selling computers to teaching computer software and lately what is amazing me is how my child is showing me things in work and excel that I never knew wit could do

TCPS is THE school we were looking for. My son is thriving there. We have been with them for 3 years now. And my daughter will be going to K next year at TCPS. We could not ask for anything more in a school. They have a great philosophy and they are what they say they are. The teachers are awesome, loving and caring. One on one attention is great due to small class size of 12 students per class. My son does not want to leave school when I go to pick him up. After school daycare is great too. Very creative activities in after school daycare for the kids to be busy. Best part about TCPS is that — My son is excited to go to school every single day!!!

My daughter has been at TCPS since Kindergarten and is currently in 7^th grade. My husband and I as well as our daughter love this school and are extremely grateful for the education she continues to receive. One of the things I love most about TCPS is that the curriculum is designed to teach the students how to find answers by researching — starting in Kindergarten — in a way that is hands-​on and makes learning fun. I love that the teachers care as much about a student’s personal growth as they do about academic excellence. My daughter learned and could explain the definition of integrity in Kindergarten — and all of the staff and teachers work to make sure all students practice this as well as the school’s other core learning values or «Keys». We have been extremely happy with every teacher at TCPS, I can’t say enough about the high quality and dedication of these teachers. Every one of her teacher’s has had my daughter’s best interest in mind and has been willing to communicate with me and proactively problem solve whatever issues arise — whether it be academic or inter-​personal. TCPS provides a nurturing, safe yet challenging learning environment that allows for each student to excel. If you are looking, be sure you check out this gem of a school, visit the classrooms, and talk with parents.

I have to say that this yr has been substantially btr. The teacher we have now is AMAZING. We stuck it out for 2 yrs becuz of her. totally gets my kiddo. Just make sure you get to know the teacher your child will have prior to coming here. So very glad we stuck it ou, feel like we are finally getting what we r paying for. Agree w/​Mike B about the math, science, spanish, PE programs. Some issues w/​bollying, but okay w/​how admin handled it. Thrilled w/​how classroom tchr handled it.

Both my boys love this school. Between the small class sizes, and the work that occurs between children of different grades, it’s a perfect fit for our family. My first-​grader stays after school! voluntarily! to practice reading with a middle-​schooler (who’s also volunteered to stay after school for this purpose. My older son finds it hard to believe that his friends go to schools where they don’t have fun. Aside from the strong sense of community here, I feel both my children are challenged academically, even when they’d rather just do the minimum. They are learning to love learning, which is why I love TCPS.

We searched and searched for the perfect school, and we finally found it! I have two children enrolled currently. I love the small class sizes! My children are in 2^nd & 4^th grade, and in addition to their amazing classroom teachers, they have two math teachers, a music teacher, a Spanish teacher, a PE coach, and a science teacher that makes science so interesting and fun. They get to go to a great science lab! How many elementary students get to do that?
As for the bad review, there is always going to be that one parent who isn’t happy for some reason or another. Please DO talk to us parents! We’ll tell you how much our kids love school, how nurturing the environment is, and what an amazing education our children are getting!
TCPS is an amazing school. I’m very proud to be a part of it!