Rolling Hills Prep and Renaissance Schools

«Renaissance school believes that children who learn differently can rise to great heights when they become empowered and confident.» Children who learn differently — this is so true of my son. He is your classic ADD student crossed with teenage boy therefore focus, attention, and organization are not his strong suits. My son is very intelligent but has always believed his career path would be something in the trades and he has never thought about going to college. After 2 months attending Renaissance — he has a neatly organized binder, no missing assignments, no mounds of homework, great grades and speaks of WHEN (not if) WHEN he will go to college. Renaissance teachers have quickly found his strong suits and where he needs more help. They teach him the way HE needs to be taught and he is understanding topics that I never dreamed he would get (or even care about). Along with the excellent education he is receiving, he has made many friends on the football, soccer, and baseball teams and is learning self confidence in Speech & Debate. If you know your child has potential that is not being reached by the public school system — I strongly encourage you to check out Renaissance School.

Well… I was a past student from this school. To start, I was kicked out, so you can certainly write my opinion off as sour grapes. But I was a star pupil at this school. I actually set their record for the math PSATs while I was there. In the 90s a small group of students brought attention to the administration that their AP history class was not up to snuff. The administration not only neglected our concerns, but came up with a way to expel us based on fabricated «disturbances». Funny thing happened after that. The AP history teacher, based on the fact that he had absolutely no ability to teach AP history, decided that he would open the AP test a few nights early, write a cheat sheet based off of it, and then give it to all of his students to make up for his impressively lacking teaching. This was a huge scandal. It was all over the papers that year. This was all because of Peter McCormicks pigheaded righteousness and inability to see what was going on under his nose. RHP had (don’t know if that is true anymore) some great teachers, but the administration was a laughable joke, and from what I understand that «headmaster» is still in charge, so I could never recommend sending your kids here.

As an alumni and lifer, I can safely say that attending Rolling Hills Prep will teach your child the following:
— A college bound education
— Learning how to get outside your comfort zone
— Not to be shy about learning from others
— Expanding your horizons
— Strong relationships
— Trying new things
Before attending RHP, my parents felt that I lacked focus and direction. Of course, every kid detests school for one reason or another. But looking back, all of the exams, projects, homework was specifically implemented to give me the tools I needed to not only excel in university, but transition into the real world. You can’t teach motivation, but all of the faculty isn’t just there for their 9 – 5, they are there to help you grow and be your resource for life. You can tell that a student’s success is what drives these people.
I will always be eternally grateful for my experience here and I honestly think that most of my colleagues and peers cannot share that same feeling when looking back to their schools.

RHP/​Renaissance is the most amazing school. It has transformed my son. I would highly recommend this school to anyone.

Rolling Hills Prep/​Renaissance School is your ultimate dream school. These 2 sister schools have activities for everyone. Not only do they have great academic records and high test scores, they have fun after-​school and lunchtime clubs and activities!
Here is a couple of cool activities your child can participate in at school:
— Music (includes school bands (Beginning and Advanced), Chorus, Garage Band, and other Music Electives
— Sports (Including Football, Soccer, Volleyball, and Cheer) these sports are for boys and girls.
— Academics (Great teachers, awesome teacher to student ratio, and learning in a good environment)
–Clubs– not only community service, but fun clubs (Ukulele Club, GSA– Gay Straight Alliance, Travel Club, Diversity Club, Feminist Union) and more. Most clubs led my upperclass students, and led in a fun manner!
I am currently a 9^th grader at Renaissance School, and since my first year (8^th), This school has made my life turn into a great direction! I would highly recommend this school to everyone!

This is a wonderful private school that puts your children first. The teachers are all top notch and it’s been my experience, as a parent of 2 boys, one who graduated from here, one still enrolled, that the teachers really get to know their students. This school is more like extended family. They have an academically rigorous curriculum and do everything they can to help your child perform at their very best. It’s more like how a good sports team functions, they all work together to produce well rounded students rather than a competitive, stress filled environment which only harms kids’ psychological well being. It’s expensive, as all private schools are, but they will work with the parents to try and help. There are loads of ways for kids to be involved on campus — sports, theatre, the arts, clubs of all kinds. And because the school is small, every child has the chance to experience leadership at some point. The support staff is kind and very helpful. Alums from the school return all the time to visit. High school can be a challenging experience and RHP tries to make it as fun and fulfilling as possible without sacrificing academic excellence. Despite the tuition costs, this is not a school filled with snobby spoiled brats. They might be like that at home, but elitism isn’t tolerated at the school. The campus continues to grow and although most of the buildings are still temporary, they are spacious and comfortable. Your child is not just a cog in wheel having test material shoveled into them to be spewed out for exams… the teachers really strive to educate, to expand your students’ world, to teach them to think critically and to be the best student… and person, they can be

I have worked with several RHP students. The curriculum is top-​notch, and if I recall correctly, the average SAT score is well into the 2000s. I’ll give it 4 stars because it is expensive, but if money does not concern you, this is the place to be.

This school truly changed my children’s lives. They attended RHP from 9^th through 12^th grade. They had attended Dodson which was a totally ghastly experience, and we were determined not to send them to San Pedro High. The teachers and staff at RHP truly were interested in our children, and helped them become good writers and to develop good study habits (which had not happened in the so-​called gifted program at Dodson). After graduation from RHP our children attended incredible colleges, which I am sure would not have happened if they had gone to SPHS. My son recently came back to visit RHP and all the staff and teachers seemed so happy to see him — it was one of the high points of his spring break

I can’t give anything less than a 5 here. My son has been at Renaissance (sister school to RHP) for four years, and it has been life changing for him, and for our family. The Renaissance program is designed for the child who is bright, but struggles with something like a learning disability or ADHD. My son is one of those kids who has a bright and creative mind, but learning differences made reading come more slowly for him, and memorization difficult. His homework in fourth grade was taking up to three hours per night. I knew that if he went to the local middle school, he would have been channeled into the most basic classes (based on his struggles with reading), and that the content of the curriculum would not match the curiosity and creativity of his mind. My son started at the Renaissance School (within RHP) in the fifth grade, and four years later, I continue to count that school among our family’s greatest blessings. My boy has been taught to read, of course, but in a setting that is continually academically challenging, AND includes intensive support. His academic weaknesses have been addressed, and his strengths have been encouraged. Yes, it is expensive, that’s true. And, the location is a bit out of the way. But, for us, it has been driving time and money well spent.

My daughter just completed her first year (6^th grade) at Rolling Hills Prep, and we love it! She had a year with just the right balance of academic challenge, arts, drama and sports, along with making great new friends. The school is small, so no one slips through the cracks. The teachers know the kids, and are all part of a team whose goal is to help your student achieve success in school and prepare for college. Your child will get an excellent education, without the undue stress found in many other schools, both public and private. If you are considering private school, come to an Open House to hear faculty, parents and students tell you about their experiences. It will help you decide if it sounds right for your child. If you don’t want to wait for an Open House, just call the school to arrange a visit.

For the money, you would be better off sending your kids to Chadwick. This school used to be in an awesome location overlooking the ocean. I can’t say that going to a private school in the ghetto of San Pedro has any appeal. But, seriously, this school is also expensive. I dislike parochial schools, but I’d be more inclined to send my kids to Bishop Montgomery or even Mary Star.
Personally, after my one year there for 8^th grade, I went to San Pedro High School. Maybe SPHS doesn’t have as many AP classes as Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, but hey, I was livin’ in Pedro – I still made it to UCLA. Education is what you make of it.