Lands End School

I couldn’t be happier with moving my son here to attend preschool. So much so that I am enrolling my toddler as well. What a nurturing, loving, play based educational environment. I cannot say enough about what a wonderful school this is for toddlers, who are learning how to learn. The view and location is awesome for those kids that thrive in nature.

Located at Ft Miley abutting GGNRA land and ocean views, it’s hard to imagine a more idyllic location for your little one’s child care. New facility is about 2 years old and is very well designed. Our daughter has been in the infant room for about a year, and we plan to transition to the toddler room soon. Our baby is very bonded to her «lead» teacher but readily waddles over to the other teachers as well. Infant staff ratio is great, the director told us that their actually licensed to take on more infants that than they choose too, in the interest of optimizing the well-​being of staff and children that are there choose not to. I believe that says a lot about their emphasis on quality.
Pluses are flexibility (parents can drop off/​pick-​up/​visit at will), location/​landscape, focus on teacher education and child enrichment.
If you can get in here, go!

I can’t say enough good things about the director Kate and The Land’s End School. They made the hard transition from maternity leave for a first-​time mom manageable… they loved my baby, they helped me get him on a more regular sleeping schedule, and now as he’s transitioned into the toddler room they continue to constantly introduce new toys, activities, and crafts that he learns from and enjoys. One teacher from the infant room also moved up with him and other transitioning friends to the toddler room so the consistency has been wonderful.

Our daughter has been in the infant room at CASCC (now «Lands End School,» FYI) for about 6 months now, and I can’t say enough good things about them. The teacher to child ratio is outstanding, the teachers are excellent, and they have lots of great activities for the kids. The kids get lots of outdoor time (taking advantage of the beautiful location), and the older kids get lots of walks, part time, field trips, etc. There are great educational activities, including music lessons on a regular basis. Most of all, everyone who works there is super friendly and very committed to the kids. Dropping our baby off for the first time was hard, but it’s made easier by how great everyone is, and by seeing the strong relationship between the teachers and the kids. We plan on keeping our daughter here through all the age levels, and we’ll probably be sad when she gets too old to go here.

Our son is in the infant room and we really like the fit (so does he). The location is perfect for my wife, who works at the VA hospital. The new facility is really incredible and spacious, not to mention the ocean view, which is completely under appreciated by our 10-​month old. Highlights include the availability (7:30 am to after 6 pm), the nearby field trips (playground, beach, etc), the educational activities (music teacher comes even for the infants), and the good teacher to child ratio. As a father I totally recommend this place.

Any great school succeeds through the collaboration between its staff and community of parents. Having an über dedicated director who cares about the children deeply, is committed to the teachers and connected with parents is not something we find easily. This school’s outer Richmond location at the San Francisco VA Medical Center campus is convenient (with frequent field trips to zoo, beach, parks), and comforting for me as I work full-​time just across the parking lot. This school is not just for VA employees but open to all. And yes, the Preschool for All program is here too. The teachers are in tune with each kid, meaning they can handle my kids’ spectrum of emotions and behaviors on any given day while I’m at work. I have a child starting kindergarten, and this school helped prepare us well for it, from cultivating my child’s reading skills to coaching me through the kindergarten enrollment process. Quite a lot to achieve when we’ve only attended this school one year.

Don’t judge this place by the building or the surroundings, a new parking lot is under construction. This is the best secret preschool/​childcare center in the Outer Richmond. If you want a loving, fun environment, look no further. I just wish my children could stay here forever. The Director is amazing and the teachers are unbelieveable, you will feel no guilt leaving your child here. They are also undergoing a vigorous accreditation process and are also part of First 5. A current student described the school as cozy, like home. Hope you get in.

I attended a «preschool preview night» one evening after driving five hours back to SF. Needless to say, my little guy and I were exhausted, but I «had» to go because I was afraid of not getting into the «right» preschool. Well, after aimlessly wandering around this big hall packed to the brim with anxious parents grabbing every pamphlet not stapled to the poster boards, I stumbled upon this little card table manned by a very observant childcare director who sympathized with the painful look on my face. That was my first exposure to what a great school this would be for my son and me…
The school is basically a double-​wide modular unit located on the grounds of VA-​Ft. Miley, at Land’s End. There is a separate room for the infant group and the preschool is divided by age. The preschoolers do not need to be potty-​trained. The curriculum is play-​based, the kids go on walks at least once a week in the beautiful adjacent GGNRA and the teachers love their students. There are separate outdoor play areas for the little kids and the bigger kids.
We attended the school between 2002 – 2004 and greatly miss it. The school has a very limited number of spots because of the available space, but I have heard that the VA is going to allow the center to expand. (Because it is «federal» land, everything needs to go through lengthy processes…). Also, because the center is supposed to serve the employees of the VA, these kids get priority for admittance. (However, it is dependent on how old your kids is and what space is available). Infant care tends to fill up fastest, of course.
The tuition is probably more than some other preschools, but since there are fewer kids in the school, they get more attention. The teachers are loving and so appreciative of parents who participate. They were also great about leaving little notes about your child so you felt less guilty about leaving them all day.