Bellamy Manor School

My child has been enrolled at Bellamy Manor for 3 academic years now, and it’s hard to put into words how grateful we are for this wonderful community. From the very first day, the teachers and staff made her feel loved, supported, and excited to learn. The warmth, thoughtfulness, and care they show to each child truly make it feel like a second home. My kiddo has had some challenging times and behaviors sometimes, and they have always responded in an empathetic and engaged manner to support my kiddo. Communication to parents from teachers and the directors has always been fantastic. Ultimately, they have helped my kiddo grow in confidence, kindness, and curiosity, and that of course goes along with great foundational learning. Bellamy Manor celebrates each individual kiddo and welcomes diversity. I feel so fortunate to be able to go to work everyday and feel assured that my child is safe and loved.

Our son had never been to daycare or pre-school, so when looking at our options we were very thorough in our search. A friend referred us to Bellamy Manor, and we really could not be more grateful. The staff is patient, kind, and invested in not only our son’s academic development, but also his personal growth. EVERY staff member knows my son by name and greets him anytime he walks into a room. We have seen such positive developments since he has started school at Bellamy- he has made strives in his academic learning, he is more outgoing, and most of all he has built up so much confidence in his own abilities. The directors of the school are extremely organized and work hard to ensure the students have fun, engaging activities while keeping parents well informed. The teaching staff send consistent updates and give us useful advice on how we can build on skills they learn in class at home. This school has quickly become a second family for our son, and seeing him come home each day with such excitement to share what he has learned has been such a gift. For any parents struggling to find the perfect fit- you will find it here.

Bellamy Manor is not for all kids. It’s not all-inclusive, so parents please be aware before sending your child here. If your child has any behavioral challenges or even just tough days, I recommend looking elsewhere. Your child deserves support and understanding. The “teachers” here do not redirect in a constructive way and, in my experience, are not trained to work with children who aren’t easy going. I know my experience isn’t the only one, but this is coming from a parent of a child who has good days and bad days, like many toddlers. He receives speech therapy twice weekly, and an OT came into the daycare once a week to work with him after getting complaints from the school. We were actively working with the school to support his development. His behavior was impulsive and age-typical, not malicious (which was acknowledged by the daycare). At one point we were told we would need to come up with a plan for him, but that conversation was never followed up on by Kristine or Jada. The school told us they valued openness and transparency, but that was not our experience. We were told that when the time came, we would be notified and given three more chances and time to find other care. Instead, we were given a call 15 minutes before closing one day, notifying us of our child’s termination. There was no chance for adjustment or transition, which was incredibly disruptive to our child and family. In my son’s 2-year-old classroom, his teachers were not very involved, particularly with children who needed extra assistance. When asked about what redirection tactics they used, they would often dance around the question. It was observed by me that my child was rolling around on the floor when the teacher asked him to sit up, and when he didn’t, they continued to let his bad behavior progress until I stepped in to correct him myself. Rather than interacting or guiding, they mostly gave commands from their desks and did not step in to support. During outside time, they supervised but did not engage. (We sat and watched hours and hours of classroom footage to observe both our child and teacher interactions, which is how we noticed these patterns.) This lack of engagement made the environment feel more like monitoring than teaching, which is concerning in a setting meant to nurture toddlers. To be fair, there were things I liked about the school, such as their curriculum. But ultimately, the lack of communication, lack of training for diverse needs, and sudden termination outweighed the positives. Bellamy Manor may work well for “easy” kids who don’t need extra support. But for families like mine, with children who need patience, redirection, and care on both their good and bad days, I can’t recommend it. I hope they take this as constructive criticism, to better their teachers and the support that they give to children.

Bellamy Manor has changed our lives. Our daughter has been taught and loved by the most amazing teachers and we could not be happier with what we have experienced the last couple of years. The staff at Bellamy have become family and we love them so much! Picking a school for our daughter was a huge decision that I was beyond nervous about but I am blessed to have found the Bellamy family. Thanks to them, I know my daughter is safe, exceeding, and building the confidence she needs to go far in life. Lifelong friendships are being built and I can’t thank Bellamy enough for everything they have done for our family.

Bellamy Manor Preschool has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made as a parent! I have had the pleasure of sending my two precious children through many years with these rockstars at BMS and I could NOT love them more than I do! I am a VERY picky, VERY strict, and very focused on the importance of child development and cultivating little minds and I continue to be satisfied above and beyond my expectations with this crew! They care, they anticipate, they work together, they are positive and upbeat, they embrace all their children, they problem solve, and just completely set everyone from the child to the parent up for success! Way to go Bellamy Manor friends! I am grateful for all you’ve poured into my two little souls! ❤️❤️❤️