The Gardner School Of Oakbrook Terrace

Our 2-year-old runs into The Gardner School with the biggest smile — that alone tells us we made the perfect choice. She is genuinely happy here, and as parents, there’s no better feeling. The teachers are loving, nurturing, and truly engaged with every child. They treat our daughter like she matters — her voice, her feelings, and her curiosity are all encouraged every single day. We’ve watched her confidence bloom, her words expand, and her social skills take off in such a short time. The environment is bright, clean, and thoughtfully designed for little learners. We love how communication is constant and clear, and how every activity has purpose while still feeling fun and playful. We are endlessly grateful for this school and the incredible people who pour their hearts into it. The Gardner School has given our daughter a place where she is cared for, celebrated, and excited to learn — and that means the world to us.

We absolutely love The Gardner School of Oak Brook! The staff members are beyond amazing – so warm, friendly, and welcoming every single day. You can truly feel how much they care about the kids and their families. From the front desk to the teachers in every classroom, everyone greets you with a smile and makes you feel like part of the family. It’s such a comforting feeling knowing our child is surrounded by people who genuinely love what they do. We couldn’t be happier with our experience!

This review is specifically for our waitlist experience, we have never had a child enrolled at Gardner. We put our child on the waitlist and paid $200 in October of 2021 for an infant start date of August/September 2022. We went with Bright Horizons in Oakbrook since they had an opening, and we've had a really great experience (love their teachers, curriculum, and facility). I continue to get emails from The Gardner School thanking me for my patience, but saying they still don't have a spot for my child's age group. It's ridiculous (my son turns 2 in a month) and wanted to share this review for those looking at care options. Kensington in Elmhurst was very upfront with us about the slim likelihood of getting into their infant room back in 2021, but we were able to join their waitlist for free. I don't think it's right for a childcare institution to charge a wait list fee if their availability would be THREE YEARS. We've paid non-refundable waitlist or enrollment fees at a few places, but Gardner stands out egregious considering the timeline. I hesitate to write negative reviews, but maybe my experience can help an expectant mom.

Our three years at TGS Oakbrook have been simply wonderful. The staff are so kind, attentive, and consistent (both my older and younger daughters have had the same pre-k teacher). The school is almost always open so it’s child care you can rely on..when you need it. The app they use works flawlessly and you can tell the staff are well versed in using it as I get lots of updates throughout the day. The families are also so great and our girls have developed some awesome friendships. Our girls have been in the best hands over these past three years and as we close our chapter with TGS, we wanted to express our sincere appreciation for what has been a fantastic experience.

We absolutely love the Gardner School of Oakbrook. We were having a difficult time finding a school that wasn't based off play. During our tour we immediately could see how this school was different and education-focused. The teachers and staff are passionate and invested in the students. I love the constant picture/updates through the app about his day. My son has been attending this school for two years now and I feel he is getting a very strong educational foundation. The children pick up and drop off are easy. The school itself is beautiful and clean. Everyone is so friendly and personable. I would definitely rate this a 5 star school.