Southwood Pre-School

A 5 Star Recommendation !!!\r \r I am involved grandmother of two children who have attended Southwood Pre-School over the last 5 years. The school is clean, well run and the staff is friendly and caring. The school is more than a child care center with a great play area and activities to occupy the child; it is a learning center that teaches age appropriate skills and information, The children are taught how to interact with other children and adults, The are taught the basic plus more to prepare them for kindergarten and to be good citizens. Equally important, at days end they are happy with there accomplishments and what they have learned and the fun they had.\r \r Many of the teachers have been at Southwood for years with few turn overs. That in it's self sends a positive and secure message to parents looking for a great place to send their children each day.\r \r They acknowledge good behavior which is a positive reinforcing learning tool for the child. The daily report card the parent receives is a helpful indicator of any possible issues that the child may be having. They take continuous misbehavior by the child seriously and address it accordingly. The teachers and support staff encourage the participation of the parents and family members in identifying the reason for and working together to correct the behavior of the child.\r \r The family participation activities will be missed. It is obvious, that a great deal of hard work and preparation by all including the children goes into each special occasion. For Obvious reasons, one of my favorites is Grandparents Day!\r \r All who are involved, Mr. Lenny, Miss Cookie, MIss Jenna and all the wonderful hardworking teachers are an asset to the success of each child who leaves Southwood.\r \r Thank you for caring and teaching my grandchildren more

Well Southwood now has a website however no email address. I wonder if Len Ingalls, the owner listens to what parents are talking about-because I have seen zero changes where numerous complaints (about the SAME issues) are concerned. \r \r I think some of the staff needs a break because even though they really do provide wonderful activities for the kids the teachers bring the fun to such a low level with their lack of enthusiasm, and lack of dialogue. \r \r Also, PROVIDE MATH AND SCIENCE enrichment activities. Have a young engineer come in during nap when certain 4 and 5 year olds are not napping.\r \r more

I DO NOT RECOMMEND! Southwood preschool is absolutely NOT a safe and loving place for kids. I would NOT recommend this place to anybody. There is no one monitoring the main entrance,(which remains unlocked) and kids come and go as they please. I went in for more information, and their director, "Cookie" was not friendly at ALL. She answered my questions as if she were doing me a favor by accepting my kids into the school. There are no policies in regards to kids who misbehave, no policy on student or teacher conduct, no policies, on anything! I am so glad I went in for a visit, because I do NOT want her to be the "director" of the school my children attend. She seems really unorganized and a little racist. She only greeted one particular ethnicity of parents as they entered the school, and clearly did not greet any parents of color during the hour that I was there observing. She also does not allow potential clients to drop in to observe, she only wants scheduled appointmen more

I DO NOT RECOMMEND this school. Southwood Preschool does not have ""excellent staff"". I went in for more information, and ""Cookie"" acted like she was doing me a favor by enrolling my kids into her school. It is unfortunate that as the director of this school, she lacks professionalism and was just overtly pretentious. Southwood Preschool is absolutely NOT a safe and loving place for kids. I would NOT recommend this place to anybody. There is no one monitoring the main entrance,(which remains unlocked) and kids come and go as they please. There are no policies in regards to kids who misbehave, no policy on student or teacher conduct, no policies, on anything! I am so glad I went in for a visit, because I do NOT want her to be the ""director"" of any school my children attend. She seems really unorganized and a little racist. She only greeted one particular ethnicity of parents as they entered the school, and clearly did not greet any parents of color during the hour that I was there observing. She also does not allow potential clients to drop in to observe, she only wants scheduled appointments. It seems like she has something to hide. I am very suspicious of directors/preschools who do not allow potential clients to drop in without notice. If you care about the welfare of your child(ren), do NOT send them here. Len Ingalls, Cookie may need to be retrained with some proper etiquette, or just replaced, if you want your school to be successful. more

This preschool has office staff members that are really uninviting and rude. The office staff doesn't even greet you when you come and go with your children. Many parents have agreed that this place really isn't doing so well anymore. It's falling apart. Their office staff really do need to be more friendly ESPECIALLY to new potential clients, but they IGNORE YOU when you walk in. It is unfortunate because I did want to enroll my kids here, but after actually visiting their facility and meeting their unfriendly office staff members, I will not be enrolling my kids here. I thought this was a place for kids! more

I would like to thank everyone at Southwood for being such wonderful and caring people. My daughter found this preschool for my grandaughter almost 1 year ago and she has learned so much for the small amount of time that she has been there. I have never had any problems with the teachers lack of caring. The kids all seem to be happy and having a good time both when they are playing and when they are learning. I must admit I thought of taking her out because of the commute but it is worth the drive. Thank you Southwood more

I was happy to read the comments by m o m which were spot on, because I am not the only one who feels that way about the school. The teachers do not seem to be loving or caring or even fun. They have lots of fun acitivies but they completely lack enthusiasm and don't seem to love their jobs. I had my child in daycare (which was really a small school with just as many children in the classroom, but just located in someone's house) and the lady had so much enthusiasm and love for her job and her children. I've also noticed on a few occasions my child's diaper was not changed. more

Awarded ""Best Pre School"" in So Cal by L.A.Times Reader's Poll 2011. A sincere ""Thank you"" to all of our parents who over the years, recognized us recently in the L.A. Times by saying nice things about our efforts. Thank you for choosing us as your child's pre-school. Len Ingalls, Owner, SWPS. more

To ""Mom"" who wrote the negative review: You're way off. Cookie is very sweet and patient with the kids, as is everyone I've run into at Southwood. Each week is a new theme: Pirates, clowns, olympics, etc. They do adorable things for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas, etc. Every afternoon, the kids come home with detailed report cards explaining their day, fun arts & crafts perfect for hanging on the fridge, and most importantly - big smiles on their faces. Take it from someone who toured nearly a dozen pre-schools before choosing Southwood - it's the best one around. I have no complaints whatsoever, and if you're fortunate enough to get Miss Annette as your child's teacher, you've won the lottery, because the woman is absolutely amazing. One thing I do agree with is the snack/lunch criticism - I do like the fact that Southwood has a wide-open kitchen so parents can see food being prepared (and 1-way mirrors in the classrooms so you can also observe your children learning) - but, bologna sandwiches and cookies are a bit too prevalent. More fruits, veggies, etc would be nice. But ultimately, if you're a good parent, you make up for that one little drawback at home. Overall, a wonderful first schooling experience for any child in a very loving, caring, clean, brightly-colored environment with a fun, safe, huge playground. There's a good reason why Southwood has a waiting list - because it's worth waiting for. more

I wish I could review this school, but I can't because they will not let you drop in. You need to make an appointment. As a school principal I have an inherent mistrust of a school that demands appointments of prospective parents. It seems odd to me - so I wouldn't even consider them. Parents should always be welcome in any classroom with very few exceptions. more

I am currently in my ""obversing"" period at the school where I'm learning what everyone and everything is like. So far, I am not sure about a few things: more

My twin Sons attended Southwood Pre-School and it has been a wonderful experience! My Sons were always excited to go to school and that was very rewarding as a Parent. They provided breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks which was very convenient. It expanded my Sons range of food preferences and we can always find something on a restaurant menu now. Southwood also had many outside activities, school or pony pictures, aquarium visits, swim lessons, etc. My Sons are very prepared for Kindergarten and will start this year! Thank you Southwood for the enjoyable & educational experience. I highly recommend this pre-school! more

Both of my kids attended Southwood. They loved it and still ask to go back and visit. The teachers are caring and friendly. My girls were very prepared for kindergarten when they left Southwood. I would definitely recommend Southwood to a friend. more

I can't believe the original comments. I have had two children go through Southwood Preschool. One is attending now. I agree that they teach while letting the kids be kids. Each room they move into focuses on age appropriate learning and play time. When my older daughter started Kindergarten she was extremely well prepared. We picked southwood because of the fact that they aren't forcing kids into classroom environments at age 2. They let them have fun and gradually build on classroom and learning skills. We also picked it because of the amazing, healthy lunch program. It was much better than the numerous other preschools I visited in the south bay, focusing on fresh ingredients and not just cold sandwiches and chicken fingers. I highly reccomend this school. And I don't find it "cheap" at all. It's pretty much in the middle of what's available. more

Wow, below review possibly came from one of the competitors.What are you comparing? God knows I went to them all! And all I can say is that my son loves it! Anyone I talk to loves it! Its the funnest, cleanest preschool with the most age appropriate activities around! They let kids be kids while they learn. Everyone is supper friendly and kids always come first. Other preschools take you on tours during naps and let you walk around little bodies sleeping. This school doesn't even let you in the classroom. Hot meals are prepared in a very clean kitchen and not delivered from fast food places as most others offer. more

We really wanted a nuturing environment for our child and this place is not that at all. We like the all day program and lunch provided but even the lunch is rather unhealthy therefore not worth it. The director and assistant director don't seem to have a degree in childhood education beyond community college. The owners run it like a heartless business instead of a loving child care facility. I can't recommend this school unless you want something cheap and need the all day care. Don't expect the "teachers" to crack a smile. And, if your child comes home shouting, using unfamiliar language, and displaying aggressive behavior you can bet they learned it from one of those "teachers." There are so many other places to bring your child for a loving, nuturing, safe, caring, and fun experiences trust me, this is NOT it. more