Stratford’s Winning Formula

Entering its 27th year in the education landscape, Stratford School continues to solidify its reputation as one of the top private schools in the Bay Area. Stratford’s advanced STEAM curriculum, combined with social-emotional learning, character development, and a rich array of extracurricular activities, provides students from age 2 through high school with a balanced variety of opportunities to learn and thrive in a safe, nurturing, and inspiring environment.

When educator Sherry Adams founded Stratford in 1999, her vision was to offer an uplifting educational experience that integrated accelerated academics with the arts in a joyful learning environment. This winning formula resonated with families, leading Stratford to expand to over 30 campuses, including two new high schools in the Bay Area and several locations in Southern California.

What can families expect at Stratford? First and foremost, the school takes pride in its innovative STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum, which continually adapts to ensure students learn at a pace that reflects the real world. To achieve this, Stratford employs a team of curriculum experts who keep the curriculum current with new technology and the latest research. Additionally, Stratford teachers receive training and professional development throughout the year to enhance subject knowledge and teaching strategies, resulting in exceptional instructional outcomes.

With a strong emphasis on STEM, Stratford ensures students are well-prepared for success in college and in life. The curriculum also includes art, music, and world languages to provide students with a well-rounded experience that engages both left- and right-brain learning. In preschool, students benefit from specialty teachers in Music, Science, and Spanish. While elementary students enjoy specialty teachers in Music, World Language, Computer Science, and P.E. Electives are introduced in middle school, and by high school, students have a wide range of AP and advanced courses to choose from.

Stratford starts early with robust Early Childhood Education programs that include: Early Preschool starting at age 2 (no potty-training required), Preschool for children ages 2.5 (potty training required), and Pre-Kindergarten for ages 3.5 to 4. Mandarin Bilingual preschool and Pre-K programs are also available at select campuses, with Mandarin and Spanish world language offerings continuing through high school, providing children with a direct pathway to a second language throughout their education at Stratford.

Complementing the strong academic foundation are social-emotional and character development programs, after-school clubs, and sports. This balanced approach to learning fosters a positive, supportive, and welcoming environment where students feel like part of an inclusive school family. The Stratford Cares program also encourages students to participate in charitable and community service activities, allowing them to contribute positively to their communities while developing strong organizational and leadership skills.

The Stratford approach to learning enables children to perform at a grade level above their peers by grade 3, and several grade levels above by middle school. Stratford students are equipped to become independent critical thinkers, confident problem solvers, and thoughtful leaders, ready to succeed in top colleges and universities and thrive in a global world.