The Plymouth School

I would avoid Plymouth school for several reasons. There are 3 classrooms total and 2 of them are very small and dark. I personally felt claustrophobic every time I went into the classroom so I can only imagine how my daughter felt. Although the teachers are older (e.g. experienced), I felt that their teaching methods, curriculum and materials were outdated and not educationally stimulating (a common table top activity is to have the kids play withwas a box of Mc Donald Happy meal toys). I was at the school quite a bit and I did not observe any interesting projects.
It was all very basic with very little room for creativity.
In addition, I felt that my daughter’s teacher was brusk and incincere when she dealt with my daughter, especially when she was encountering difficulties (my kiddo had trouble sitting still because she was frankly bored to tears). Teaching little ones is tough but I still expect the adults to remain patient and nurturing.
The school itstelf is not adequately secured. The school gate is not locked. Anyone can walk in off the street onto the school property. There is a large vagrant population that visit the building next to the school parking lot for free food and donations; I have seen disorriented homeless people wander into the school courtyard on numerous occcasions.
There weren’t any enrichment classes at all. Not even a simple music class.
The parents and families are lovely but that alone cannot make up for Plymouth’s many faults.

I first heard about The Plymouth School when my son was six months old. A friend suggested I call to get him on the waiting list. I was like, «What?!» I did it anyway and a lovely woman by the name of Penny picked up the phone, put him on the list and told me to call back in two years!
Long story short, my son is finishing up his third year at The Plymouth School and it couldn’t have been a better introduction to academia. There are three extremely gifted teachers there and assistants in each room. Parent involvement is encouraged after year one and it is such a special place.
No, they don’t have very big web presence. It IS by word of mouth, but there is always a wait! One of the parents in my son’s class went to Plymouth so there is a long legacy of LA-​area alums.
Last year, we were encouraged by his teacher to keep him there one more year and «hold him back» or «redshirt» him. I’m very relieved I listened and did that. It’s made all the difference — he’s so much more focused, a leader, and is so ready now for Kindergarten.
I couldn’t NOT gush about our experience and his with The Plymouth School. We will miss it!!!

**This review is based on a parent tour. My child does NOT attend this school.**
I have been doing tours of neighborhood preschools (Ktown, Hancock Park, Hollywood) for the better part of 2011. It’s been an exhausting process but being that I only have one baby I wanted to make sure I felt good about his first experience in school.
I found out about this school through word of mouth. It really has little or no web presence and there are no signs out front so no way to just stumble upon it. What a gem of a place! Director Peggy has been was one of the founding members of the school (I believe it was established in 1972). The school is housed in a yellow colonial house behind Wilshire Presbyterian Church. Though the school is not affiliated with the church they do rent some space from the church.
The classes are divided by age groups. The oldest class, ⁴⁄₅ yr. olds, occupy the front of the house. It is a light and airy space. You get a very warm feeling being in there. At the time of my visit (Dec. 2011), this class had 21 students and two teachers. The next class (¾ year olds) had a classroom in the church building. This classroom was small and very dark. There were 10 students and one teacher. The youngest class (2.5 year old) was also housed in the church and while the classroom was slightly bigger than the other class, it was still a bit dark for my taste. This classroom had 12 – 14 (can’t remember the exact #) students with one teacher and one aide. The school has a huge yard in the back with lots of play structures and activities for kids.
Each classroom has a pet that the students take care of. All of the teachers have been with the school forever! I think the «newest» teacher had been there five years. One teacher was a former student of the school! Another had put her four children through the school and then decided to become a teacher at the school. That says a lot about the school that people want to stick around! All of the teachers I observed during my hour long visit seemed very warm and caring.
The school runs on an academic calendar. All of the students start in September. There is a 6 week break in the summer (August-​Sept) and probably a holiday break as well (though I didn’t get to ask about that). Children must be 2.5 years old to start. You need to put yourself on the wait list and visit during Oct-​Dec. They are open 8:30am to 3:30pm. I do not believe they offer afterschool programs. It’s a pretty restrictive schedule. The one thing they do offer that many schools don’t is that they offer a lot of flexibility for those wanting part-​time schedules. For part-​time they offer M-​F half days, M-​W-​F or T-​Th half days. Tuition starts at around $ 450 and goes up to about $ 1000 depending on what type of schedule you want.
I really got a good feeling from the school. It’s in a convenient location and I love how dedicated the director and teachers seemed. What I didn’t like was the lack of diversity. It just seems so odd to have a school in LA (as much as they want to call in Hancock Park, it’s really in Koreatown) full of just Caucasian kids and teachers. The lack of diversity, the classrooms in the church being so dark, and the short hours would be my cons. Also, I told the director I’d be interested in a spot for my son for the next fall. She promised she’d call me in the spring to let me know if there were any spots available. And then I never heard from her again. There was no formal application process so I don’t know how exactly they’re choosing who gets in or not. I’ve heard from friends that they’re a little selective that way… if you have a friend or some sort of connection to someone who goes there already then you have a much better chance of getting in (or so I’ve heard). But despite my con’s, they also had a lot of pro’s so if you’re looking and can handle those hours (8:30−3:30), I’d definitely urge you to check it out.