R.W. Drake Pre-School Centre

My dd has been going to Drake for about half a year! She loves going to school everyday! Highly recommend this one
Oct 26th, 2018

R W Drake preschool was everything I was looking for for my younger daughter when we moved into the area in 2005.  She ended up attending the school for 2 years before moving on to kindergarten at Portola Elementary School in San Bruno.  The school facilities are clean, teaching philosophies and procedures were clearly explained, the tuition was reasonable, and children get to play a lot, while learning as well. At Drake School, my daughter learnt to socialize, play with others, learn shapes, colors, songs, and numbers. She effortlessly moved up from the little kids to the big-kid room when she found out that she won't be able to wear diapers there.  My daughter was loved, educated, guided, and held accountable for her occasional misbehaving.  She now is ready to move on to high school.  Thank you!
Jul 3rd, 2016

Love this place!  My kids have been going here for a year now and they love it.  As a teacher myself it was so important that my kids attend a place that was about learning and playing.   They do a great job of keeping time structured with learning academic skills as well as social skills.  Maureen and her staff are fantastic!
Apr 29th, 2016

In my opinion, not the best preschool out there; pretty dark and old inside, staff not so friendly or welcoming.  It's almost as if they make you feel it's a burden when dropping off your kids.  No eye contact or good morning from the person sitting at the front.  The snacks and lunches are not the most nutritious.  They have a piece of binder paper with a hand written menu that does not change from week to week.  Snacks consist of otter-pops and popcorn.  Extremely disorganized - on Fridays they recommend taking home the linens used during nap time to wash and bring back on Mondays - I was shocked when I went to get my son's stuff out of his cubbie and it wasn't even his.  The only response I got from the teacher was "oh, I was wondering why he kept pointing to the other blanket???"  Not acceptable. I have boy/girl twins who started daycare at 5 months.  They were with that provider up until 3 1/2 years old when I moved them to RW Drake.  My daughter had an extremely tough time with the change from daycare to preschool to the point that beginning on day #2 she was hysterical claiming there were bugs all over her feet and arms.  I was called numerous times to come pick her up because they couldn't calm her down.  I took her to the pediatrician and had x-rays done to make sure there was nothing more serious going on.  Thankfully, the pediatrician confirmed there was nothing medically wrong.  I was continuously told by the Director (Maureen) and staff that there was something mentally wrong with her when in reality she just did not like the preschool.  The Director seemed really nice and like she had a genuine interest in the kids when I toured their facility.  I was disappointed with the way she handled this situation and the tipping point was when she called me at 10:30am to pick up my daughter because they were having a birthday party for another child and my daughter was hysterical again over bugs.  That was it; I pulled both my kids out that same day!My twins were only there for 2 1/2 weeks but that was enough time for me to realize this was not the best place for them.  The academics are horrible and the food is unacceptable.  I am not a health nut but I do expect preschools to feed young kids good nutritious meals and snacks.  I shouldn't have to pack their lunch because the school does not provide quality meals.  I understand every parent has different opinions and I want my kids to be happy and love their teachers too but ensuring they are getting a good education is way more important than if my child is hugging and kissing their teacher at the end of the day!I was extremely lucky that I was able to get them into The Early Years Preschool (also in South San Francisco) and I'm happy to say that my daughter just started her 4th week there and no mention of bugs!!! :)  I think it's safe to say that there was something not right about this place and she was definitely letting me know in her own way!
Sep 14th, 2014

I read some of the reviews of Drake and wanted to add my own. All 3 of my chidren attended Drake for 2 + years. My youngest is still a student there and they all loved it. Bottom line, they had FUN and felt LOVED and that is what I want most for my children when they are not with me. Could the academics be more rigourous? Probably. Are they fed only organic meals? No. Pack your own lunch if you want to control and montor what your child is eating. I am more concered that they are having fun, learning how to socialize with other children and resolve conflicts in a loving enviroment and that is what I feel they have at Drake. My daughter is always hugging and kissing her teachers good-bye and to me that is what matters most.
Jul 15th, 2014