East Bay Private Schools Open Houses and Tours

East Bay private schools offer many choices. With the help of EBISA, the East Bay Independent Schools Association, we have assembled this guide to visitations, tours, and other prospective family events at our area's independent (AKA private) schools. For up-to-the-minute changes, check the embedded calendar here from ebisa.org or with the schools in question. Happy visiting!
Kids too little? Find our East Bay infant care, daycare, and preschool guide instead.

{Our 2019-20 guide sponsors}

Calendar of private school events in the East Bay

If you're already using google calendar, you can embed this EBISA calendar with your own family's schedule pretty easily.

East Bay Independent Elementary & Middle Schools (sponsored listings)

The Academy (Elmwood in Berkeley)

At The Academy, you will find classrooms filled with authentic intellectual discovery, joy in learning, and challenging academics in a supportive and nurturing environment. Small classes offer unparalleled luxury, as each student is known and valued as a unique individual. {See 510families spotlight on The Academy}
Grades: K through 8th grade
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Aurora School (Oakland)

Aurora students thrive in innovative, multi-aged classrooms with exceptional teachers and a small teacher/student ratio. The unique balance of academics and social emotional learning cultivates graduates who experience greater academic challenge, a positive self-conception, and innate leadership skills.
Grades: K through 5th grade
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Bentley School (Oakland & Lafayette)

Celebrating 100 years, Bentley School is a college preparatory K-12 school. Exceptional teachers inspire intellectual curiosity and a love for learning. We empower students to build character and to lead lives of purpose through transformative learning experiences.
Grades: K through 8th grade in Oakland; 9th through 12th grade in Lafayette
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The Berkeley Rose Waldorf School (Berkeley)

Since 2009, this diverse student body has enjoyed a rich, Waldorf curriculum: art integrated into the learning of rigorous math, language arts, Spanish, Mandarin, movement, handwork, and music. A reverence for nature and being outdoors enlivens the teaching with joy.
Grades: Nursery school through 8th grade
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The Berkeley School (Berkeley)

TBS students have joyful, rigorous learning experiences that help them develop the skills, perspectives and motivations necessary to create positive change in their local and global communities. Reach out to learn more about The Berkeley School’s focus on civic engagement.
Grades: K through 8th grade
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Berkwood Hedge School (Berkeley)

Now in their 75^th year, Berkwood Hedge School cultivates kids’ natural creativity and intellectual curiosity within an environment just right for their needs. By helping kids grow into their unique selves without growing up too quickly, children develop clarity and confidence.
Grades: K through 5th grade
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Black Pine Circle School (West Berkeley)

For 45 years, Black Pine Circle's award-winning elementary and middle school has created lifelong learners through a Socratic inquiry-based education that emphasizes both academics and the arts. BPC inspires and nurtures curiosity, community, inquiry, and voice in its students. {See 510families spotlight on Black Pine Circle}
Grades: K through 8th grade
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The Crowden School (North Berkeley)

The Crowden School is unlike any school in the country, a 3rd–8th day school with chamber music at its heart. Since 1983, the joy of playing music alongside rigorous academics offers our students a unique education with transformative results. {See 510families spotlight on Crowden}
Grades: 3rd through 8th grade
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Crestmont School (Richmond)

A progressive, intimate school environment that uses a hands-on, project-oriented approach: Crestmont is a K-8 parent cooperative that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, collaborative learning, academic excellence, emotional intelligence, and strong community spirit.
Grades: K through 8th grade
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East Bay German International School (Emeryville)

East Bay German International School (EBGIS) is a dual-language immersion school offering preschool through eighth grade programs. They combine German and English instruction with project-based learning and individualized attention to each student. EBGIS offers exceptional academics, a diverse international perspective, and a vibrant school community.
Grades: Pre-K through 8th grade
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East Bay School for Boys (Berkeley)

East Bay School for Boys (EBSB) is an innovative middle school. Built for boys and with boys, EBSB empowers middle school boys to cultivate their intellectual, physical and emotional selves to become engaged, thoughtful and courageous men of tomorrow.
Grades: 6th through 8th grade
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East Bay Waldorf School (El Sobrante)

East Bay Waldorf School (EBWS) offers a progressive Waldorf curriculum with hands-on teaching methods on an extraordinary 91-acre learning environment to cultivate students with a healthy balance of academic and interpersonal skills, imagination and initiative, creativity and engagement. Students experience joy and thrive in life.
Grades: Parent-child and Preschool through 8th grade
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Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley (Southwest Berkeley)

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley (EB) is the oldest and largest bilingual school of the East Bay. Students are immersed in the French language starting in preschool and become confident, culturally fluent responsible global citizens. [See 510families Spotlight on Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley]
Grades: Preschool through 8th grade
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Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (Rockridge in Oakland & Emeryville)

Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (EBI) believes that inspiration and engagement are at the heart of student transformation. An excellent multilingual, international education in the heart of the East Bay prepares EBI's students to thrive in a diverse, changing world with character and empathy. [See 510families Spotlight on Escuela Bilingüe Internacional]
Grades: Preschool through 8th grade
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Futures Academy (Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, San Mateo, Cupertino)

At Futures Academy, they teach students the knowledge, skills, mindsets, character, and habits needed to achieve personal goals in an innovative, supportive, and socially engaging learning environment with a focus on personalized instruction.
Grades: 6th through 12th grade
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Golestan Elementary (Kensington / El Cerrito)

Golestan’s dual immersion program integrates the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum with hands-on experiential learning. Students are immersed in their secondary language: Arabic, Hebrew, or Persian. Campus feels like a home with a farm, kitchen, and maker’s lab. [See 510families spotlight on Golestan]
Grades: Preschool through 5th grade
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Head-Royce School (Oakland)

Head-Royce is a nationally recognized K-12 independent school situated in the hills of Oakland, California. Their mission is to inspire a lifelong love of learning with a focus on scholarship, diversity, and citizenship.
Grades: Kindergarten through 12th grade
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Montessori Family School (Berkeley & El Cerrito)

Montessori Family School provides an authentic Montessori learning experience with a challenging curriculum that supports hands-on learning, self-expression, and reflective self-evaluation.
Grades: Age 3 through K in Berkeley and Bridge-K through 8th grade
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Park Day School (Temescal in Oakland)

Park Day School is a progressive K-8th co-ed school located in Oakland. Classes emphasize creativity, collaboration, and discovery. Through a Social Justice framework, students learn their own power to make positive change. Discover a school that will nurture your child’s love of learning.
Grades: K through 8th grade
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Prospect Sierra (El Cerrito)

Exceptional teachers inspire students to seek deep, meaningful understanding; to develop strong academic skills; and to become creative and independent thinkers. Prospect Sierra cultivates compassion, fairness, respect, and individuality within a community that celebrates diversity, authenticity, and service. {See 510families spotlight on Prospect Sierra's new transitional kindergarten}
Grades: Transitional-K through 8th grade through 8th grade
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Redwood Day School (Oakland)

Redwood Day is a diverse, vibrant K-8 Oakland independent school. They inspire students to reach for their next challenge, embrace differences, and develop the intellectual and emotional courage to be ready for anything.
Grades: K through 8th grade
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The Renaissance International School (Oakland/Piedmont)

The Renaissance International School (TRIS) provides a high-quality Montessori and multilingual education for students age two through middle school. TRIS students grow to be leaders, explorers and responsible citizens with a curriculum designed for discovery rather than just learning.
Grades: Age 2 through 9th grade
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The Saklan School (Moraga)

Saklan leverages the interplay between hands-on learning and strong academics. This approach, coupled with inspiring, supportive teachers creates a deep learning experience. Visit Saklan to understand how they help students think creatively, act compassionately and live courageously.
Grades: Pre-K through 8th grade
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School of the Madeleine (Berkeley)

The School of the Madeleine is a Catholic parish K-8 school that fosters academic excellence in the context of a family-oriented community. Their mission is to inspire students to grow as educated morally informed individuals.
Grades: K through 8th grade
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The Seven Hills School (Walnut Creek)

A Seven Hills education is based on the whole child philosophy, attending to the entirety of the student experience. From a Reggio-inspired Preschool to an adventurous elementary and rigorous middle school, students are on a journey of curiosity and exploration.
Grades: Preschool through 8th grade
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Shu Ren International School (Berkeley)

Shu Ren International School, an International Baccalaureate Mandarin immersion school, encourages students to ask questions and inspires them to challenge themselves—all in both Mandarin and English! It’s never too early to start preparing kids to thrive in our global community. {See 510families spotlight on Shu Ren}
Grades: Preschool through 6th grade
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St. Paul's Episcopal School (Oakland)

St. Paul’s is an independent K-8 school located steps from Lake Merritt. Their program provides incomparable learning experiences with an emphasis on the importance of diversity, community, and service. Students graduate with skill, purpose, and empathy.
Grades: K through 8th grade
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Woodroe Woods School (San Leandro)

Woodroe Woods is a diverse group of eager learners, intellectually adventurous thinkers, empowered leaders, and compassionate members of the community. They value and foster academic achievement, creativity, self-knowledge, social responsibility, global awareness, lifelong friendships, and an enduring love of learning.
Grades: Preschool through 5th grade
Website >

Thanks again to EBISA for wrangling this information to share with families and to our sponsors.

Check out our round-up of East Bay infant care, daycare, and preschool options for younger children.

Apologies in advance for any events we listed but were moved, canceled, rained out, or otherwise not what you were expecting. We suggest you always double-check with the school in question. Often RSVP is required or strongly recommended. If your school wants to be added to our guide, please contact Carol AT 510families.com.