Centreville :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Clifton Children's Academy
Posted by:
Clifton Resident
()
Date: October 30, 2011 06:00PM
I am new to the area and looking into pre-schools for my son. Anybody know anything about Clifton Children's Academy? Do they have a good reputation?
Re: Clifton Children's Academy
Posted by:
Centreville Resident
()
Date: November 07, 2011 08:50PM
Our daughter went there a number of years ago. Overall our experience wasn't great so we ended up moving her to the Pre-School at the Clifton Presbyterian church. It was wonderful!! Highly recommended but difficult to get in I believe.
Re: Clifton Children's Academy
Posted by:
Neighbor
()
Date: November 09, 2011 11:52AM
I don't know too much about CCA but would highly recommend the Montessori school near the 28/Braddock intersection. We've had two kids there and they have done very well.
Re: Clifton Children's Academy
Posted by:
Jenn
()
Date: January 25, 2012 02:48PM
Yes, I had 2 of my children in the school and it was great. I really liked the teachers and the environment for the children was good. My children really learned a lot with through the curcilum provided there.
Re: Clifton Children's Academy
Posted by:
J W
()
Date: July 08, 2014 10:27PM
Policy and payment warning! If you're considering Clifton Children's Academy, please pay very close attention to all paperwork. While you'll not find all of the payment information in one place, you'll soon find that you're doling out a lot of money up front that will be returned to you under NO circumstances.
First, you'll pay a "registration fee." Then, you'll pay "reserve tuition," which is equivalent to a full month's payment, for which you will receive NO services. And if you later decide to use a fewer number of days, this fee will NOT be reduced.
THEN, also up front, you will pay 20-60% of the full year's tuition. Now, you may think that that payment is not an additional fee because the 20% supposedly covers the last two months of the 10-month school year. HOWEVER, in the fine print, there is the stipulation that these funds will be forfeited if the school determines that there are "behavioral" issues with your child. I have not met many behaviorally perfect 3-5 year old children! While I am not saying that this school will expel your child and keep your money on false pretenses, the payment policies are a perfect setup for that sort of thing to happen. It could happen that you pay over 70% of a full YEAR'S tuition (not a small amount, in my world) and forfeit it with very little service given.
If you have that kind of money to spare, are confident that your child will have no "behavioral" problems, and feel that this school will be able to provide a competent educational experience for your child, then proceed with enrollment! Otherwise, caveat emptor! I have never encountered this sort of payment policy trap anywhere else, but I have learned the expensive lesson to watch for it in the future.
First, you'll pay a "registration fee." Then, you'll pay "reserve tuition," which is equivalent to a full month's payment, for which you will receive NO services. And if you later decide to use a fewer number of days, this fee will NOT be reduced.
THEN, also up front, you will pay 20-60% of the full year's tuition. Now, you may think that that payment is not an additional fee because the 20% supposedly covers the last two months of the 10-month school year. HOWEVER, in the fine print, there is the stipulation that these funds will be forfeited if the school determines that there are "behavioral" issues with your child. I have not met many behaviorally perfect 3-5 year old children! While I am not saying that this school will expel your child and keep your money on false pretenses, the payment policies are a perfect setup for that sort of thing to happen. It could happen that you pay over 70% of a full YEAR'S tuition (not a small amount, in my world) and forfeit it with very little service given.
If you have that kind of money to spare, are confident that your child will have no "behavioral" problems, and feel that this school will be able to provide a competent educational experience for your child, then proceed with enrollment! Otherwise, caveat emptor! I have never encountered this sort of payment policy trap anywhere else, but I have learned the expensive lesson to watch for it in the future.