Bedford Discovery School: Bedford Hills, NY

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE!! The Directors and Teachers appear nice on the surface but are quite the opposite. The quality of the teachers are extremely poor. I signed my daughter up thinking she was going to a healthy safe environment. After 4 days of careful observation I immediately pulled her out due to observations around Neglect, mental abuse and in appropriate discipline.
Examples:
- Saw a child fall on the play ground. The teach did NOT pick her up to see if she was ok. Instead, she just told her to get up. The child got more upset and through a toy. The teacher reacted by grabbing her by the arms in a very rough way, plopped her on the edge of the sand box and told her to sit there and she couldn’t play.
- Saw a child crying because he was scared of the lawn mowers while outside. The teacher left him crying, did not comfort him and made a comment to one of the other teachers that he couldn’t deal with him anymore
- Saw a teacher yelling at the top of her lungs at the children to sit down at the edge of the carpet if they wanted to go outside. One of the toddlers was slow to sit down. She immediately yelled at him that if he didn’t get there now she would make him sit alone.
- Saw the teacher make my child sit alone against the wall with no lunch while all the other kids were eating lunch to punish her for spilling her water.
- The teachers give “time outs” to 2 year olds. May not be the form of discipline everyone agrees with, but it’s happening there even though the director says they are not supposed to.
Every Toddler looked so sad. Lots of crying happening. If you choose to send your child here to alot of discrete observations first before giving them your deposit because they will NOT give your deposit back regardless of the situation.

•  OVERALL School Rating: 1
•  Health and Safety: 1
•  Environments: 1
•  Teaching Staff: 1
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 3
•  Curriculum: 1

My kids, 4 1/2 and 3, have been at Bedford Discovery School since they were both 18 months old, going for two full-days a week. they now both go for three full-days. They have thrived there and have learned so much – socially and intellectually. In fact, most kids have been there since they were 18 months or younger and skip into the classrooms! The teachers are nothing but professional, the new owner was a teacher there years ago, left to start her family and her children are now at Bedford Discovery. These teachers put their heart and soul into nurturing our children, giving them room to grow and explore in a safe, healthy environment. In fact, my 4 1/2 year old came home the other day explaining capillary action to me! This school is much more than a place to drop your kids to color and play outside! Our family couldn’t be happier.

I found BDS by asking around and visiting many in the area. The school day is structured so that the kids know what to expect and look forward to each day. Arts and crafts, music and movement, sports, exploration, science and nature, free play, story times, etc., are part of each day. The school runs year-round, and during the summer months, it’s more like camp. Each week in the summer is a different theme – dog week, bird week, music week, cooking week, etc.

•  OVERALL School Rating: 5
•  Health and Safety: 5
•  Environments: 5
•  Teaching Staff: 5
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 5
•  Curriculum: 5

I was an employee at Bedford Discovery. It was the best experience. The administration was sensitive to parents, staff and especially the children. The staff are dedicated and caring people working very hard to educate and offer activities that are fun. I was treated fairly at all times and given many opportunities to grow and learn in this field. It is why I returned fulltime to finish my degree in Early Childhood Educ. I am hoping there will be an opening when it is time to return to the work force.

•  OVERALL School Rating: 5
•  Health and Safety: 5
•  Environments: 5
•  Teaching Staff: 5
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 5
•  Curriculum: 5