• Owner: non-profit parent cooperative
• Phone: 510-524-7963
• Email: KNSchool@sbcglobal.net
• Neighborhood: on The Arlington in Kensington
• Zip: 94707
• License #: 070200431
• Capacity: 38
• Website: http://www.kns-ca.org/
• Bilingual:
• Ages: 2.9 years - kindergarten

As a parent that has sent two children and one to come to Kensington Nursery School (KNS) I think its time I give the school and wonderful teachers a recommendation on BPN.

KNS is a play based co-op school that accepts children from the ages of 2 years 9 months to up to 6 years old. The program runs year round. The teachers and parent teachers provide the school with low child adult ratios that give the children a great learning environment as well as a sense of well being.

KNS in the 5 years that I have been involved as a parent and parent teacher has proven to have a great staff of women and men who are always in tune with what each child needs to feel secure and happy on a daily basis. They do this with an enthusiasm that seems bottomless. There is very low teacher turn over at KNS which indicates happy teachers.

I feel that KNS is a great school for most children and that it provides a wonderful community for the children as well as the parents. My girls, husband and I have met some our best friends at KNS and I hope to pass this on to other families looking for a preschool. Serene

Re: Seeking preschool with working mom's hours!
Our son goes to Kensington Nursery School, which is a wonderful play-based co-op program with full-time option for working parents. If you're near Via Nova, however, KNS may be a haul for you as it is for us. I love the KNS location in terms of trees and wonderful play areas - - lots of room for the children! KNS parent

Re: Looking for Healthy, Loving Preschool for Son
I would highly recommend Kensington Nursery School. The school offers an amazing, play-based (yet structured) curriculum, including music and movement specialists, and the staff is very warm and loving. The school is VERY health conscious, does not offer juice, avoids sugary snacks (though birthday treats like cupcakes, muffins, or Popsicles are allowed), and is very up on all types of dietary accommodations, including vegetarian, wheat/gluten free, dairy free, etc. The facilities are clean, bright, and cheerful. The kids spend a fair amount of time outdoors, and they get a good bit of exercise. I would look now, though, as they are a popular school and are full for 2007. Good luck! A happy KNS parent

We're considering Kensington Nursery School for our son this Fall, when he'll be 2 years nine months. We live in North Berkeley and are excited about the idea of participating in a play-based co-op (our son is a four days too young to be admitted to CCC unfortunately), but also need full-time care some days. Noticed that there weren't any recent posts on BPN on Kensington Nursery School and would be interested in any recent experiences others may have had, positive or negative, particularly with regard to the teachers, if the unstructured environment may get a bit chaotic, etc. Greatly appreciate any thoughts. Thanks! Anonymous

Lynne Hollingsworth is a remarkable Director with tremendous energy that makes the school special. To her credit there is very little staff turnover. The staff is committed and thoughtful - they plan different and interesting projects to capture the kids' imaginations. Both of our kids are very comfortable standing in front of their peers at circle-time for show-and-tell and sharing. They come home regularly with interesting art projects. And I have noticed that all children are acknowledged and respected.

The school has a fair bit of structure - all activities for the day are planned which includes free-play for a portion of the day. It was quite apparent during our search for a kindergarten school that our daughter was more than sufficiently prepared. Nap time is based on on a kid's individual needs and parents' desires. Our kids, for example, have never been nappers. I would highly recommend KNS.

Dad of Two KNS kids

Were considering the Kensington Nursery School and would like any feedback pros & cons about the school. We looked at the reviews and they are a couple of years old.

[no replies were received] April 2003

Re: After school at Kensington Hilltop
Actually both Kensington Nursery School (KNS) and the Neighborhood School do in fact have ''walk down'' programs for Kindergarteners and are open until 6pm. My son is walked down the hill from Hilltop 3 times a week by a teacher at KNS and has been very happy with his after-care program. KNS is a co-op and as such has great parent participation and has super teachers. Our only beef is that there is no after-care beyond kindergarten at KNS. Feel free to contact us further if you want more information. Rob December 2001

I live in Kensington and am thinking about sending my daughter, who is now 14 months and very social, to the Kensington Nursery School. I am curious what arrangements people made for there children during the year before sending them the KNS since they don't take children until they are two years, nine months. Also, any feedback about the school would be appreciated. Deborah

To the parent looking for a parent coop in North Berkeley, I highly recommend Kensington Nursery School (ok, its in Kensington, not No. Berkeley, but close enough!)

My 4 year old daughter has been a "student" since she was 2.9 (the youngest age the school takes) and loves the program. The school is located in the Arlington Communicty Church. It is "play" based and the physical environment is wonderful with separate rooms for art, music and movement, imagination (there's even a sand city!). The outdoor area is comprised of two play yards with climbing structures, swings, sandbox, slides, water table, etc. Jim Beatty comes once a week, as does a music teacher. There are several field trips during the year.

The school has a morning only program, full time option, and a kindergarten walk-down option (from Hilltop in Kensington). It is a year round school. Parents have a coop job, bring snack on average once a month, and participate in "work parties" twice a year. Parents have the opportunity to serve on the board of directors and to take an active part in the formulation of school policy.

The staff is loving and creative. Many have been around for quite a while, and parents are encouraged (and relied upon) to help out with the morning program.

If you are looking for a wonderful environment for your child to enjoy being a kid, and for a caring community for your own adult needs - I recommend KNS! Cathy