FAQ's

List of 12 frequently asked questions.

  • Is Berkeley Hall School a religious school?

    Berkeley Hall is a nonsectarian school. Our commitment to education is rooted in the vision of the school's founders, Leila and Mabel Cooper, who as educators and students of Christian Science, were dedicated to developing the God-given potential in all children. While religion is not taught in the classroom, we have a strong community grounded on respect and compassion that is visible in all aspects of school life.

    Every week, we hold a brief school assembly for students in grades 1 through 8. Our Bobcat Assembly is a forum for Berkeley Hall's character education and focuses on our shared core values — respect, responsibility, honesty, and compassion. If any religious writings are referenced, it is with the goal of being inclusive and respectful of all religions. (A recent assembly was given by parents and students of Indian descent to explain the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali.) Parents often attend our weekly assembly.
  • May we apply for our child without first visiting Berkeley Hall?

    Absolutely. However, we warmly recommend you attend an admissions event to fully understand the value of a Berkeley Hall education. You may register for our Discover Berkeley Hall Open Houses on a Saturday or Sunday, and/or our weekday Coffee and Tour on a Wednesday morning by visiting our Admissions Events page.
  • How many classes per grade do you have?

    Berkeley Hall has one class per grade for:
    • Nursery
    • Early Kindergarten
    • Kindergarten
    • 1st grade
    • 2nd grade
    • 3rd grade
    • 4th grade
    • 5th grade
    • 6th grade
    And two sections per grade for:
    • 7th grade
    • 8th grade
  • How many students per grade and how many teachers?  

    • Nursery – 16 students – lead teacher & associate teacher
    • Early Kindergarten – 18 students – lead teacher & associate teacher
    • Kindergarten – 22 students – two lead teachers
    • 1st grade – 22 students – lead teacher & associate teacher
    • 2nd grade – 22 students – lead teacher & associate teacher
    • 3rd grade – 22 students – lead teacher & associate teacher
    • 4th grade22 students – lead teacher & shared associate teacher with 5th grade
    • 5th grade22 students – lead teacher & shared associate teacher with 4th grade
    • 6th grade – 36 students divided into two sections – two lead teachers in two classrooms
    • 7th grade – 36 students divided into two sections – 5 junior high teachers in 5 classrooms (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Spanish)
    • 8th grade – 36 students divided into two sections – 5 junior high teachers in 5 classrooms (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Spanish)
  • Do you also have specialist teachers?

    We have specialist teachers for:
    • Art
    • Drama
    • Innovation/Technology
    • Library
    • Literacy/Writing Resource
    • Math Resource
    • Music
    • Science
    • Spanish
    • Physical Education
     
  • On what do you base your admission decisions and how important are the ISEE scores?

    At Berkeley Hall we educate the whole child, therefore we consider each applicant from that basis. Grades, teacher and administrative confidential recommendations, student visits/evaluations, interviews, standardized test scores and the student supplement to the application (4-8 grade only) are all the factors that our Admission Committee considers in making decisions. The standardized test scores or ISEE scores are just one piece of an applicant's file and do not determine solely whether an applicant will be accepted. We want to ensure that each student offered a space at Berkeley Hall has the ability to be successful in our program. 

    For applicants for the 2024-2025 school year, Berkeley Hall is not requiring the ISEE as part of the Admissions process for grades 5th-8th. 
  • What is the importance of DEIB at Berkeley Hall?

    Berkeley Hall is a diverse learning community. Our families who identify as BIPOC make up 56.5% or our student population. International students make up 6.5%.
     
    We collect demographic information guided by LAIS, using the following breakdown: Black, Asian, White, Latinx/Hispanic, Native American, Middle Eastern, Two or More Races, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, International (not US citizen/ perm. resident), Other.

    To attract and support under-represented families of color, Berkeley Hall is a member of the Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs.
  • What are school hours?

    Nursery, Early Kindergarten, and Kindergarten children start their school day at 8:30 a.m.
    1st through 8th grade students start classes at 8:00 a.m.
    Nursery through 8th grade end at 3:15 p.m. Every Wednesday is a late start and every class starts at 8:30 a.m.

  • Do you have a school lunch program?

    Yes, our school lunch provider Organic Kids LA offers healthy meals for our students. Taste-tested by students of all ages, OKLA meals are great tasting and follow high nutritional standards. The easy-to-use online ordering system allows students to participate in their lunch selection. All meals are prepared with the freshest ingredients. The lunch service provides a variety of meal options each day including vegetarian selections. Organic, Kosher, and Gluten-free selections are offered several times per week. Meals range in cost from $9 to $13. About two-thirds of Berkeley Hall students order regularly from Organic Kids LA. The rest bring lunch from home.
     
  • Do you offer bus transportation?

    Berkeley Hall School partners with Mirman School to provide bus service. We offer routes based on interest. Our bus company Missions Transportation currently runs these three routes:
    1. Palisades / Sunset route starts at Sunset and Swarthmore in the Palisades
    2. Los Angeles route with stop near the Beverly Center, in Beverly Hills, and in Holmby Park
    3. Santa Monica / San Vicente / Culver City route with stops at along Pico and San Vicente
    The bus service costs $3,700 per year round-trip. The buses are equipped with seat belts for every rider.

    Click here to see our current bus information and route schedules.
  • Do you offer before and after-school care?

    To accommodate parents' work schedules, children may be dropped as early as 7:15 a.m. at no extra cost. After-school care is free until 3:35 p.m. Extended day care (XDC) is available from 3:35 p.m. – 6:00 p.m for K-8 and until 5:30 p.m. for Nursery and Early Kindergarten students. Parents can purchase monthly XDC days according to their scheduling needs.
  • What about after-school enrichment program?

    To further offer a well-balanced experience to our students, Berkeley Hall offers a broad range of after-school activities on campus for students from Nursery to Eighth grade. Classes are taught by outside professionals and are only offered to current students at the school.

    Here is a sampling of classes currently offered:
      • Anime
      • SoccerSuperStars
      • Flag Football
      • Chess
      • Kids Cooking Academy
      • Hip Hop Dance
      • LEGO Robotics
      • Rocket Science 
      • Tennis
Located in Los Angeles, CA, Berkeley Hall School is a private, coeducational school for students in preschool through grade 8. Rigorous academics in a supportive atmosphere and grounded character development allow students to become fearless scholars and conscientious citizens - gain a love of learning, leadership with social responsibility, creativity with moral integrity, and self-esteem with compassion for others and the environment.