History & Values

A Message From Our Founder, Sherry Adams

April marks the month when the vision for the first Stratford School became a reality. Stratford School was founded in 1999 when it opened its first campus in Danville, CA in the back of a church. With only four classrooms and a small but talented group of educators, the school quickly grew.

With a vision of being one of the premiere schools in the Bay Area and a laser focus on delivering educational excellence within a safe and nurturing environment, we would employ the best talent in the academic field. Today, I would like to thank our talented teachers and devoted leaders who are responsible for making the Stratford magic happen in our classrooms every day. Because of you, this vision is now a reality.

Stratford School opened in Danville with 34 students and nine team members. Today, we successfully educate over 9,200 preschool to high school students and employ over 1,300 teachers, leaders, and staff across California. What started as one preschool is now over 30 thriving campuses, with our first high school in San Jose opening in 2022 and our second high school on track to open in Milpitas in 2025. We began with three programs: Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten. We now offer 24 educational programs including:

  • An acclaimed STEAM-driven curriculum
  • Arts and music
  • World Languages in Mandarin and Spanish
  • Early Preschool
  • Advanced computer science programs
  • Summer Camp
  • Extended Day and After-School Club programs

 

             

From 1999 to today, our commitment to supporting strong schools with high academic achievement has never wavered. Our Stratford mission is that every student, including my grandchildren, is transformed by their learning experience at Stratford School. Every student receives an exceptional education and develops their passions to find their unique purpose in the world.

This job brings such joy and satisfaction as we continue to make a positive impact in the lives of our students and the families we serve. It is a gift to cherish, and we never take it for granted.

Thank you for choosing Stratford School and allowing us to be such a significant part of your child’s life. Our Stratford community is vibrant and flourishing because of parents like you. We are profoundly grateful and invite you to celebrate this momentous occasion with us.

With gratitude,

Sherry Adams, Founder
Stratford School

Our Purpose

Each year Stratford has continued to support more students and families, to enhance its academic programs, and to explore new opportunities that will allow the Stratford community to continue to grow and thrive. Growth plans include bringing Stratford’s vision of academic excellence to more communities in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and beyond. We are committed to offering a challenging curriculum where tradition meets 21st century learning that is focused on core subjects, creating a safe and nurturing school environment and motivating students through high expectations in a collaborative and fun learning environment. Our steadfast commitment to this vision continues to guide us in our growth each year.

At Stratford School, we understand every child has his or her own interests and passions and contributes in his or her own way. Our purpose statement speaks for all of us – “Stratford School – Connecting students to their unique futures.”

Our motto, Summa Spes, Summa Res (Highest Hopes, Highest Things) embraces our spirit of uplifting education. We know that each child has a unique set of skills, passions, and dreams. We encourage our students to pursue their curiosities and we are committed to supporting them in achieving those dreams.

We are a family of learners at Stratford School.

Our culture is one of connection, care, and openness, where we encourage the free exchange of ideas among faculty, staff, students, and parent partners.

Our Spirit & Values

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Respect:

We value our employees, students, parents, and community. Respect and integrity are cornerstones of our character building and commitment to one another. Being a good neighbor builds strong community partnerships with our school.

excellence:

We foster educational excellence and citizenship in our students through outstanding teaching and a customer service culture.

always improving:

We are passionate about learning at all levels. Our commitment to feedback and constant improvement is essential to our future success. We hire employees with the same willingness to evolve.

collaborative culture:

Teamwork is our focus and every role is interconnected and valued. We aim to create a school with open doors and joyful warmth, where everyone is seen and heard. Our culture of connectivity promotes social intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and community. Joyful people create better educational outcomes.

high expectations:

By empowering extraordinary teachers with a rigorous curriculum that blends tradition with 21st century learning, Stratford School achieves academic excellence. We encourage children’s natural curiosity to reach for things they don’t yet understand and unleash their courage to grasp opportunities others don’t yet see.