History & Values

Our History

Stratford School was founded in 1999 by Sherry Adams and Joe Wagner when it opened its first campus in Danville, CA, with only four classrooms and a small, dedicated team of educators. Word spread quickly, and the school was soon full. The following year, Stratford added a second campus in Sunnyvale, CA, which also filled quickly. After numerous requests from parents, Stratford has continued to open new campuses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

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.

Our Purpose

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.