Junior Achievers

Apple Orchard School

282D Newton St., Brookline, 617-731-6463, appleorchardschool.org. It’s tough not to fall in love with a preschool situated on a working farm (in charming Brookline, no less!). None of its counterparts can compete with Apple Orchard’s outdoor focus and such amenities as goats, a vegetable garden, and even a miniature horse. Facilities: A main classroom building that looks, fittingly, like a barn, located on an expansive parcel whose animal inhabitants include chickens and a donkey. Educational approach: Developmentally based. Programs offered: Half day, with a laid-back “Sandwich Club” afternoon option. Tuition: $11,550–$12,500; afternoon option, $148 a week. Scholarships available. Admissions: Parent interviews start in November, with applications due mid-December. Preference is given to students’ siblings. Waitlist: Yes.

Bay Farm Montessori Academy

145 Loring St., Duxbury, 781-934-7101, bfarm.org. A first-rate Montessori school with a focus on the arts, Bay Farm boasts teachers specializing in visual art, drama, and dance, and also offers an outdoor amphitheater for performances. Facilities: Four New England–style shingled buildings on a picturesque 8-acre property featuring a gazebo and a swimming pool. Educational approach: Montessori. Student-teacher ratio: 10-1. Programs offered: Morning, afternoon, and full day, with an extended-hour option available until 5:30 p.m. Tuition: Morning, $8,200; afternoon, $8,200; full day, $12,000. Admissions: Applications due January 15; decisions made by March 10. New parents and their prospective students are invited to attend school events.

Beacon Hill Nursery School

74 Joy St., Boston, 617-227-0822, bhns.net. Beacon Hill Nursery is known for its experienced staff (one teacher has 39 years under her belt, another has 20), whose members also help prepare children for the next level by organizing a college fair–style “Meet the School Night,” an event that acquaints families with area private elementary schools. Facilities: Three floors of a stately Joy Street brownstone (which recently underwent a $3.5 million facelift), outfitted with a tucked-away playground. Educational approach: Emergent, developmentally based. Student-teacher ratio: 6-1. Programs offered: Morning, with afternoon mixed-age options. Tuition: $10,400; afternoon options, $7,400–$10,300. Scholarships available. Admissions: Applications due January 15; decisions made by March 10. Parents interview with the school director or associate director. Waitlist: Yes.

Boston Renaissance Charter Public School

250 Stuart St., Boston, 617-357-0900, bostonrenaissance.org. Its prowess as a public elementary school is Renaissance’s claim to fame, but its pre-kindergarten program—which puts an emphasis on training strong readers—easily stacks up against that of any school, private or public. And at an estimated 800 students long, its waitlist is a testament to its popularity. Facilities: A stone building situated across from the Park Plaza Hotel. Educational approach: Research- and developmentally based, with a focus on character building. Student-teacher ratio: 10-1. Programs offered: Full day. Tuition: None. Admissions: Applications accepted beginning in January, with the school holding a lottery in March for its 220 spots. Preference is given to students’ siblings. Waitlist: Yes.

Boston University Early Childhood Learning Laboratory

School of Education, 2 Sherborn St., Boston, 617-353-3410, bu.edu/family/ecll.html. Our experts couldn’t stop raving about this lab school, which acts as a field placement site for the university’s early-childhood education majors. The school is also great at making international families feel welcome: Last year’s class included students with five different first languages. Facilities: Three classrooms, plus an outdoor play space and small garden. Educational approach: Lab school. Programs offered: Half day, with an extended-day option. Tuition: $9,600 for 10 months. Admissions: Rolling. After submitting an application, parents meet with the director and observe a school day. Waitlist: Yes.