Junior Achievers

British School of Boston

416 Pond St., Jamaica Plain, 617-522-2261, britishschool.org. Expats and romanticists of the Union Jack should look to the British School, which features the U.K. model that encourages children to advance at their own speed. French lessons here begin at age three—though with the all-Brit staff, it’s a Londoner’s lilt that your child might just end up developing. Facilities: A 45-acre wooded campus in Jamaica Plain. Educational approach: British National Curriculum. Student-teacher ratio: 8-1. Programs offered: Morning and full day. Tuition: Morning, $11,205; full day, $20,475. Admissions: Applications accepted year-round. Parents meet with the headmaster, and then their prospective student sits in on an hourlong class. Waitlist: There’s rarely one at the start of the school year, but it usually begins by midyear.

Cambridge-Ellis School

80 Trowbridge St., Cambridge, 617-354-0014, cambridge-ellis.com. Cambridge-Ellis excels with its arts program and even has an artisan-in-residence to work with both kids and teachers. It also offers afterschool language classes in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin—and if Mom and Dad are feeling left out of the learning, there are parental workshops on topics ranging from sibling rivalry to child behavior management. Facilities: Six classrooms in a historic brick building near Harvard Square that was updated this summer. Educational approach: Emergent, developmentally based. Student-teacher ratio: 4-1. Programs offered: Half and full day, with an extended-day language program option. Tuition: Half day, $11,250–$12,500; full day, $14,500–$15,750. Language program: five days, $5,500; three days, $3,500; two days, $2,500. Scholarships available. Admissions: Applications due February 28; decisions made by March 10. Parents tour the school and meet with the director or assistant director. Preference is given to children of alumni and minority families. Waitlist: Yes.

Cambridge Friends School

5 Cadbury Rd., Cambridge, 617-354-3880, cfsmass.org. The only Quaker school on our list, Cambridge Friends is ethnically diverse and proud of its progressive faculty, nearly a quarter of whom are gay or lesbian. The school is known for its über-involved families, and claims that virtually all of them contribute to fundraising initiatives. Facilities: A brick schoolhouse on a quiet backstreet, with a large play area. Educational approach: Developmentally based, with Quaker underpinnings. Student-teacher ratio: 7-1. Programs offered: Full day, with an extended-day option. Tuition: $19,000. Admissions: Applications due January 5; decisions made by March 10. Parents tour the school and meet with the admissions staff; after applying, they bring their child for a student visit and observed play time. Waitlist: Yes.

The Chestnut Hill School

428 Hammond St., Chestnut Hill, 617-566-4394, tchs.org. Big on reading instruction, Chestnut Hill pairs “beginners” (as first-year students are called) with fourth-graders for three years of sustained mentorship that has the older children sharing books and completing projects with the younger kids (and no doubt providing tips on elementary-school fashion trends along the way). Facilities: A gorgeous gabled schoolhouse with manicured athletic fields near Boston College. Educational approach: Emergent, developmentally based. Programs offered: Full day. Tuition: $17,550–$17,650. Admissions: Applications due January 15. Parents tour the school and meet with a faculty member before the prospective student sits for an interview with a “learning consultant.” The child is then assessed in a play-group session coordinated with other applicants.

Dedham Country Day School

90 Sandy Valley Rd., Dedham, 781-329-0850, dedhamcountryday.org. Benefiting from the resources of the top-notch middle and elementary schools it shares space with (there’s a great library, for starters), the pre-K class at Dedham Country Day features dedicated physical education, woodworking, and music instruction. Facilities: A prep school–style campus complete with quad and pool house, scaled down to tot-friendly dimensions. Educational approach: Developmentally based, with an academic focus. Student-teacher ratio: 6-1. Programs offered: Half day, with an extended-day option. Tuition: Half day, $17,540; extended-day option, $38–$48 per day. Admissions: Applications due January 15; decisions made by March 10. Interviews are conducted in small groups in February. Preference is given to students’ siblings. Waitlist: Yes.