Clairbourn School — Preschool is a CAIS and WASC-accredited independent school founded in 1926 and continuously operating in the San Gabriel Valley for over a century. The preschool program (ages 3+) operates under CCLD Day Care Center license #191500903 and feeds into the school's full K–8 curriculum ladder, emphasizing academics, leadership, and social-emotional growth through a balanced program enriched with music, visual arts, drama, and athletics. Its multi-platform recognition—Niche A+ rating, top-20% state ranking, and consistent "Best Private School" designations since 2019—reflects strong community satisfaction, though admission is selective and tuition is among the higher-cost options in the area. The program does not serve infants or young toddlers; families with children under 3 will need separate care arrangements.
Safety6.0
Curriculum9.0
Art / Music8.0
Infant care3.0
Kindergarten readiness9.0
Teacher quality9.0
Compassion8.0
Management8.0
Culture8.0
Extracurriculars8.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: The site does not specify a particular preschool curriculum model. Its overarching philosophy is "Creating Scholars and Leaders with Heart," emphasizing balanced academics, intellectual habits, leadership skills, and social and cultural competency.
Programs & activities: Preschool program with specialist offerings in music, visual arts, drama, athletics, and world cultures. Before and after school care and summer programs are available.
What sets it apart: CAIS and WASC accredited; licensed child care facility (#191500903). Serves the Pasadena area and San Gabriel Valley, spanning preschool through middle school, with a stated non-discriminatory admissions policy.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
🏆 For Center Directors
Your center has earned independent recognition based on verified parent reviews. You are welcome to display this badge on your website. Paste the snippet below into your site's HTML — it links back to this verified recognition page.
Top 3 in San Gabriel
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Clairbourn School — Preschool -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/san-gabriel/clairbourn-school-preschool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-3-city.jpg" alt="Top 3 in San Gabriel - Clairbourn School — Preschool - San Gabriel, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 3 in San Gabriel</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked among the top 3 childcare centers in San Gabriel across all 11 quality dimensions — placing this center in the very top tier of local options.</span>
</span>
</a>
Top 100 in California
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Clairbourn School — Preschool -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/san-gabriel/clairbourn-school-preschool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-100-state.jpg" alt="Top 100 in California - Clairbourn School — Preschool - San Gabriel, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 100 in California</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Among the top 100 childcare centers statewide — a distinction earned by fewer than 1% of licensed centers across California.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Teachers
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Clairbourn School — Preschool -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/san-gabriel/clairbourn-school-preschool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-teacherq.jpg" alt="Best Teachers - Clairbourn School — Preschool - San Gabriel, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Teachers</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest teacher quality score in San Gabriel. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Curriculum
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Clairbourn School — Preschool -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/san-gabriel/clairbourn-school-preschool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-curriculum.jpg" alt="Best Curriculum - Clairbourn School — Preschool - San Gabriel, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Curriculum</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest curriculum score in San Gabriel. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best K-Ready
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Clairbourn School — Preschool -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/san-gabriel/clairbourn-school-preschool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-kinder.jpg" alt="Best K-Ready - Clairbourn School — Preschool - San Gabriel, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best K-Ready</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest kindergarten-readiness score in San Gabriel. This dimension reflects pre-literacy, pre-math, and school-readiness preparation reported by parents and visible in the curriculum.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Management
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Clairbourn School — Preschool -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/los-angeles/san-gabriel/clairbourn-school-preschool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-mgmt.jpg" alt="Best Management - Clairbourn School — Preschool - San Gabriel, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Management</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest management score in San Gabriel. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, communication, operational consistency, and the overall tone families experience from leadership.</span>
</span>
</a>
Updated · July 2026
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
