Gold Coast Prep (Formerly Chicago Grammar School)

Our experience at Chicago Grammar School has been excellent. After a rough Kinder experience at a large school, we started looking for a smaller school for our son. He joined CGS at Grade 1. CGS’s close-knit environment did wonders for him. He came out of his shell, went from being overly shy and timid to a confident 2nd grader (soon to be 5th grader in Fall 2020). It has created such joy in us as parents to see him grow and flourish and we are thankful to have found CGS, via word of mouth in our case. It is Chicago's hidden gem. Our favorite part of the school is how effectively they support students who need differentiated learning. The teachers are amazing when it comes to working with me whenever differentiation is needed. I love that all teachers (regardless of grade) are on the school app, so I can quickly find the teacher and send them a text via the app. Speaking of the app, I personally am a big fan of the school being app-based. The entire school is on the app - teachers, parents and admin – everyone is reachable. Homework, grades, one-on-one teacher/student/parent feedback, school announcements...all in one place. It has been the most productive way to communicate that I've seen to date. It brings a neighborhood feel to the school, which private, city-wide schools usually lack in my opinion. We visited 3 small-medium sized private schools, applied to 2, got accepted to both, but it was the visit portion to CGS that cemented the decision for us. If you’re looking for a warm and nurturing, but smaller elementary school environment for your child, CGS is a school a parent must visit before making a final decision because your child will be spending a very big portion of their life’s hours in this elementary school environment.

We are thrilled with our experience at this school. Commitment to excellence, with a diverse student experience. The faculty are enthusiastic and foster a deep love of learning. The administration is very responsive. We love it here!

This is our second year at CGS and if you are looking for a private school for your child, CGS should be on your must see list.

CGS is nine years old and is graduating their first class of 8th graders in 2014. All will go to the best high schools in Chicago.

Class sizes are small, all under 15, so your child will get more attention. That is what we feel we are paying for. From the first grade, your child will have more than one teacher who is teaching their specialty. Another plus.

Our headmaster, Mr. Jackson comes from a special needs background, so it is an excellent choice if your child is smart, but has some challenges. Our daughter she needs a lot of repetition. With the small class sizes, she is getting that at CGS. We had her tested this summer and discovered that even though she was in the "lower" groups for reading and math, she is reading more than two grades above level and her math was also above grade level after only one year at the school. The fact a child reading over two grades above grade level was in the lower group, also speaks about the student quality. If you want your child challenged, this is the place. If you want to go to work and brag how your child is a straight A student and the smartest in their class. Good luck at CGS.

Now to why this school is not for you.

We are in an office building. If looks matter, go to British, Cook or Parker with their beautiful campuses.

Sports, we do not have a volleyball or basketball team. This apparently is a big deal to many in Chicago at the elementary level and why some parents do not choose CGS or use as an excuse to leave. At CGS, the parents make sports happen, We have the only traveling snow sports club with its own ski school at any school in Chicago, a Taekwondo Grand Master teaching in our after school program as well as weekly yoga and swim club in our after school program. Other student are excelling in hockey, figure skating and golf outside of school. So we are a very sports conscious and active school.

There is a music school upstairs that will pick up your child from after school for their lessons. How great is that.

We are a private, for profit school. What does that mean. To me, the best part of all, no giving fund or annoying fundraisers. Both my spouse and I are self employed and have work commitments 7 days a week. We do not have the time to sell chocolate or make things for an auction like was expected at our daughter's former school. Your tuition might seem higher than your friends at FXW, Old St. Mary's or Urban Prairie, but they have "mandatory" giving and/or significant pressure to make large purchases at their fundraisers, so in the end we are about the same.

There is no other school in Chicago we would rather be at, my only wish is we had a High School :-)

This is one of the very best schools in Chicago. It's small and incredibly child-centered, and within this warm, caring environment the students truly excel. Their test scores have been off-the-charts, rivaling more established schools like Latin, Parker, and Lab. CGS has an incredibly strong math program (it uses Singapore Math, with an emphasis on word problems), a rich Language Arts curriculum that focuses on literary classics and history, and an amazing Art program taught by a working artist. Our child loves going to school every day, and we are stunned by how much he has learned already. The teachers are top-notch: noticeably smarter than teachers at comparable schools. Yet they are also incredibly warm and caring, and strive to meet each child at his or her own level.