Old Firehouse School

Old Firehouse School is a preschool in Lafayette, CA, located at 984 Moraga Rd. Founded in 1996 by Dr. Dorothy Stewart and her husband Bob Buhl, it is a private preschool network designed for children up to five years old. The Lafayette campus is part of a five-campus system that includes locations in Mill Valley, Walnut Creek, and two in San Rafael. The school operates full-day, year-round programs grounded in attachment theory and the Reggio Emilia educational model. Staff members are highly skilled professionals who focus on the whole child, including heart, mind, spirit, and body. The school holds a rating of 5.00 based on customer reviews.

The founders combined a lifelong passion for attachment and Reggio Emilia inspired education to establish the school. After Dr. Stewart’s passing in 2025, her husband Bob and daughter Jackie Buhl continue to run the organization. The school is recognized for its Staff Stability Plan, which maintains extremely low staff turnover and supports strong caregiver-child relationships. Over thirty years, the network has grown to serve over 200 families. The Lafayette campus offers specific programs for toddlers, two-year-olds, and preschoolers. Toddler classes maintain a 1:4 ratio with two teachers for eight children, while two-year-old classes have a 1:6 ratio. Preschool classes feature a 1:9 ratio. The curriculum emphasizes trust, autonomy, verbal skills, initiative, and language development.

The school has received multiple accolades, including the Bay Area Parent Readers Choice award for Best Preschool in the East Bay for consecutive years. It was also selected for the Parents’ Press Best of 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024 Top 10 lists. The institution annually hosts approximately 300 educators from as far as Guatemala to study its educational methods. The school does not offer half-day programs for toddlers, prioritizing full-day care to minimize transitions. Applications are distributed after tours or open houses, with enrollment ongoing throughout the year.

The school’s commitment to non-competitive self-expression through art, music, and drama creates a unique environment for young children. This approach supports the development of curiosity, self-confidence, and independence. The consistent staffing and attachment-based philosophy ensure that children build secure relationships with their caregivers.

Old Firehouse School provides a nurturing, attachment-based educational environment in Lafayette, CA, helping children build strong foundations for their future through stable relationships and specialized early childhood programs.

The school sits on Moraga Road, just a short distance from Mount Diablo Boulevard and Lafayette Elementary School.

BizScoreAI gives the website a technical score of 76 out of 100, ensuring search engines can read the site without errors. A discoverability score of 75 out of 100 means AI crawlers can find every page, allowing AI assistants to recommend the business. The preschool ranks number 2 of 3 Preschool businesses that BizScoreAI has scored in Lafayette.