Who We Are
At Oak Grove Academy, we understand that choosing the right school for your little one is one of the most personal decisions your family will ever make. From the moment you walk through our doors, you should feel the difference. This is a place where your child is truly known, where their stories are listened to, their milestones are celebrated, and their personality is allowed to shine. Families choose our school because they want more than a routine for their child. They want mornings filled with excitement, educators who greet their little one with genuine care, and a community that feels like an extension of home. For more than 20 years, we have been helping children across Alpharetta, Milton, and Cumming build confidence, friendships, independence, and a love of learning that stays with them long after they leave our classrooms.
Our Story
For more than 20 years, Oak Grove Academy has been a place where children are encouraged to grow with confidence, curiosity, and a true sense of belonging. Families across Alpharetta, Milton, Cumming, and nearby neighborhoods like Alpharetta Woods, Wyndham Farms, Bethany Crossing, and Wood Valley choose our school because they want their child to be cared for in an environment that feels warm, supportive, and inspiring from the very beginning.
From the moment you walk onto our beautifully renovated Francis Road campus, you can feel the warmth of our community. Your child is welcomed into bright classrooms, secure learning spaces, and outdoor play areas thoughtfully designed to help them feel safe, comfortable, and excited to explore the world around them. Just as importantly, your family is surrounded by experienced educators who build meaningful relationships with the children they teach. Many of our teachers have been part of our school for more than a decade because they care deeply about the families and community they serve.
At Oak Grove Academy, we believe the small everyday moments matter most. Research from Harvard's Center on the Developing Child shows that simple back-and-forth interactions between children and caring adults, including conversations, eye contact, gestures, and affection, help build the brain architecture that supports healthy development and lifelong well-being. That is why your child will always be met with kindness, encouragement, patience, and genuine connection throughout their day.
Jessica Dawson, our School Leader with 16 years of experience in early childhood education, shares the heart behind our approach: "Leading is about serving first, listening intently, and helping people win." You can feel that belief in the way our team welcomes your family, supports your child, and creates an environment where every child feels valued and capable.
As part of the Endeavor Schools family, your child benefits from strong educational resources and shared expertise while still experiencing the close-knit, personal atmosphere that makes Oak Grove Academy feel so special. Through every milestone, friendship, discovery, and achievement, our goal is to help your child feel supported, confident, and excited to learn each day they walk through our doors.
It is our mission at Oak Grove Academy to ensure that every enrolled child reaches their full potential. We do this by providing a foundation for academic success and emotional confidence in young learners who become responsible citizens and meaningful contributors to their communities. As our School Leader, Jessica Dawson, describes it, "Our core purpose is to provide an inclusive learning environment and to foster student growth." Every choice we make, from curriculum design to staff training, reflects this promise to your family.
We believe your child will reach their full potential when they are surrounded by people who believe in them. Our vision is to keep building a school where every child feels valued, safe, and capable. Where families feel supported and informed, and where teachers feel empowered to do their best work. The values we instill in our students, including attainment and achievement, commitment and follow-through, cooperation, integrity, and respect, reflect what we believe young learners carry with them throughout life.
Oak Grove Academy uses the Creative Curriculum, a play and project-based approach that helps your child learn academic and developmental skills through real-life classroom experiences. Rather than expecting children to sit still and absorb information, our innovative curriculum invites your little one to actively engage in learning through exploration, hands-on activities, art, music, sensory play, and meaningful conversations with their teachers and peers. According to the Child Mind Institute, play supports children's cognitive, social, emotional, physical, creative, and language development, and helps them experience positive emotions that contribute to overall well-being. Our classrooms are intentionally designed to encourage this kind of joyful, purposeful learning every single day. Jessica Dawson, School Leader, describes our approach this way: "Our project play-based learning environments create intentional, student-driven spaces where children can explore, build, and problem solve through purposeful play." From process art that celebrates discovery over perfection to our STREAM curriculum in our older classrooms, your child will develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration in ways that feel natural and meaningful.
What Makes Our Alpharetta School Different?
Many families touring schools in the Alpharetta area are not just looking for academics or convenience. They are looking for peace of mind. You want to know that your child will be loved, kept safe, and gently guided by people who understand how much these early years truly matter.
At Oak Grove Academy, we believe relationships are the foundation of everything. Your child will be greeted warmly by name at the door each morning, encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas, and supported by teachers who take the time to know them truly. Our exceptionally low teacher-to-student ratios mean your little one receives the individual attention they need to feel confident and connected, whether they are exploring sensory materials in our infant room or preparing for kindergarten in our pre-K classroom.
School Leader, Jessica Dawson, shares what makes our approach so meaningful: "We focus on the whole child approach, addressing their physical, emotional, social, and cognitive needs rather than just academic achievement." This whole-child philosophy shows up in every part of your child's day, from gentle morning greetings and engaging classroom activities to outdoor play, small and large group learning, shared meals, and quiet moments of rest.
According to the Institute of Education Sciences, high-quality early childhood education supports social-emotional development, executive functioning, and emotion recognition, helping children build confidence, self-regulation, and positive relationships from an early age. Our proven method, built around the idea of structure to learn and freedom to explore, has been preparing children for school and life for more than two decades.
Early Childhood Leadership & Staff
One of the questions we hear most often from families considering enrollment is whether their child will be truly known and loved by the people caring for them every day. At our school, the answer is always yes. More than half of our staff hold a bachelor's or master's degree in early childhood education or a related field, and every member of our team is certified in CPR, First Aid, and Fire Safety. Each lead teacher completes over 20 hours of professional development every year, including training required by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. Many of our teachers have been with us for over a decade, which means your child will be surrounded by experienced, caring adults who know how to support each unique journey through early learning.
Jessica Dawson
School Leader, Oak Grove Academy
Jessica brings 16 years of experience in early childhood education to her role at Oak Grove Academy. Her path into this work began when her own son needed extra support during his early years, and what started as a career change quickly became a lifelong passion.
Achievements & Accreditations
At Oak Grove Academy, we are proud to provide families across Alpharetta, Milton, and Cumming with a high-quality early childhood education built on safety, academic excellence, and trust. Our school has earned recognition for our strong educational outcomes, including 96% of our students meeting or exceeding the GOLD Readiness Benchmark, a nationally recognized standard for kindergarten readiness. We are also approved to offer the Georgia Pre-K Program, supporting families with state-funded early learning that prepares your child for long-term academic success.
"Seeing children with certain barriers at the beginning of the year and watching them overcome those obstacles as the year progresses is what makes our team feel proudest. Every child deserves to feel valued, supported, and capable, and we are honored to be part of that journey."
- Jessica Dawson, School Leader at Oak Grove Academy.
Endeavor Schools is a community of more than 100 schools across the country, brought together by a shared commitment to caring for children during the most important years of their lives. Each school is thoughtfully connected to its local community, creating environments where children feel safe, supported, and encouraged to grow. Behind every classroom is a team of educators and parents who understand how much these early experiences matter and are dedicated to helping children build confidence, develop essential skills, and find a genuine love of learning. At the heart of Endeavor Schools is a focus on one simple goal: to give every child the support and foundation they need to thrive, both in school and in life.