At a Glance
A small, nurturing Brooklyn early childhood center where every child is treated as one-of-a-kind
Best suited for
Brooklyn families with infants through elementary-age children who want a small, relationship-driven, neighborhood program and can handle a car or bus commute.
What stands out
- Participates in NYC 3-K for All and Pre-K for All, meaning eligible 3- and 4-year-olds can attend at no cost to families.
- Offers infant daycare alongside preschool and elementary grades — rare under one roof for a private center.
- Tuition range of $17,160–$24,180 is on the lower end for a Brooklyn private program spanning PK through 5th grade.
- After-school program extends the day for working parents.
- Family reviews consistently describe teachers as caring and attentive, with a focus on social and emotional growth.
Things to consider
- The 19- to 20-minute walk to the nearest subway makes this a car- or bus-dependent commute for most families.
- Detailed information on class size, teacher certifications, and curriculum specifics is limited — prospective families should ask directly.
- The blend of publicly funded 3-K/Pre-K seats and private-pay grades means costs vary widely by program and age.
- As a small private center, it lacks the resources, facilities, and extracurricular breadth of larger independent schools.
- No published data on outcomes, accreditation, or assessment practices — worth requesting during a visit.
Identity
Apple Tree is a private, nonsectarian early childhood and elementary program whose stated philosophy centers on respect, consistency, care and attention for each child. It is coeducational and serves infants through fifth grade, an unusually broad span for a single private center.
Community
As a small private center that participates in the city's universal pre-K programs, Apple Tree likely draws a mix of tuition-paying families and those using publicly funded 3-K and Pre-K for All seats. Detailed demographic data on enrolled families isn't available, so the precise makeup of the community is hard to pin down.
Neighborhood
East Flatbush-Rugby is a working- and middle-class Brooklyn neighborhood where the median household income sits around $71,298, with about 13.4% of residents below the poverty line and roughly a quarter of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher. It's a residential area built around families rather than a commercial destination, and the schools here tend to be deeply local institutions.
The nearest subway is Church Av (2,5) at about a 19-minute walk and Beverly Rd (2,5) at about a 20-minute walk, so most families will drive, get dropped off, or take a local bus rather than rely on the train.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Generally positive - teachers described as the absolute best, staff genuinely cares about children, great place for children to interact learn and socialize
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in East Flatbush-Rugby.
- What grades does APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER serve?
- APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER?
- APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER public, charter, or private?
- APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER is a private school.
- What neighborhood is APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER in?
- APPLE TREE LEARNING CENTER is in East Flatbush-Rugby, Brooklyn.