Ecole Clairefontaine

What Ecole Clairefontaine does

Ecole Claire Fontaine (ECF) is a private, family-owned multilingual early childhood education institution operating three garden-inspired campuses in Venice, California. Founded in 1989 by Joëlle Dumas, a French-trained educator from the University of Bordeaux, the school delivers programs for children from 18 months through 1st grade via the OPOL (One Person, One Language) immersive method across French, English, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic. The pedagogy integrates nature-based outdoor learning, organic locally-sourced meals, and creative ateliers spanning ceramics, architecture, chess, oceanography, astronomy, journalism, and movement. The three campuses — Camper (24 months+), Abbot Kinney (preschool), and Fontaine (TK, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade via ACME courses) — are positioned within a few blocks of one another in the Venice neighborhood.

ECF generates revenue through recurring tuition for preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade, supplemented by a seasonal Summer by the Sea camp (July–August, ages 2-6) priced on weekly subscription tiers of 3, 4, or 5 days at full-day or half-day configurations. A Pep'In program for 18-24-month-olds and their caregivers and a Cultural Ambassadorship Program (15-month paid exchange pairing French nationals with host families) provide additional, smaller revenue streams. Enrollment is acquired through in-person tours, parent testimonials, Yelp reviews, and community events (Abbot Kinney Festival, Venice Art Crawl, Fête de la Francophonie); there is no paid acquisition channel and pricing is largely opaque. Regular academic-year tuition is not publicly disclosed; summer weekly pricing ranges from $400 to $1,082 per child with a $110 non-refundable registration fee per child.

Operationally, ECF is small (approximately 19 employees, three Department of Social Services licenses), holds California Green Business and Certified Wildlife Habitat certifications, and is privately held with no outside investors. Following founder Joëlle Dumas's death in 2022, her daughter Gwendoline Pere-Lahaille assumed the director role, preserving family ownership, pedagogical direction, and the school's premium community-positioning. ECF has been awarded "Best of the Westside" preschool designation on a consecutive-year basis and is recognized by the French government through the Chevalier of the Palmes Academiques title.

Name

Ecole Clairefontaine

Legal name

Ecole Claire Fontaine

Website

https://laclairefontaine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ecole Claire Fontaine is a family-owned, private multilingual early childhood school operating three garden campuses in Venice, California, serving children ages 18 months through 1st grade via French, English, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic immersion with a nature- and art-based curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (61), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Bilingual/Language-Immersion Preschools (EDACABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor/Nature/Forest Preschools (EDACABAJ), Bilingual & Language-Immersion Early Learning Academies (EDACADAG), General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA)

Keywords

• Multilingual early education
• Preschool programs
• Transitional kindergarten
• Nature-based learning
• Private preschool

Headquarters

HQ city

Venice

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Preschool and Kindergarten Tuition: ECF generates revenue primarily through tuition fees for its preschool, Transitional Kindergarten (TK), and Kindergarten programs. The school offers flexible scheduling including full-day, morning, and afternoon options, as well as full-week or multi-day schedules. Year-round enrollment is available based on capacity.
2. Summer Program Registration: ECF offers a Summer by the Sea program in July and August for children ages 2-6, with weekly pricing for various schedule configurations (full day, morning only, afternoon only). Registration fees and per-week tuition charges apply.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ecole Claire Fontaine is a multilingual early childhood education school offering full-day, half-day, and multi-day preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade programs across three garden campuses in Venice, California. The curriculum integrates French, English, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic language immersion via the OPOL method with ateliers in art, science, music, and nature-based learning, and includes organic meals and a summer program.

Product overview

Ecole Claire Fontaine is a multilingual early education school offering a multi-campus program for children ages 2 to 7+ in Venice, California. The school operates three garden campuses: Camper Campus (for 24 months and up, including Pep'In for 18-24 months), Abbot Kinney Campus (preschool experience), and Fontaine Campus (Transitional Kindergarten through First Grade via ACME courses). Additional offerings include the Summer by the Sea summer program for ages 2-6 and a 15-month Cultural Ambassadorship Program for French nationals. The curriculum integrates art, language (French, English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic), and nature-based learning through ateliers and outdoor classrooms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Camper Campus Preschool Program A gentle introduction to school for children starting at 24 months, featuring a nurturing garden environment with hands-on discovery, nature connection, and joyful collaboration. The campus also hosts the Pep'In twice-weekly program for 18-24-month-olds and their caregivers. Located at 226 Westminster Avenue, Venice, CA.
• Abbot Kinney Campus Preschool Program The next step in the preschool experience, welcoming children with growing confidence, imagination, and independence. Children learn through art, song, movement, and shared discovery in bright ateliers and shaded garden spaces. Located at 1047 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice, CA.
• Fontaine Campus Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade Program The largest ECF campus, offering Transitional Kindergarten (TK), Kindergarten, and First Grade curriculum through ECF's ACME courses. Designed to nurture independence and intellectual growth while preserving the wonder of childhood through art, music, and exploration. Located at 815 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA.
• Summer by the Sea Program A summer camp program for children ages 2-6 run near the Pacific Ocean in Venice, California in July and August. Offers flexible schedules for adventures in art, baking, bike repair, chess, choir, climbing, French, gardening, meditation, music, science, sculpture, Spanish, and sports.
• Cultural Ambassadorship Program A paid 15-month cultural exchange program pairing French ambassadors with American host families. Ambassadors share French culture through language, music, food, and art while working at the preschool and participating in local events including the Fête de la Francophonie and Abel Kinney Festival.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ years of continuous operation and community trust

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Center for Early Education: A premier Los Angeles independent preschool and elementary school emphasizing progressive, arts-integrated curriculum in a similar affluent Mid-City/Westside catchment. Direct peer for premium private ECE families.
• Westside Waldorf School: A Waldorf-inspired early childhood program on LA's Westside emphasizing nature-based, arts-rich, and developmentally grounded curriculum — directly comparable to ECF's nature/garden approach for premium LA families.
• Lycée Français de Los Angeles: The leading French-immersive pre-K through 12 school in Los Angeles. Maternelle (preschool) division uses OPOL-style French immersion and shares ECF's bilingual/scholarly positioning in the same LA catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Stratford School: A larger multi-campus California private preschool-through-middle-school chain with locations across LA. Competes for similar affluent families but at greater scale and with a more academic, less multilingual/nature-focused orientation.
• Citizens of the World Charter Schools: LA charter school network explicitly emphasizing bilingual education and diverse communities. Competes for multilingual-curriculum-seeking families, though at lower price point and as a public charter rather than private tuition model.
• Larchmont Charter School: LA progressive charter school with arts- and project-based curriculum drawing similar Eastside/Mid-City families. Comparable philosophy and demographic overlap but a public-charter, larger-scale model.
• Wise School (Milken Community): A well-established LA private K-8 school serving similar affluent Westside families with a progressive Jewish-heritage framing. Competes for the same discretionary-tuition preschool-to-elementary pipeline.
• Westmark School: Independent LA private school (lower and upper) emphasizing individualized learning and creative arts. Overlaps ECF's catchment and premium-family target but operates at broader grade-span, not ECE-specialized.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EClaireFontaine
• Facebookfacebook.com/ClaireFontaineSchool
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecoleclairefontaine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecole-clairefontaine

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecole Clairefontaine