We love Primrose from the beautifully kept facility, admin staff, teachers, curriculum, chef on-site to the overall well-organized, streamlined, supportive structure. We have enjoyed watching our child grow, excel and transition into each class over the last 2 years. His teachers have been wonderful, nurturing, supportive, and trustworthy. It is always nice going to work with peace of mind he's in good hands! We love Primrose for the safety measures they have taken during Covid. It's always clear the safety of the kids/their family's and staff is a top priority! We are so grateful for this! Christian loves playtime with his friends, appreciates his teachers, the support staff, and enjoys all the wonderful activities and theme days Primrose has to offer. Thank you Primrose for such a wonderful experience!
The Leader in Early Education and Care®
Hours & Location
M-F 7:30 am-6:00 pmAccreditation
Make the First Five Years Count
We’re more than a daycare in San Jose. We know how young children learn best, which is why our Balanced Learning® approach combines plenty of purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers.
Every Moment Matters
- The components of our Balanced Learning® approach are intentionally aligned to create developmentally appropriate learning experiences.
- Your child will stay engaged all day with the right balance of child-initiated and teacher-guided learning experiences.
- Our students learn the foundational skills to develop Active Minds, Healthy Bodies, and Happy Hearts® that will forge a path to a brighter future.
Franchise Owner
Sima Shah
Meet Sima Shah, proud Owner of Primrose School of Willow Glen. As a longtime resident of California’s Silicon Valley, she is excited to help introduce San Francisco Bay Area parents to the premier child care and early education experience Primrose has provided to many other children around the country.
Research-based and Innovative Education is Sima’s passion. She earned a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles after immigrating to the U.S. with her husband Amar Chokhawala. Sima worked as a computer engineer while also molding young minds as an adjunct professor of at several local colleges and universities in Computer Science Department. Amar was an early Google employee before he founded his own software company, Reflektion in 2013, where he will continue serving as Chief Executive Officer.
When their first daughter, Amiya, was born in 2005, Sima struggled to find trusted and high-quality care, and eventually decided to keep her daughter at home with a full-time nanny. After the birth of her second daughter, Risa, in 2008, Sima decided to enroll Amiya into a Bay Area preschool. Not long after, Sima found the program lacked the holistic approach she’d hoped to find. It focused too much on structure and teacher guided activities, and did not provide enough opportunities for play and exploration. As a result, Sima tried to create her own “balanced program” by sending her daughter to a structured school three days a week, and child-initiated play based program for the other two days.
It was during this time Sima and her husband first learned about Primrose Schools through an advertisement in the Wall Street Journal; however, there were not any Primrose schools in California at the time.
“I knew that children needed both exploration and structure, and I kept thinking that someone had to already have a program that is more balanced. When I found Primrose, I was so pleased to see that they built their entire curriculum around this idea of balance,” said Sima. “Never having experienced it myself, I was skeptical until I flew out to Colorado to visit my first Primrose school. The moment I entered the school, I was wowed by the entire experience: people, culture, approach, environment and curriculum.
At Primrose School of Willow Glen, Sima will strive to provide a nurturing atmosphere and environment that fosters all aspects of their students’ development. Her goal is to promote the social-emotional aspect of growth, which enhances learning for children. She wants parents to feel welcome and confident that Primrose is the best option for their children.
“In today’s world, if both parents work, a child spends at least 40 hours a week at her education facility. We always think of making our homes inspiring and comfortable for our children. At Primrose School of Willow Glen, we want the same for our students. Our facility will be filled with the same quality of care, attention and comfort children experience at home,” said Sima.
Primrose School of Willow Glen will feature the exclusive Balanced Learning® approach which blends purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion.
Sima Shah
Franchise Owner
Meet Sima Shah, proud Owner of Primrose School of Willow Glen. As a longtime resident of California’s Silicon Valley, she is excited to help introduce San Francisco Bay Area parents to the premier child care and early education experience Primrose has provided to many other children around the country.
Research-based and Innovative Education is Sima’s passion. She earned a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles after immigrating to the U.S. with her husband Amar Chokhawala. Sima worked as a computer engineer while also molding young minds as an adjunct professor of at several local colleges and universities in Computer Science Department. Amar was an early Google employee before he founded his own software company, Reflektion in 2013, where he will continue serving as Chief Executive Officer.
When their first daughter, Amiya, was born in 2005, Sima struggled to find trusted and high-quality care, and eventually decided to keep her daughter at home with a full-time nanny. After the birth of her second daughter, Risa, in 2008, Sima decided to enroll Amiya into a Bay Area preschool. Not long after, Sima found the program lacked the holistic approach she’d hoped to find. It focused too much on structure and teacher guided activities, and did not provide enough opportunities for play and exploration. As a result, Sima tried to create her own “balanced program” by sending her daughter to a structured school three days a week, and child-initiated play based program for the other two days.
It was during this time Sima and her husband first learned about Primrose Schools through an advertisement in the Wall Street Journal; however, there were not any Primrose schools in California at the time.
“I knew that children needed both exploration and structure, and I kept thinking that someone had to already have a program that is more balanced. When I found Primrose, I was so pleased to see that they built their entire curriculum around this idea of balance,” said Sima. “Never having experienced it myself, I was skeptical until I flew out to Colorado to visit my first Primrose school. The moment I entered the school, I was wowed by the entire experience: people, culture, approach, environment and curriculum.
At Primrose School of Willow Glen, Sima will strive to provide a nurturing atmosphere and environment that fosters all aspects of their students’ development. Her goal is to promote the social-emotional aspect of growth, which enhances learning for children. She wants parents to feel welcome and confident that Primrose is the best option for their children.
“In today’s world, if both parents work, a child spends at least 40 hours a week at her education facility. We always think of making our homes inspiring and comfortable for our children. At Primrose School of Willow Glen, we want the same for our students. Our facility will be filled with the same quality of care, attention and comfort children experience at home,” said Sima.
Primrose School of Willow Glen will feature the exclusive Balanced Learning® approach which blends purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion.
See What Families Are Saying
We have fallen in love with Primrose and couldn't imagine our boys going anywhere else. From the caring and dedicated teachers, to the charming design of the school building and playgrounds, to the engaging curriculum, Primrose has been the perfect school for our young family. Mrs. Ayah is a phenomenal director who always listens to our needs and questions and truly cares about all of the kids. The pandemic has obviously been a tremendously challenging time for school administrators and teachers, but the Primrose staff has consistently done everything they can to keep our kids as happy and safe as possible. They are always going the extra mile to make school a fun and exciting place, whether it's having a classroom door decorating contest, celebrating multicultural holidays and traditions, or building an amazing pumpkin patch for Halloween. We also love that all the teachers and staff know both of our boys by name, and when we walk down the halls they always give a smile and say hi. That's the kind of place that Primrose is.
We have fallen in love with Primrose and couldn't imagine our boys going anywhere else. From the caring and dedicated teachers, to the charming design of the school building and playgrounds, to the engaging curriculum, Primrose has been the perfect school for our young family. Mrs. Ayah is a phenomenal director who always listens to our needs and questions and truly cares about all of the kids. The pandemic has obviously been a tremendously challenging time for school administrators and teachers, but the Primrose staff has consistently done everything they can to keep our kids as happy and safe as possible. They are always going the extra mile to make school a fun and exciting place, whether it's having a classroom door decorating contest, celebrating multicultural holidays and traditions, or building an amazing pumpkin patch for Halloween. We also love that all the teachers and staff know both of our boys by name, and when we walk down the halls they always give a smile and say hi. That's the kind of place that Primrose is.
