Goddard School

I just had my first child in the summer of 2013. I was so sad to return to work and send him to daycare. The Independence Goddard School made the experience such a positive one for my family. From sending me picture of him having fun throughout the day to taking my 5 calls a day to check on him with patience- they have been incredible. My son LOVES school and I I feel so much better about returning to work and leaving him in the care of others. I love his teachers and so does he. I watch the older babies run into the classroom and over to hug the teachers. THAT is what I love most about this school.They also do activities and art projects and that is just the babies! I would recommend this school to anyone in the area looking for child care. more

Both of my kids love going to Goddard. The staff is not only attentive, but caring. They have prepared my kids to take the next step into kindergarten by reinforcing the educational, social and emotional development we nuture at home. Any concerns I have ever had were responded to quickly and effectively. Knowing a principal at a local elementary school and having him tell my wife and me how well prepared Indpendence Goddard "grads" are for elementary school lets me know that I am doing something right. more

We visited this school with our child a few times before enrolling her and got a very different experience after she was enrolled.They were friendly and attentive while we were there with our child, but once she was there alone it was a different story. They are not at all loving or nurturing. They operate more like a big corporation then a warm place for small children that need kindness and affection. The environment is cold. They care more about making money. Our child screamed and cried hard each time we were taking her there. Everyone told me "she will get used to it". I disagreed and pulled her out. I placed her at a different preschool and she never cried once. Her new school was an instant success. You can feel such a difference in the environment.The teachers are very loving and warm. Save yourself the aggravation. They are terrible! more

Now that we are at a new preschool, we realize just how lacking the Goddard in Independence was! Our child used to beg to stay home (heartbreaking!), now we can't get to school fast enough. And when the teacher had to stay home sick, all the kids including mine were so sad and missed her. That never happened at Goddard, there was no attachment to teachers whatsoever. I won't put in a plug for the new school, but you can surely do better than Goddard! more

Goddard was a pretty good school for the earlier years, although I couldn't say that the teachers are overly loving toward the kids. Most of them treat this like a job, and although I realize that it IS a job, you still want your child to feel loved and special. There are lots of toys and learning activities, but children are permitted to either participate or not. Little kids shouldn't be given this choice because they will play all day, and that is exactly what the boys (especially) do. I could have paid a babysitter a whole lot less to sit and watch my child play with cars and blocks. Very little actual learning going on, despite what they promise. more

The preschool program did not live up to it's promise. The proposed curriculum looks amazing but is followed only sporadically. Children are very gently encouraged to participate in learning activities, but are permitted to spend the day playing if that is their choice. more

I toured this school and spent several hours with the staff. Absolutely beautiful facility! Bright colors and lots of toys and activities to stimulate the kids' imagination. Very dedicated staff. Clean with attention to safety. I would trust them to take good care of my little ones. more