Love the school and the faculty. The staff treat me and my kids like family! I am ecstatic that…read morethere are so many options for extra curricular activities. And they are always growing and w wrong to do more. !

have had 3 kiddos go to Guardian and been very pleased. one graduated from GCA and got a full ride…read moreinto a nursing program, the other is on track for joining the military, and the youngest is a well adjusted developing young man. Christ centered and very enjoyable. not perfect but definitely striving to be better and better.

When my wife and I moved to Richmond from Raleigh in 2010 in some ways it was like starting over…read more We had both lived in North Carolina for 17 & 14 years respectively and the change while welcomed presented many challenges, especially with 2 young children. One of the first things we did when we arrived was to seek out recommendations for a good pediatrician. From that point we had the amazing fortune of being given the contact information for Joan at Open Arms Christian Preschool by our children's new doctor. The pediatrician we ended up seeing knew that with a diagnosis of autism and being on the spectrum our son would be in great hands and care at Open Arms Christian Preschool. The nervousness we felt while driving to meet with Joan for an initial tour of the preschool was immediately forgotten as we were greeted with the kindest most genuine energy and welcome. Within 5 minutes of touring Open Arms we knew we had found the right place. In our time spent at Open Arms we had both of our kids enrolled. Even when we moved to Glen Allen after the first year I fixed my work schedule to be able to drive 40 minutes back and forth for drop off and pick up. Our oldest child is on the spectrum and has been diagnosed with autism. He is high functioning but to this day has sensory issues as well as social issues. Joan went above and beyond to work with us day in and day out, gave us guidance, put us in touch with different professionals and organizations and always made herself available. She was always a phone call away and as with any situation involving children the communication factor was key. There was even a point where an additional staff member was brought in to help. For all of these reasons my wife and I will forever be grateful. I could really go on and on raving about this preschool as we had a 4 year run there. There is not one negative thing I can say about our experience at Open Arms. If there was I would be honest and post it. There were times when we had reports come home about our oldest and quite frankly a few times where we thought, 'that's it they are going to ask us to leave'... but that never happened. And I believe the communication between the school and us was a vital part of our unique situation. Communication is always key. The tuition is very reasonable for what each family receives. Activities, special trips and guest 'speakers' just to name a few of the things which go on. Art comes home regularly and the kids are also in a true learning environment which is such a plus as they get ready to make the transition to elementary school. If I could give this preschool 10 stars I would. If I could give Joan and her amazing staff 10 stars I would. I have given Joan permission to give out my phone number to anyone who has parent to parent questions. We will be forever grateful for the foundation which Open Arms Christian Preschool has given both of our kids. And we will especially be forever grateful for the added support we received to help us set our first born and only son on the path to being able to deal with his autism related issues. While Open Arms was just one piece of the support chain we received it was a vital part which helped us truly make the difficult and important decisions about our situation without added stress. Without the positive reinforcement and guidance this would have been a much more difficult road for us. Reach out to Joan with any questions about this program. She is always eager and happy to meet and welcome new faces and families. Cheers! And thank you for reading my first novel! (sorry I got carried away...) -Michael Soekawa (yes my full name)

The post previously made is inaccurate and incorrect. We toured several schools and chose Open…read moreArms last September because of the attentiveness, love and professionalism of the teachers and Director. In January of last year, our son began having seizures - the first in his young 2 year old life. We were terrified and concerned about the present and future health, well-being and development of our child. Not only did the team at Open Arms show their love and support for us, but the families surround us with friendship and prayer! Our son Eli had a rough 4 months; spending over 80% of the time in the hospital. During that time, we received weekly emails and texts from the Director, Eli's teachers and parents checking in and asking how they could help. When Eli was stable enough to return, the entire team at Open Arms worked with us to give Eli a chance to come back to school - even part-time. I met with the Director, Joan Brennan, and his teachers regularly to discuss his development, areas of challenge and prognosis. They worked diligently to ensure that Eli had a supportive environment where he, and the other children, could thrive. They took care of our son and our entire family during one of the most traumatic times in our life. Eli has now been seizure free for several months and returned back to school full-time this year. Before starting the year, Joan and the teachers worked with my husband and I to determine where Eli might best thrive (in the older 2 or younger 3 classroom). They have walked with us over the last several months as we have evaluated his growth and development. During parent teacher conferences this week, his teachers shared with us areas of challenge for Eli and some options to help him thrive. While it is always tough to hear that your child may not be thriving and may need additional evaluation, the way that they lovingly and supportively discussed the challenges with me made me quickly aware that they were on our team. They wanted what was best for Eli's development and wanted to provide the right opportunities for he and the other children in the school. As a parent who is diligently involved in the well being of her child, I feel like I have a team of support at Open Arms. It is a community! I learned about Open Arms from a friend that entrusted the development of her two children to the school. Having now experienced the great support and student-to-teacher ratios she encountered, I have openly recommended the school to other families. Including families that have been dealing with issues such as epilepsy. While the school is not a school for children needing one-on-one shadowing or those with aggression and anger issues, it is a school for families that need a little extra support or those that simply want the best environment and greatest opportunity for the growth of their children. I love Open Arms and am saddened by the libelous comment below.

Three kids through this school, and we've loved it every time. The days feel thoughtful without…read morebeing over-structured, and the kids come home happy, dirty, and full of stories--which feels like exactly the point. The teachers are incredible--kind, patient, and so genuinely invested. It's just a really good place for kids to spend their days. Stop your search, this is the place!

My youngest son went here and I really wish my oldest son had the same opportunity. This school is…read moretruly a special place. My son really became socially and emotionally aware at his time at the preschool. Yes they play in the mud and dirt and they are learning so much through their free play, and how to socialize with others. They come home happy and have spent time out in nature and far away from screens. They learn to work together and support one another. They learn empathy and compassion. Each child's uniqueness is celebrated and they have the opportunities to try so many different experiences through art and nature. My youngest acquired so many social skills that my oldest son didn't get from his traditional preschool (that mainly focused on getting him ready for kindergarten and being able to write his alphabet).I encourage you if you're thinking about sending your child here to take a tour and see for yourself. You will experience the wild at heart vibe that is to be celebrated of young children. This is where they are encouraged to be themselves and think for themselves and to not be conformed into anything else.

hi. recent alum here. my best friend and i attended this school. the teachers and education were…read morepretty good, but the bullying and exclusion of my best friend and i was not helped at all. i remember students were called homophobic slurs here and i had many racial microaggresions directed at me, but every time i tried to bring this up to the head of school there, i was promptly dismissed and it felt like nothing changed at all. i take note of this because a student there was so easily expelled when a white student complained about her sending a death threat, but when my queer friend and i complained to the school multiple times about the bullying we experienced, there was little to no punishment to the bullies. i also should mention there was no school counselor for a majority of the time i was there. skip forward to my eighth grade year, my best friend committed suicide. while i do admit there were probably other factors contributing to this awful event, bullying was one of the main issues as they had told me before their tragic passing. the bullying was mainly due to the fact that they were queer. orchard house never really brought their attention to this obvious discrimination in their school. after their passing, i had to leave for a week or two for my mental health, and the head of school there told my class the details of what happened with me without my or my family's permission. this school is okay if your child is white and cishet, but otherwise, please save your money.

OHS has been an incredible environment for my middle schooler. It's such a tight knit and…read moresupportive community that values each child's individuality and encourages them to share their voice. There is very little social issues/conflicts at Orchard House, and faculty still makes a point to discuss social issues and make it known that the school is a safe place, and a sisterhood. My daughter asked me to add this: "I can't imagine how painful it'll be to leave next year."

My child went to Tuckaway west for a few years and we loved it. Was it perfect no but what center…read moreis. There were a few things I didn't like but in this day and age unfortunately it's hard to keep staff. A lot of their staff were extremely young and had opinions of how I should discipline my child. This was brought to the Director and Assistant Director and they were able to fix this problem and I was very appreciative of their help. Ms. Ashley the Director is very nice she cares about the children and it shows. Each child from when I've drop my child off gets a hug hug before going to their classroom. I would highly recommend Tuckaway West to anyone who love a small center setting and wants to feel more like they are in a home away from home setting.

Tuckaway has been an amazing school to send my two children to! My youngest is in their infant…read moreclassroom and my oldest is in the school age program. They both seem to really enjoy being there! Even on my days off my oldest actually requests to go to Tuckaway to be with her friends and enjoy the activities the teachers have planned for them that day. As for my youngest, I am definitely one that is referenced as a "helicopter dad" by my friends but I can confidently say that I feel the infant teachers at Tuckaway are competent and caring which more then puts my mind at ease! The director at the Innsbrook location is very sweet and kind and the rest of the staff seem to be right on par with that attitude! I couldn't be happier with their service! I don't typically leave reviews but I felt it necessary based on how well they take care of my family!

Best Christian school in the Richmond VA area! My daughter has been there since kindergarten is…read morenow a rising fifth grader. This Christian school has everything a family would want and more! Christ centered learning, small teacher to student ratio, college preparatory academics, and an up and coming athletic program! We LOVE Banner Christian School! Would love for your family to join ours in teaching our children to honor Christ first and their education, which is second to none!

My kid was bullied throughout the year and the school tries to hide the kids. Most of the kids are…read moreeither related to teachers or former employees of banner so nepotism is on unrealistic high level. Numerous meeting and complaints no change or action ever taken. Teachers are not helpful at all if your kid doesn't understand some concept they would not explain again. When I tried to pull my kids out they took extreme actions against our family because I had filed petition with board of directors.

Things like this, among many others, are why I am so grateful to have my daughter at Central. They…read moretake care of my child like family and have supported me through a lot as well. Thank you, Central!

We had a very unpleasant experience with this establishment. From a revolving door of teachers to…read morethe absence of communication from staff and administration, much was lacking at Central Montessori. The communication issues were evident from the start. We never received a school calendar or got added to the mailing list upon enrollment, so we were surprised with several school closures in our initial time there. Over the course of roughly six months, the teachers were unable to follow through on the meager commitment of one short note per week to let us know how our child was doing in class. We had no idea what he was doing during the day and eventually he returned home with language and behavior consistent with a complete lack of Montessori principles being used in the classroom. ("I'm a bad kid... I'm going to sit in the corner....etc.) After voicing concern about multiple changes in teacher with no notification, the director told me the new assistant teacher wasn't certified, didn't have the requisite experience, but was "super interested in teaching Montessori." At this point, I started enquiring about our location of waitlists elsewhere. It is clear that Central knows they have parents trapped due to the lack of options for childcare in the area, because they let the disorganization and unprofessionalism continue. We eventually could tell that our child was not receiving the care or education we were promised, so we found a new school where he is absolutely thriving. I sincerely hope that a change in leadership can turn the tide at Central for the sake of the other children and families still enrolled.

This school is a blessing to us! I can't praise enough the teachers, staff and the Christian based…read moreprogram. The classroom is small so the teacher can give a one-on-one feedback to the students. My Kids love going to school and we have peace of mind knowing that they are learning about God while having a great education.