My wife and I agonized over where to send our children for pre-school, and couldn't have been happier with the result! We have had 3 kids go through Goddard, and will be sorry to see it go when our last is finished. We toured pre-schools in Denver, Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch before making our decision. Any of the Goddard Schools would have been sufficient but we were moving from Denver to South Denver and decided it was best to have the kids close. We based our decision on three factors: cleanliness of the building, educational curriculum, and attentiveness/quality of the staff. Most of the schools we visited felt more like daycares than preschool - classes were organized around play rather than balanced play/learning. Goddard was the only school that offered any sort of appreciable curriculum, and you could visibly see the transition from play to education as you moved up in classrooms. We now have three kids that can count in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese! The building is a newer building that always seems clean, and when there was a leak, the affected room was sealed off and professionally cleaned/restored by a reputable restoration company the day after the leak because the staff was concerned for the health of the kids. Some of the staff we have known for our entire time at the school, and they are personable, approachable, and fantastic with the kids. If we have had issues with any of the teachers the problem is usually addressed quickly. Couldn't recommend this place enough. It's a fantastic school. read more

I don't know if there's enough room for all the great things I have to say about the Goddard School - Highlands Ranch. The front staff is the most caring and attentive I've ever seen. They're so on top of everything and great communicators. We're also blessed to have Ms. Becky as our daughter's lead teacher, she is beyond thoughtful and compassionate and all of her students clearly love her, including our daughter. Our daughter is excited every day to go to school at Goddard and you can see how much fun she has with her endless smiling in her photos. You can see the variety of creative learning projects her class is constantly doing and we can see the quick progress our daughter is making; new words, learning body parts, songs, sign language, etc. Thanks for letting us rest easy knowing our girl is in great hands each week! :) read more

The Goddard school in Highlands Ranch has been nothing but amazing! The staff at Goddard is super friendly. They have accommodated our family to the fullest extent. The space is clean, organized and most importantly safe! The staff is great with communication and keeping my husband and I in the know. I would highly recommend this Highlands Ranch location to anyone looking for an amazing space to have your child attend. I can't say enough about how happy I am to be part of the Goddard family. Thank you Goddard employees for everything you do! read more

I am so pleased with my daughter's progress in one year! Not sure how to express tears via yelp, but that's how I feel. I looked at her writing comparison from October to May and it was night and day. She just started Kindergarten and, quite frankly, the material is subpar at the public school vs. what she learned in Pre-K at this Goddard school. She is over prepared for academic success - even for a child who is on an IEP for moderate needs. The teachers and owners have all been super helpful and nice and very good at sharing photos throughout the day. The facility is also clean and well maintained. read more

I can't believe no one reviewed this place yet. This is by far the best, safest and highest quality place to store your kids when you are busy. My son loves the place, he gets to play and learn with tons of other kids in his age group. They have a ton of stuff to do. The only bad thing is sometimes he does not want to leave when I come to pick him up. read more

The Goddard School of Highlands Ranch - Sam Morton getting his head shaved for Saint Baldrick s cancer research. - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Highlands Ranch, Colorado

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My children (4 and 5years) have been attending this school for two years and absolutely love it! They are on the older side and just adore their teachers ! The teachers instill a love of learning as well as teach the kids to be kind humans. The teachers are also really good about keeping the communication line with parents open and address any issues right away. The activities such as karate and Coach Bo are wonderful in addition to the curriculum. As an educator myself, I take my children's education seriously and I am so happy my kids are part of the Goddard Family. read more

The teachers seemed amazing and highly qualified. I do not like that you can watch the kids from the parking lot. There is no real grass and the playground equipment could be better. We also saw one kid repeatedly knocking the other kids to the ground and the teacher just stood by and did nothing. Maybe she was hoping they would work it out on their own but it was hard to watch. They use lots of tech emailing you with progress reports and having the kids work on the computer. It seemed like a great school just not a great fit for my kid. Oh and you have to pack their lunch which was a bummer. Also, in the infant room there are a lot of swings and restrictive equipment. I personally like when kids are not put in those things and are allowed to crawl and move freely. read more

My husband and I are working parents of 4 beautiful children. Our oldest 3 are in grade school now, and the youngest is almost 2. We tried the gamut of childcare options with the oldest 3. My employer had an onsite daycare at the time, but it chose a low-cost (and low quality) provider. We were constantly battling the childcare, and its lack of attentiveness to our concerns or our children's wellbeing was both disturbing and frustrating. We pulled our oldest 3 out of the daycare at the ages of 3 and 18 months (twins). We then tried the nanny route. There were positives, as far as not having to get the kids ready and out the door in the morning, but after having to fire one nanny, find backup childcare on the fly when the nanny was sick or had medical appointments, and deal with all of the state/federal reporting for taxes, we discovered we weren't really saving any time, money, or frustration. We abandoned the nanny route and started afresh when we relocated to Colorado. This time we found a true preschool - not just a childcare (there is a BIG difference, by the way, between a childcare/daycare and a school!). We enrolled the oldest in the school's private Kindergarten program and the twins in the preschool. But to continue our less than successful efforts in finding quality childcare/school, we soon realized that bad management was rampant at the school. The teachers were unhappy for a variety of reasons but largely because they were not treated professionally or respectfully. Additionally, my oldest child's Kindergarten education suffered, as the management was blind to its staff's weaknesses and need for additional training. As a result we pulled all of the children out of the school by the time the oldest hit 1st grade. Our youngest was born within the first year of moving here, while the oldest was struggling to catch-up in 1st grade. I had heard "rave" reviews about Montessori schools, so I put the baby in the Montessori school near my work. The staff was nice enough, but I soon realized that the Montessori philosophy was not for me. It felt loveless and cold. I disagreed with their philosophy on several key, developmental issues. As a result, when I was asked to take a position at one of my employer's satellite offices in Highlands Ranch, I wasn't too upset about pulling my littlest one out of the Montessori school. I toured two schools near my new office location. But I can tell you right now, it was a no brainer for me upon touring the first school: The Goddard School Highlands Ranch was going to be my youngest child's new home away from home. First and foremost, there is the owner, Sam. He is so responsive to his parent's concerns. In fact, he goes out of his way to address them. But most importantly, he values prevention - what can he or his teachers do to prevent not only the big stuff (like accidents and illness) but also the little stuff. He always has the best interest of the children and the parents in mind. I love the fact that he wants his school to be "an extension of the family", keeping and honoring family requests as well loving and supporting the children like they were his or his staff's own. Even if it is 6:15 PM and he's trying to close the school, he has kept an unofficial open door policy if you need to speak with him personally in his office. Secondly, the quality of the staff and the curriculum: Wow - my husband and I have been so impressed! Given our lengthy and varied experiences with childcares and schools referenced earlier, we have never been so satisfied with the education our children have received in a childcare setting until now. There truly is something different about the Goddard Schools, and Sam has done an excellent job in screening his staff to ensure the highest level of execution of the curriculum. We see where our fourth and youngest child is developmentally just shy of the age of 2 and marvel, as we know our first 3 were not nearly as advanced as she is for her age. Lastly, you know you have a great preschool when the staff is tenured. I know that the Goddard School in Highlands Ranch is relatively new, but the same teachers that were in the infant room and toddler room when my youngest first enrolled at the school at the age of 4 months are still in the room - over a year-and-a-half later. The turnover of the staff is low for a preschool. I can only surmise that the teachers a.) feel appreciated, b.) feel challenged, and c.) receive adequate compensation. The teachers, as with any employee, need these things in order to stay. I think a lot of that is evident of how Sam treats his staff. I probably have one of the longest reviews on Yelp but feel strongly about the quality of the Goddard School in Highlands Ranch, its owner, and its staff. Given our various failures to find suitable childcare/school for our children, we want others to know about this fantastic school and the opportunity it affords not only their child(ren) but their family. read more

My child goes to this school and WE LOVE IT! The staff is wonderful and always keep you informed. They are so sweet and my child is incredibly happy to be there each day! read more

So happy we found this place! They came highly recommended from another friend of mine. We placed our son in daycare at 7 weeks (yikes, a bit earlier than we planned to, but it was necessary). The first week he attended daycare, we noticed an immediate increase in his alertness and attention level. He is very happy and content when we pick him up, and the teachers in his classroom are so kind and caring. And yes, this is a school, not just a daycare where he sits in a swing or boppy all day. They engage him in developmental activities throughout the day, and it shows. We are very pleased with Goddard. read more

We have loved the whole experience with both of our children! The school is amazing and they are so great with the children. The owners are so inviting and the entire staff is so comfortable to be around. read more

The front staff is good at the sales side however the teachers and classroom staff is unprofessional and unexperienced. Cleanliness is not a priority here - the entire room smells like dirty diapers, they do not sweep up after lunch. Kids are actually forced to sleep on mats on this dirty floor. The bathroom is disgusting. Diapers are tossed into an open trash can. The classroom staff is disrespectful to the kids, pulling things out of their hands instead of asking for it, pulling them inside the room by their hand instead of asking them to come inside on their own which are minor things for adults but very impactful for growing minds. They have no focus on education, circle time is a joke - they don't teach kids to sit in a circle and guide them with patience to listen to the teacher - there is just no structure and discipline. Not impressed at all. Just a tip to parents - trust your gut, if you think a place is not right, leave and don't look back. read more

I'll summarize everything before I go into details. This has to be the cleanest, most caring, and fun Child center around. For preschool, or daycare I highly recommend it! Security is top of the line in my book too. I feel confident my child is safe and happy. Let me say that I have seen a few centers. I have two children that have both been in daycare since roughly 12 weeks. I have never felt such anxiety about having to leave them with people you don't know. We started out at another establishment that offered half days, thank goodness we had that option. The place we were at was okay in the beginning, but red flags soon started appearing. I hate that we latest there so long. My daughter has a speech delay which can make her hard to communicate with. Things got so bad I cried with my kids when we dropped them off. Finally we pulled them out. So now onto the scramble of what to do. I was so stressed out about having to take them to another center I was losing sleep and nearly making myself ill - until we came across the Goddard School. Not only did they listen to all my fears, they encouraged me to do what we needed in order to be comfortable with our choice. There is ALWAYS someone at the door. We got to meet the director, but we also met with the owner, who is almost always there. Since attending my daughter has more confidence to attempt to speak even if she still is behind. The teachers are patient and don't treat her like she is the plague. Teachers are on top of things and watch the children well. My daughter took a week to warm up to everyone, but each day that week a teacher allowed me to do what we needed and when it was time for mommy to rip the bandied off (leave) someone was there to hold her and comfort her. There are multiple teachers to a room!! By the second week my daughter walked in on her own and by the third week she callers out "Bye! Thank you" As we leave. All teachers have been at the center for extended time - LOW turnover rate and I can see why. Teachers are happy - kids are happy. The owner cares a lot! The school has a indoor gym area as well as well maintained outdoor equipment with fake grass. Say goodbye to muddy shoes and bums. Classrooms are clean. They have a professional cleaning staff so teachers can focus on the kids. Yes you bring a lunch - but they will cook chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, hotdogs, whatever you need. At the potty training stage they help - they do not push, your child. I've never felt more happy. If I can't be with my children all day I am glad I have the Goddard school. Last thoughts. They make learning fun. Sign language, Spanish, and mandarin. (English of course primary.). Even with a speech delay my daughter benefits from all this. She responds well to sign and other visuals, which is huge. Sorry for the long review but I can't say enough nice things about this place. read more

We have been a family at the Highlands Ranch Goddard for over three years now. I have no idea where to start. This school goes above and beyond any expectation I have ever had! First, the staff is a family... We are met every day by name with warm greetings and personal details! Second, we bring our own lunches... I know a pain for some but I take great comfort knowing I provide my children with the food I want them to have! Third, and in a joking tone, my oldest son is leaving this place smarter than he should be! He is testing out of reading and math in Kindergarten at his new school. This school and the teachers are beyond compare. read more

We sent both of our young children here to participate in their learning program. And all I can say is THANK YOU!!! My daughter was moved to the advanced 1st/2nd grade program out of Kindergarten. Although we were originally looking for a day care center, we found soooooo much more in Goddard. Sam, the owner, runs a great program and we couldn't have been happier with the results. We are actually sad that our kids no longer attend Goddard cause we miss all the smiling faces we saw everyday. Thanks again!!! read more