Our son has been at Goddard since he was 6months old and now he is in the Pre-K class! We have been very happy with the quality of the facility (fairly new), admin staff and teachers. Every school will have critique coming from families, including from us. But, admin staff and teachers have always been open in having discussions on ways they can improve, how they can correct an issue, and how they can support our family and son's learning and social development. Open communication and a plan of action or improvement are wha we seek with any issues that we bring up, and the staff has always met these expectations. Our son has grown attached to his pre-school and pre-K teachers. So much so that he says goodbye to his old teachers everyday during pick ups. We look forward to enrolling our youngest son sometime in the future! read more

My son has been at this daycare for almost a year now, and we couldn't be happier with our experience. Every teacher he's had has been absolutely amazing. You can truly tell they care about the children as individuals. Prior to this, he attended another daycare where it felt like the teachers didn't really know him or pay attention to his needs and as parents, we could feel that. The difference here is night and day. My son is happy, comfortable, and clearly feels safe, which means everything to us. The teachers are always communicative and collaborative, working with us on what's working (or not working) for our toddler. We genuinely feel like we're part of a team when it comes to his care and development. The front office staff also deserves a shout-out, they are consistently kind and understanding whenever we have questions or special requests for our son. I appreciate their attentiveness to us as parents. We're so grateful to have found this daycare and would absolutely recommend it to other families looking for a caring, supportive environment for their child. read more

Review Title: A Deeply Disappointing and Emotionally Harmful Experience at Goddard School's Happy Hippos Class I enrolled my son in the Happy Hippos class at Goddard School Rancho Cordova with high hopes, believing a respected franchise like Goddard would provide a safe, nurturing environment. Unfortunately, our experience was the complete opposite. From the very beginning, there were red flags. Neither Miss Beverly nor Miss Emma ever greeted us warmly. In fact, I never once saw Miss Beverly smile at my child--except on the very last day, when we came to collect his belongings. That felt disingenuous and honestly heartbreaking. What concerned us the most was how our child was treated with fear and isolation. Instead of identifying solutions or collaborating with us as parents, the teachers seemed to focus solely on labeling him as the problem. Miss Beverly even nicknamed him "Danger Man," a name that other children picked up and used, further isolating him socially. This kind of labeling is unacceptable and damaging to any child's emotional health. Previously, our son attended a different preschool where a similar behavior concern was addressed professionally and compassionately. We were involved, educated, and supported. In stark contrast, we felt judged and dismissed at Goddard. One moment that still haunts me was when I arrived unannounced to pick up my child and found him sitting alone on a couch in isolation. When he saw me, he ran into my arms and hugged me tightly--his eyes filled with fear. He couldn't speak much English at the time, but he clearly understood expressions and tone. He still remembers how those teachers shouted at him. Even now, at home with his grandmother, he talks about how badly he was treated. We genuinely believe he may be experiencing early signs of PTSD from this environment. I shared our decision to withdraw him with Miss Selena, who was polite and agreed not to charge us for the upcoming month. But surprisingly, she never even asked why we were pulling our child out. That lack of concern was just another indication of how detached the staff can be from the children's well-being. To any parent reading this: if you value your child's emotional safety and mental development, I strongly urge you to reconsider enrolling in the Happy Hippos class at this location. Our family trusted this school and walked away deeply disappointed and concerned for our son's well-being. read more

This review was only based on my tour experience. I had an appointment for a tour and came about 5 mins late. When I walked in there was a young lady completely attached to her phone she didn't even noticed me and my toddler. First impression?? NOT SAFE. I said hello once and guess she couldn't hear me so I stood just looking around the lobby for a few minutes to check things out. After about 5 minutes I said "hellloooo?" again and she finally noticed me and apologized for her obliviousness. I told her I have a tour appointment and she said she was breaking the main person and that person should be back soon. I waited for the main lady to come back. After about 10 mins that person came back and ask me to reschedule because she just assumed I was 20 mins late??? These 2 didn't bother to communicate with each other. She said the tour would take 30 mins. I explained I've been waiting here for 15 mins so she decided to give me a tour. Tour took less than 15 mins and from what I can see it was complete chaos in all the classrooms. The tour lady said it was "little crazy because it's picture day." Not sure why it would be crazy when pictures were taken outside of the classrooms. I asked for a price sheet and they didn't even have one. She wrote them down on a sticky note. I left so disappointed and unimpressed with this place. It's so unfortunate because I was excited to put my daughter here for its proximity to our home. Oh well... read more

Sending our son to the Goddard has truly been an amazing experience. He has learned so much in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately, he's currently in the Pre-K program so this will be his only year but it would be amazing if they offered kindergarten. My son stays motivated to learn and looks forward to seeing his friends everyday. I love how clean and well kept the classrooms are. The teachers are amazing! read more

Unfortunately a lot of these negative reviews are quite dated and are not a true representation of how great this school really is. If there were management issues in the past, they surely have worked themselves out. My now 3-year-old son started with Goddard in October of 2023 and he absolutely loves it. When we first started, he was shy, introverted, did not like being around other children, and especially not away from mom. A Covid baby for sure. Now, he loves his classmates. He has learned so much and he actually initiates friendships outside of school now. He has truly blossomed since he started with Goddard. The staff have always been super kind and accommodating through our transition, even going so far as providing tips and strategies for helping both my son and myself through this big life stage. I can't say enough good things about this school. Highly recommend! read more

This school has been an absolute dream & I wish they went up to the 8th grade. My daughter has been here since she was 6 months old, & she will age out this month, to move into Kindergarten. It has been amazing to have a safe & stable learning environment for my daughter. The staff are wonderful, the curriculum has supported an encouraging place for my daughter who has grown so much because of this school. They even potty trained her which is a priceless gift, let me tell you. While it seems expensive to many, the reality is, this is one of the most affordable for the quality. Many of the teachers have been here for years & I will be forever grateful for the stability, consistency, & happy safe place they provide everyday. It is hard to trust anyone with your children & I feel less stressed when she is at school, because I trust she is well cared for like their own family members. We will miss this school. Highly recommend. I cannot say enough good things about the people, the place, & the educational structure they have provided to my daughter. read more

From the time I walked in the place I could tell by their face i wasn't welcome they are listed as one of the providers for child action and basically asked for a $1500 deposit in case child action doesn't pay them that's insane if they don't want low income families in their facility they should take themselves off the list read more

Sent my two children here starting in August and it only lasted three months. I would not recommend this place for childcare. Many incidents occurred that lead to our departure. I witnessed a teacher allow a parent to bring a lizard inside. Overheard inappropriate conversations. A parent was talking to a teacher and explained how she used to kill chickens when she was 8. They didn't see me and my daughter around the corner at the time and when they noticed us, the teacher hushed her and giggled like it was a sorority house. I also heard the director and a staff member talk about someone not remembering driving their car the night before. More than half the staff are unprofessional. They don't introduce themselves or barely smile. But they lied. A lot. The last straw was the week I gave my final notice they stopped potty training and being consistent. And so I questioned why in the daily reports it's not saying she tried or used the potty. Their response: " In regards to the potty training, she has not been wanting to use the potty so the teachers have not been pushing it. They should have been letting you know verbally so you would be aware. They feel bad telling you that she isn't wanting to go so they just haven't been saying anything which is the wrong thing to do." It was very wrong. When I come to pick her up, I would ask how her day was and got the same response everyday... she had a good day. So I started questioning where is her art work that they say she's doing in the reports. They blamed it on other children taking it by accident or maybe she didn't want to participate. It's fine if she doesn't participate but why are you not communicating with me about it? When they do communicate, I'm asked "why are you taking them out, is it the money?" And today I go to pick my child up and asked for my sons inhaler and in front of another parent the lady asked me if I'm coming back because the kids have a few days left. I felt my privacy was violated, all I asked for was my sons inhaler. Not to talk about their last day in front of another parent. The most unprofessional, judgmental people I have ever had to deal with. read more

The Goddard School of Rancho Cordova - Preschools Near Me - Rancho Cordova, California

Very satisfied with the Goddard School. I was not looking forward to switching my children here as their previous school/daycare was absolutely outstanding. My concerns were unnecessary, the school and staff take excellent care of our two boys. The teachers genuinely care, nurture, and protect the children. I've had my children attending for a few years now. The cost is more than comparable schools in the area but the care is worth the variance. I've had my children here several years and will continue through the Kindergarten class year. My children have excelled and I've noticed that the Kinder Readiness program has boosted my son's readiness for school. Update after three more years: I've sent two kids through Goddard including Kindergarten. Love the care and attention provided. Kinder class sizes are really small and target how each child learns. read more

I absolutely love this school for my child! He has been here since the toddler room and now he is in Pre-K! The teachers are wonderful, especially in the potty training classroom! Sally and Tsogik are the best and took care of my little man! We are extremely grateful to them and we know how hard they work-hope you pay them well! We appreciate all of the teachers at Goddard! Job well done ladies! read more

Very education oriented day care and private kindergarten. I have a pre-K son and toddler attending. All staff is friendly. My kids don't get hurt. My kids were getting hurt at their old day care. The teacher of each class has an AA or bachelor's degree. The classroom curriculum is set by the teacher based on the children. My son gets homework to do which is good practice. Lunch is provided by the parents. My kids enjoy what I pack and do not get the canned high sodium food for lunch. I have sent my kids to Merryhill Schools and Kindercare. Goddard is a better daycare. read more

I switched to the Goddard School in the summer of 2016. Our daughter was with a nanny the first year of her life and then in a daycare prior to the Goddard School. The reason we switched was because I felt like our old daycare had lack of communication, lack of professionalism/business savvy intellect and the poor food choices. The Goddard School has all of the above. They have excellent communication, via email about upcoming events, the app which sends daily pictures/videos and a summary, and their staff have been consistent the whole time we have been there. The owner runs the business side and then he has excellent teachers who coordinate the child side. I prefer it much better that way, it is playing to people's strengths. The previous daycare we went to was one lady, who did it all and she had no idea what she was doing on the business side, she wasn't savvy, she had no technology, it was a disaster. We do pack our own lunch, but i actually prefer that. It makes me gauge exactly what she is getting and being a working mom, it makes me feel like i am helping contribute to her caretaking during the day. We started in the 12-18 month room and are now in the 18-24 month room. And my experience has been great in both rooms. My daughter hardly ever gets sick (cross my fingers I don't jinx myself) and they always keep her clean throughout the day. I love that they play outside nearly every day and she has learned so much from their structured schedule and teachings. The group of parents is also heavily involved and they are always inviting everyone to birthday parties and nearly all parents show up for holiday parties, etc. The only downfalls or other things I would mention is that they are quite pricey. I pay the most out of any of my friends for daycare. But I want the best and i feel like i am getting that from the Goddard School. If all of our plans move forward, we will stay here until our daughter is in Kindergarten and then move her once she is in 1st grade. read more

My child attended Goddard from age 2.5 until Kindergarten. We were very happy with the professionalism of the administration, the warmth of the teachers, and the focus on the needs and wellbeing of the children. My child was happy going there and learned so much while also playing and running and just being a kid. read more

Had our youngest here. All the teachers were really nice and our daughter really enjoyed it here. Our experience was that they were all pretty patient and understanding. Our daughter will miss being there. Only reason we left is bc we found out she was old enough for preschool our other daughter already goes too. Otherwise we would've kept her here. read more

I've been trying to get my daughter into a private school that requires an entrance screening, and I just got the results. She's in the 99.9th percentile and, at 3 1/2 years old, assessed in the age range of 5 to 10 years. I've always known she was bright, but I want to give credit where credit is due- and that credit goes to Goddard! Almost every week she has a new piece of information or a new concept she wants to talk about, and it is clear to me that her teachers and preschool environment play a big role in that. If you're looking for a preschool that will cultivate your child's intellect, in a fun, positive, warm, and tot-friendly way, this is it! read more

My daughter went to infant and first steps. Both the class teachers are awesome. Teachers are very helpful and caring. Their experience and knowledge always helped us even solving small issues with the baby at home also. I wish I could give 6 stars to teachers in school and also to administaration... read more

I would not recommend Goddard School for infant care. I took my daughter out in less than 2 months. The infant care staff is continually changing and the core staff (2 young girls who haven't had children of their own yet) are either incompetent or just don't care. In the short time our little one was there, I had to leave work 3 times to pick her up because they didn't know how to deal with post-immunization fever and on another occasion a stuffy nose (she continually had a cold while there, but no one else in the family had one; so daycare was the likely source) I've found her on her tummy sleeping a couple of times before she could roll over, despite all the signage stating otherwise posted in the crib area. I'm not a expert on child care, but I am an RN. After one too many questionable incidents, I didn't feel comfortable leaving my baby there. She now goes to Phoenix School downtown, near hubby's office. Very caring staff who've been there for a while and cared for my 4 yo in her infancy. We tried Goddard because it was closer to home and 4 yo's preschool, but regretted it. read more

I give the Goddard school in Rancho Cordova ZERO stars. I think it's very weird that they are rated 5 stars because from my personal experience of having my child there and what I was told by staff, they should have no positive reviews. The only reason they have 5 stars is because the bad review have somehow been removed due to "violating" content guidelines, more like owner trying to cover this tracks. First and foremost the owner is a MAN who has never worked in Childcare before? He clearly isn't in the business because he is passionate about children. He is in the business for ONE thing and that's MONEY! I have never seen a higher turnover rate than I have seen at this school. The teachers' are in and out of there because they are very unhappy with the poor management and the lack of compassion for the children. One day a teacher was there greeting my child and the next they're gone; with no warning from management. My child has a hard time transitioning so the turnover rate was very hard on us. The school claims to be top of the line, well why do they ration the children's snacks? Why does he only serve crappy over processed food that I avoid giving my child? Why did I have to pack a lunch every day? Why is the staff under-paid? Why is the staff so unhappy? I'll tell you why, it's because he is pocketing the money for himself. The staff isn't paid well, the students are not the top priority but I'm sure he has a nice little nest egg. I could go on and on but I won't. The school has great teachers, just HORRIBLE management! Please do not enroll your child here! read more

Both of my daughters attend The Goddard School. My oldest finished private kindergarten there and I couldn't be more pleased with how she's grown over the past year. Miss Howard is an awesome Kinder teacher. My youngest is in a toddler class now and she is in love with her teachers. They are so caring and fun. I love how all the teachers and administrative staff know my family and the girls and it feels like such a close family there. read more

Sign language instruction, foreign language instruction, and a focus on academics really attracted us to Goddard. They have a high tech fingerprint scanning and code system to get in the building. Unfortunately, that security doesn't work when parents hold the door open for people, even if they have never seen them before. Parents I had never seen before have held the door open for me. You can't control every parent, so the administration should make sure to have someone at the front desk at all times. If someone can't be there then they are probably understaffed. They seem to have a high rate of attrition. They don't communicate the departures/arrivals very well. Sometimes the only way you know a new teacher has arrived is when they wear the standard issued Goddard polo. They were cited for leaving a child outside for 45 minutes. That should have been the first sign to grab my child and run. Teachers: Most of the teachers were wonderful and caring. Most greet you with a smile and hug your child when they see them. The teachers seem to be inundated with so much paper work and process that they merely supervise children or instruct, rather than interacting with them and engaging them. They don't play with them or really talk to them. I had communicated several concerns regarding some very rude teachers and those concerns seemed to fall on deaf ears. Those teachers are still there and still up to the same Nazi ways. I wish my child was able to skip a class because of those teachers. Pros: Secure Very Clean Cons: Several rude teachers that the administration refuses to do anything about. High rate of attrition - you don't know who will be your child's teacher that day. No communication about these changes. For 2+ year old kids, more instruction and not enough play. Not enough outdoor stuff - Rancho doesn't have enough mature trees, the owner needs to invest in more outdoor shade structures. Some days the back playground was so unbearably hot. The young kids also have to play on very hot equipment. One day I literally burned my hand on the young toddlers play structure mirror. The place only has 1 play structure for big kids. That's it. And all it has is 1 slide. No swings, no tricycles, to play houses, no sand box. It's no wonder my child was still full of energy when I picked them up. The outdoor water play is a joke. The owner has the teachers spray the kids with a water hose. Geez what does a wacky water toy cost $10. Yet, they seem to have iPads now and those same rude teachers seem more interested in their Facebook status then my child. Snacks are a joke too. They give the kids all the things I like to have my child avoid. Costco fruit snacks, saltine crackers, veggie sticks (fried), pretzels, and canned fruit. Those are just a few examples that I observed. Costco has plenty of fruit year round. I complained about this too and they didn't seem to care. Summary: To the incoming parent, I bet this place still looks very attractive, but it was more show than anything else. The owner needs to work on better communication, more observation in the classroom (so he can understand some parent complaints regarding the teachers), acquisition of more outdoor toys, and healthy snacks. Based on the price of this facility, you would think that all your child's needs were being met. This care was more than my mortgage payment. Oh ... and they are not at all flexible if you happen to be a state employee and have to take a few furlough days a month. You pay for those days too. My advice is to keep looking. read more

I was hired here as a Lead Infant Teacher, but in the end the position was everything but that. I floated around to different classrooms, whenever it was convient for the owner. It was not about bonding with the infants. Who were often snatched out of my hand at the drop of a dime, so that I could help out in other rooms, who were regularly "short" on staff. The school's brochure also offer a "daily" stimulating program for the infants, that does not happen, even though parents are being charged a ridicilous amount of money for tuition, monthly. My co- teacher, often yelled @ the babies, when they wouldnt cooperate. When I rallied for a more regular educational program, I was always turned down or ignored by the director Missy and the owner, Bill Pu. read more

Do not ever enroll your children in this preschool. The owner has no background in child development and simply uses the preschool for a paycheck. He charges families a ridiculous amount of money that gets the child nothing, the parents still need to bring their own lunches, there is never enough snacks to go around for all the kids and they are Costco bought snacks. For all the money being charged they should at least be serving homemade healthy snacks. The management has no respect for their teachers and it shows. Several teachers make comments about how unhappy and underpaid they are. Luckily most of the teachers seem to really love the kids and teach them to the best of there abilities with the lack of support and supplies they receive. Because of this there is a very high teacher turnover rate which is very hard on children of this age, they should not be having to deal with hard transitions of brand new teachers every few months. When a teacher leaves the owner sends out an email to all the families but a lot of times it is sent out with very little notice that the teacher will no longer be teaching in the classroom for the remainder of their two weeks. My son is in the preschool 2 class here and just recently both of his teachers had resigned. We received the email on Friday stating that they had put their two weeks notice in and would no longer be teaching in his classroom as of Monday, come to find out that these teachers will not even be back to the school on Monday. This was a very hard transition to my son, these teachers had been there for a very long time and working with my son everyday, and he was given no chance to say goodbye or get use to not having them around everyday. The current staff has made it very known that this was not his teachers decisions but the managements decision to pull the teachers from the school that fast. This shows that the management does not have the children's best interest at heart. My drop off with my son is very difficult in the morning especially because there is one teacher who is responsible for watching 14+ children and trying to greet and talk to every parent dropping off. It is a very hectic feeling that does not make me feel comfortable about leaving my child in there care. I am definitely pulling my son out of this school but unfortunately you are made to give a 30 day notice. Not to mention that the grass outside on the playground is so dead that if your child were to fall it would hurt and burn their skin, and the playground is always swarmed with wasps and wasps nests. You would think that a owner of a preschool would have thought about the type of fencing and plants he put in a play yard where several children are and not pick plants or fencing that attracts wasps or at the very least once he realized the problems they bring remove the fencing and plants and start over again. I advice anyone who is thinking of taking their children to this school to please think otherwise and shop around to a different school. A money hungry preschool is not the right place for kids. read more