Terrible. My children had a very negative experience. I do not recommend going here at all.

We currently have our baby boy in the NIDO program here with Ms. Justine, Ms. Amelia, and Ms. Tayeba and couldn't be happier. The photos and updates they send us make our day without our boy worth it.  Knowing that he's painting, climbing, working with puzzles, eating well, and making friends under their loving care makes it possible for us to juggle our work and home life. The advice on how we can also support his development with care recommendations, sleep ideas, and recipe suggestions is also much appreciated since having a baby is still so new to us.  Our boy is doing so well and it's thanks to warm guidance and prepared environment here at Guidepost. Thank you! read more

EXTREME CAUTION: They will take your money and disappear. I am writing this to warn any parent considering Guidepost Montessori: Do not trust them with your deposit. My son stopped attending this school in November. Since then, Guidepost has been sitting on a full month's tuition deposit with absolutely no intention of returning it. For four months, I have been met with nothing but "manual processing" excuses, "60-90 day" delay tactics, and empty apologies from the regional leadership team and the campus leadership team. Despite providing regional leadership with clear deadlines and rejecting their vague explanations, they have completely ghosted me. My deadline passed with zero follow-up and zero transfer. It is now clear that their "apologies" are a scripted stall tactic. Whether this is due to the company's widely reported financial instability or sheer administrative incompetence, the result is the same: They are withholding thousands of dollars from a family while providing zero service. If you value your hard-earned money and want to avoid months of stressful, fruitless hovering over an unresponsive billing department, stay far away. A school that lacks the integrity to return a simple deposit cannot be trusted with the care and education of your child. Guidepost Leadership: Give me my money back. read more

Child's prospective If you're going to this school for the daycare it's great!! I'm going to be talking about the elementary part of the school the roof in the classroom leaks when it rains. At the time (4th grade) there was only 4 students which was fine but when I went to do the tour they showed me a class with like 10 kids then when I went to the school for my first day I wasn't in the class they said I would be in fact nobody was in the class that. It was really new but don't get me wrong the teachers in my class were great and amazing I just felt like there were to many younger kids and very little older kids so I couldn't make many friends during the time I was at the school it was like there was no choice but to be friends with them anyways literally like me and my friend could just sit alone together without the other 2 boys in the class sit with us too it was kinda annoying but ended having a loud table which turned in a weird table then we just didn't know what to do very annoying and they were mean like they used me for my stuff they pretended to like us but all we got in the end was beef and were still not friends like you guys gotta calm down there being so loud but it sucks :( read more

If I had seen a review like this prior to enrolling my children at Guidepost, I would've looked elsewhere. I highly urge you to do the same. We had been a part of the Guidepost community for almost 2.5 years. Finding a school that fostered a Montessori approach toward education was something that we hoped we could place our children into. When I stumbled upon Guidepost In March of 2021, they seemed to be exactly what we had been searching for. Upon enrolling our children, the administrative staff had gone above and beyond to help us get through the enrollment hoops we hadn't known we'd be facing. Once our children were attending Guidepost, we had hoped to see them blossom in leaps and strides each in their own way. Both of our boys had very different experiences while attending Guidepost. At 4 years old, our oldest was placed in Children's House and prior to his departure to attend public school for first grade in 2022, we could tell he had excelled greatly under both his assistant guide Ms. Nausheen and his lead guide, Ms. Jenny who had both always been very kind and knowledgeable in ways that we noticed had a positive impact on his overall experience there. Our youngest, who was a few months shy of 2 years old when he first started, was placed into the Toddler program. His lead guide, Ms. Nosheen worked with care in helping to ease him into the new routine of school and all that it entails. Whenever I had concerns or questions she would spend time listening to me and discussing ways forward that would help benefit my child. He learned so much in the full year he was with Ms. Nosheen and one of the biggest takeaways I can mention is how easily she was able to potty train him as soon as he turned 2. It happened so quickly and now at 4yrs old he rarely if ever has accidents. With that being said, I would be remiss to not mention that the assistant guide who was working alongside Ms. Nosheen, Alessandra had a temperament that seemed to not mesh well with fostering a calm atmosphere for the children in her care. There were times the lead guide would be out for various reasons and when those days happened, the assistant guide, Alessandra would struggle with caring for the whole classroom. My son who was potty trained at this point came home with all of his extra clothing because he had accidents multiple times one day. I didn't realize it then but I had learned Alessandra was treating the children badly. I ended up being privy to this when I walked in on her violently shaking my son as he was crying in fear at her screaming at him inches away from his face to "stop yelling in the classroom!" After this occurred I immediately went to the head of school and told him everything. I will say that they handled removing her from the premises and not allowing her to return with urgency and I was kept aware of all the steps to follow in the investigation and she was not permitted to continue working there. With that being said, I have no way of knowing what other abuse my youngest was subjected to or for how long/by whom. Remember he was 18mos old when he started and this situation I walked in on he was turning 3 a couple months later. The lack of care he was given in that guide's presence has left a profound mark on my child. He trusts no one, especially if he doesn't know them which made it that much harder for him to acclimate to the next phase moving up to children's house that I will touch on later. Turnover is another issue with this school. Students run through teachers like pairs of socks and frequently. There is hardly any consistency or predictability which only fosters distrust and behavior issues in the children. We recently had to pull out our youngest son earlier than we anticipated due to his recent lead guide's departure and low manning throughout the school. Prior to pulling our son out this past summer, I had received multiple calls throughout the year when his lead guide wasn't there, asking me to come pick him up because he wasn't listening. Another thing is that we're paying tuition for trained teachers to teach the children all things Montessori, but most of the guides aren't even fully trained or aren't trained at all. I wholeheartedly believe that Guidepost was aware of the abuse going on in the toddler classroom with the assistant guide, Alessandra that used to work there and nothing was done until I witnessed the abuse firsthand. I truly believed choosing this school was what was best for our children but I 100% regret it. My youngest son had a traumatic experience there and due to that he has developed less than ideal ways to help him cope when he is feeling unsafe. To this day he continues to have behavioral issues with authority at home and I wholeheartedly believe this stems from his interactions with Alessandra while under her care. read more

Our son started going to Guidepost since June 2021. We could not be happier from his school and especially his lead guide Ms Nosheen. She has been nothing but patient, loving, caring and responsible with our child. He has grown from a baby into a toddler under her supervision and love. She puts in the time and effort into each child individually based on the child's needs. She also counsels us when we are stressed about something regarding the child, it feels like we got a teacher and a counselor in her. For us, Guidepost Montessori is the place to be and look no further if you are searching for the Montessori environment for your child and if your child is less than 3 years old, you cannot go wrong with Ms Nosheen's class, however, we know that all teachers are great because our son loves all the teachers he interacts with. Thank you Guidepost and thank you Ms Nosheen for everything!!! read more

Great school! We've gone to 2 of the Guidepost (formerly LePort) schools and our son has been very happy at both! The Broadlands school is a larger school, supporting kids from 18 months to 12 years of age, but it still feels cozy and everyone knows each others' name. Guidepost is one of the only schools that is actually AMS (American Montessori Society) certified -- there are a lot of fakes that say they are Montessori, but they aren't! I've studied Montessori (and even wrote my Master's thesis on it) - and Guidepost follows Maria Montessori's teachings very closely. Don't waste your money on a Montessori school that isn't actually AMS or AMI (Association Montessori International) certified! The teachers are great - care about the work that they do, and I think they are happy at the school. That translates into great care and learning for the students and a very loving atmosphere. We love it here! read more

Our experience at Guidepost could not have been better! Having taught at a number of preschools, I was very impressed with how well run the school is. The communication is consistent and very clear, the staff are all so friendly and welcoming, and the school-wide events were so fun for our whole family. Our son has truly transformed in his time at Guidepost, and we love that this is such a self-guided process. His teachers have provided him with just the right invitations and gentle nudges to try new things. He's currently 4.5 years and obsessed with maps and figuring out where things are on them. The facility is beautiful, the community has been so wonderful, and the instruction is quality. We're so glad that we stumbled on Guidepost in 2018 and continue to be impressed by the school with each passing month! Side note: some of these negative reviews are a little bizarre and seem very unique for the situation. I know so many other happy families that would cover the comments section :) read more

We love this school. My older one had been attending to this school for more than 3 years, all teachers are nice, and he learned a lot at here, he even learned how to write a story, and do a presentation, long chain of 9 at his kindergarten age. He made so many wonderful friends here, we are so blessed we found this place. When our little one turned to 2 years old, we didn't even think any other place, we knew that Guidepost Broadlands is our best choice. Our little one is 9 month speech delay, his teacher, Ms. Nosheen treat him just like a mommy, she gave him a big hug every morning, her warm heart melt my son, our little Daniel started talking like crazy, we are really appreciate Ms. Nosheen. Every morning, Ms. Libby, and Ms. Melissa greeting with us at car line, no matter, snow or rain. Guidepost community make you feel like a big family. We love this school, highly recommend to you, too. read more

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My daughter transferred from another local private school to the toddler program at Guidepost Montessori Broadlands campus in July 2019 at the age of 16 months. I initially felt nervous about how my daughter would react to the change. However, I noticed an immediate improvement in my daughter's temperament and overall health after she transitioned to Guidepost. The after-school meltdowns stopped and she was rarely sick. (Although, this could be attributed to a maturing immune system.) More importantly, my daughter was excited to return to school to see her friends and teachers every day! Ms. Lili, Ms. Mahlet, Ms. Erica, and Ms. Alessandra were tremendously supportive and patient when it was time for toilet learning. We started the process over winter break when my husband and I were both home from work so we could focus on helping our daughter. Frankly, I was dreading the process, but I was pleasantly surprised that my daughter got the hang of it in a matter of days! I appreciate the regular communications from the school, which ranges from daily reports and photos of my child hard at work/play from teachers to weekly email updates about school events/reminders. The text messages are also particularly helpful for communicating school delays/closures due to inclement weather. Guidepost Montessori communications and programming during U.S. COVID-19 quarantine has been nothing short of phenomenal. They surveyed all the parents and quickly organized virtual learning programs along with online tools and activities to help families cope. They also offered to pause tuition for families that did not want to enroll in online programming. My daughter is currently enrolled in Guidepost's Emergency Care for Essential Workers program at the Reston campus. My daughter continues to thrive at Guidepost Reston despite the change of venue, and my husband and I are so grateful for the help and support during this incredibly stressful time. It has been amazing to watch my daughter grow and develop into a curious, happy, and empathetic little person. My husband and I want to thank all of the staff for being so patient and kind to our daughter during these early, yet critical years of childhood development. Thank you @Broadlands staff: Ms. Lili, Ms. Mahlet, Ms. Erica, Ms. Alessandra, Lacie Russell, Becca Williams and James Rice! Thank you @Reston staff: Ms. Kiana, Ms. Kim, Ms. Nancy and Mike Brown! read more

We enrolled our child at 2 years of age in January 2019 and past 10 months, we faced many difficulties with the toddler classroom lead teacher (Ms. Genevieve) and overall management (Ms. Becca and Mr. James). We were thankful enough of making the right decision to enroll our child in another Montessori school. There were 3 major issues we faced that led us to this decision: 1. Here, at Guidepost, the lead teacher, Ms. Genevieve (in Classroom 8) decided willingly to begin the toilet-training when our child turned 2.5 years and after five days of unsuccessful attempts, wanted to have our child back on diapers. As per Guidepost's 16-page toilet training document, it clearly says to 'not go back on diapers'. It also mentions that only if a teacher feels confident in the child, they could start the potty-training process. Toilet-training is a continuous process but the lead teacher found this very stressful and due to her frustration, it caused a lot of instability in my child's training. If the teacher was so confident, then why did she feel the need to get frustrated if my child couldn't get trained in a week? As a parent, I had to take a week off from work, train my son at home the entire week and on the following Monday, Ms. Genevieve got a ready-made toilet trained student! We were thankful to have her assistant teacher perform so well with our child that we stuck with the school. We addressed several other complaints about this lead teacher to the head of the school, but nothing changed. 2. At the time of enrollment, I had let the administrative assistant (Ms. Becca) know verbally that I was keen to enroll my child in Ms. Soo's class when he steps into the Primary/Children House Classroom at the age of 3. In mid-August, when I reminded her, Ms. Becca said that Ms. Soo's classroom is at capacity for the next two years and we could only choose from the teachers that have seats left. On the other hand, one of the parent in my child's classroom already had their paperwork done for her son's enrollment in Ms. Soo's class. The reason: that parent reminded Ms. Becca every month to have her son enroll in Ms. Soo's class. Even though my child would graduate earlier than hers, they still gave preference to that child. I feel this kind of unfair treatment given to parents is unacceptable in an accredited institution. This was also addressed to the head of school. 3. Only a week prior to his last day at Guidepost, my child got a huge bump on his forehead due to negligence of the after-care teacher (Ms. Erica) in the classroom. My child hit the shelf and till today, he has the swollen bump on his forehead. 3-4 days after he got the bump, we addressed this to the head of school who wasn't even aware of what happened to my child. Accidents in toddler classroom are not being addressed to the head of school. All he said was he was going to check the classroom to move around the furniture but did not mention anything about how my child was. I feel they don't care about children. All they care is paying the tuition fee on-time. The initial deposit they take serves no purpose for the troubles they have caused our child. This school is all about the money. Paying $1,595 every month, they don't take any interest on how the children feel or are going through. The teachers need to be evaluated and go through some kind of behavioral training to keep up with the on-going routines of little children. I've recently heard several other issues about the management from other parents. Everyone has concerns over school matters, but none of our concerns were heard or implemented by the Head of the School. We were really grateful to make the right decision to have our child enroll in another school, which is so much better! read more

The best gift any parent can give their children is a good foundation for their educational future done within a safe environment. The staff at the Guidepost Montessorie are conscientious, skillful and knowledgeable. The children academically grows in an environment that is very nurturing. As parents that are employed full-time, it was very important for us to place our child in a setting that could provide him with a strong academic base, a setting that our child could feel like he belonged, and most importantly, a setting where we knew our child would be safe. Our son has been attending this school since he was 4 months old. The staff here are just wonderful- extremely loving and attentive. Our son just absolutely loves going to school each day. The class structure provides a sense of comfort and our son just seems to thrive in his learning environment. In the four years we've been with this school, there has been little to no staff turnover. This has allowed our son to form a very special bond with his teachers. The school also continues to add additional items to their educational program each year. Needless to say, we would highly recommend this school. --Ghai Family read more

Our son is in the toddler program and we could not be more satisfied. Ms. Lili and the entire toddler team are so dedicated to helping him grow. We have been supported so much during the potty training process and any other transition stages. The transition from LePort to Guidepost has been smooth and very well communicated. We love the photos they send us and daily communication updates are so detailed. Very satisfied parent. read more

My DO is a student in Ms. Beth and Ms. Marie's class. She is the best thing that ever happened to us. When I enrolled my daughter into children's house, I had a few major concerns. Ms. Beth took all of my concerns and work on them delicately but actively. My daughter loves her and I can see that Ms. Beth loves my daughter whole-heartily. Best decision we've ever made. read more

We have three kids in Guidepost, and we couldn't be happier with the staff or the community. The guides in each classroom are true professionals, and it shows in every way. Our youngest started at 17 months (now age 2.5) and he has thrived in the toddler classroom. In addition to the fantastic lead guides, I feel like all the support staff really love my kid, and that is honestly the most important factor for me for this age. My middle kiddo started in the Children's House at age three and she has blossomed in every possible way. With their support and encouragement, she went from a shy and speech-delayed kid to a confident talker that is READING fluently. She came home (nearly age 5) with some work examples using decimals to the 10,000-place. I am constantly floored by what she is capable of. We were so happy with Guidepost after the first year that we moved our oldest from the local public school (which is lovely!) to Guidepost for 2nd grade. It's insane how well she is doing. She was a kid who was eager to please her public school teacher but struggled to sit still and follow the pace of her classmates. Now, she is encouraged to move at her own pace and as a result, she is doing SO well -- reading chapter books, doing long division, and thriving as a leader in the classroom. Each teacher has extensive training -- this is definitely more than just daycare or afterschool care. The administration is wonderful as well, and we have a fantastic relationship with the front office. I always feel comfortable coming to them whenever I have questions or concerns. We can't recommend Guidepost at Broadlands enough. read more

This is my response to the school's response. I'll not respond to why we left the school because that's water under the bridge at this point but I will comment on the fee structure. Just because you make someone aware of something (have you sign multiple electronic documents) doesn't make the policy ok. This is my point about this school. Their policy is you can't get your deposit back and your notice given on a certain day of the month, only takes into effect on the last day of the next month. This means, if the school doesn't work out for you, (I imagine things happen and they know this too), too bad, your option is to either let your kid stay for the duration of the payment (almost 45 days in our case) which was not going to happen under any circumstance given our experience there, or you forfeit the funds. This is a problem with the policy of this school, not necessarily just the Broadlands campus. If they actually had fairness in mind, they would a have tiered policy on deposit and notice. But of course, that wouldn't be good for business, which is the point I was making. Lastly, if they had trained professionals (not just in classrooms but in the school) our son would have continued. Bottom line- sincerity and personal touch was lacking in our experience there, the week our son attended. read more

The Montessori is a great educational institute challenging children at every level. My daughter is in kindergarten doing multiplication and making sentences. My son also graduated from kindergarten and learned five letter words and making sentences. read more

Update: We were planning to move our daughter to LCPS to spend her last two elementary years when Covid happened. At first we were sort of ok with the hybrid set up but as they keep changing the schedule it made it us think, am I willing to put my child and myself through this? So to make it short we are back to Guidepost. There's no other place I can think of that can take care of my child and keep her school life consistent. read more

The Guidepost teachers, staff and families are like a second family to us - it's a very tight knit community. For the past five years that my two sons (and soon my daughter) have attended, I have been able to be very active in the classroom and School-wide community events. This insight and strong relationships that I have built with the teachers and staff is what makes the school invaluable to our family. As my children moved from toddlers to primary to lower elementary, they have been taught and influenced by so many great teachers in the school but I can say with confidence that ANY of the teachers would have been fabulous. Last spring, Guidepost staff and teachers did an amazing job transitioning to virtual learning in record time. My older son was in the lower elementary (grades 1-3) program and was engaged with both teachers from 9am-3pm daily. I believe there were 4 things that clearly set Guidepost apart during this time: (1) my son was engaged with BOTH teachers on zoom the ENTIRE day (9am-3pm - and yes, the elem students could handle it perfectly well) - this was helpful because they could actively give lessons vs just emailing paper worksheets and since the teachers could share screens they could answer technical questions instead of interrupting their working parents for help, (2) The school has implemented a program called Altitude for assigning, organizing and submitting the children's work. There was a small adjustment period for the children but overall I would say it's been a game changer for the children's virtual independence, (3) the children continued to receive a diversified set of academic work including science and stem projects that they could present to the class weekly (4) The children continued to do above level work and receive thorough lessons. We felt like our children continued to thrive and excel despite what was happened around us. In fact, my husband and I both agreed that our children were probably more academically efficient because they didn't have the same distractions that would be present in person. My younger son just finished his pre-k term with Guidepost's virtual primary program (children's house) and I am happy to say that he has continued to excel as well. He started reading independently before the age of 5 and is efficient at kindergarten math. Though their distance learning program is shorter, they still are receiving daily lessons that allow for academic progression. For those parents who are not satisfied with the public school option for the upcoming year, I would definitely recommend Guidepost's in-house or all-day distance learning option! read more

We are very grateful to have found Guidepost for our two children after a negative experience at a daycare facility. Guidepost provides thorough communication via email, text and transparent classroom (for academic progress). You choose which methods and how much communication you would like to receive about your child and school events. I've appreciated the thought they put into student/teacher fit as availability allows. The teachers are clearly well trained and experienced in the Montessori method. This method provides flexibility for child individuality within the overall structure of their approach. Our teachers (Ms. Juni and Ms. Genevieve) have been clear, patient, and firm yet caring with our children through some challenging times. I wish I had their support earlier!! Our youngest has made great strides in his potty training under Ms. Genevieve. More so than I realized he was capable of. All teachers and administrators have been easily reached by phone, email, scheduling a conference or popping into the office. I also feel they have communicated readily with me as necessary. The thought process behind transitioning children between age level classes shows they have the child's interest in mind. The school events are well coordinated and adorable. The building itself is beautiful and we are enjoying the brand new furniture and classroom layouts! I have encouraged several friends to consider sending their children to this school! read more

We have been really happy with guidepost Montessori. We started our son two years ago and he has progressed so wonderfully with Ms. Siri and Ms. Nikki. We have noticed a significant growth and development in his academics due to the well rounded curriculum which is always being adjusted to suit his individual needs. For example he does second grade reading but fourth grade math. The teachers also keep us informed what areas are going well and what areas to encourage at home. We have especially enjoyed all of the creativity in the elementary classrooms such as plays, concerts, presentations, field trips, and restaurant outings. The administration is also great, super friendly and easy to work with. My son loves it here. read more

We love Guidepost! We did Kindergarten at a wonderful public school and then switched to first grade here at Guidepost when LCPS decided to do distance learning. I had zero knowledge about Montessori and after hearing the price, I didn't even consider sending my first grader here at first. However, after 2 long phone conversations, I was sold on the place. Ms. Becca, the assistant head, has been amazing and my husband and I can't sing her praises enough. She answers all my many questions and is one of those people that makes both parents and kids feel comfortable. We liked Guidepost so much for our first grader that we moved our 4 year old from a daycare to Guidepost halfway through the year. Ms. Becca was once again very wonderful and helped us get financial aid so it could be possible. My now 5 year old is thriving at Guidepost and I love that he is able to work with kindergarteners although he would be technically in pre-K anywhere else. I don't know how Ms. Jenny does it with 3-6 year olds in one classroom, but she is doing an amazing job. We are very grateful. read more

My daughter was 2-year-olds and she enrolled in Choo Choo's Learning Childcare program. I had a few major concerns. Ms. Chan took all of my concerns and work on them delicately but actively. My daughter loves her and I can see that Ms. Chan loves my daughter whole-heartily. Best decision we've ever made. read more

This is the best private/Montessori school and we love being a member of this community. That said, it is well beyond the school. It is about the staff and how they truly care about the children and our family. Both of my daughters (4 & 9) have attended the school since they were very little. My oldest move to the public system when she was 6 and all my little one knows its the Montessori way. When the pandemic hit my family was very happy to see how quickly the school moved to a virtual mode and also gave us different options for our children to be engaged. Additionally, they accepted by oldest daughter back in right away allowing her to continue learning well beyond the curriculum she had at her public school. My oldest is enjoying the virtual elementary program to the point she doesn't want to go back to public school. She is challenged every day and she likes it. She loves her teacher dedication on the activities that are important to her. The little one of course misses the physical contact of interaction but given the circumstances we couldn't have it any better. She gets to see her best friends and teachers every day and she is eager to do her independent work once the virtual sessions come to and end. We are currently working on setting up her work environment where she is more independent, and have no doubt we are going to be able to achieve a new normal very soon. read more