Our best decision of the last three years was to enroll our daughter at Goddard. We heard great things from our friends about Goddard and we were thrilled when our high expectations were exceeded. Van and her team of educators are mature, professional, and caring. Our daughter received the very best care and education from the Goddard team. She recently started kindergarten and is very well prepared. It's all because of the incredible team at Goddard. read more

Sending our son to Goddard was the best decision for him. They have the most wonderful teachers and staff and set our son up for success to start kindergarten. Now it's time for our youngest to start preschool and without hesitation we know Goddard is the perfect fit. read more

Do not send your kids to this school. After bringing up to the owners that our child's classroom ceiling had mold growing from it, they proceeded to lash out on us and kicked our child out of the school. They accused us of bullying them by recommending a trusted mold remediation company. The owners care nothing for the children or staff that walk through the doors, and the safety and healthy environment they are responsible for providing the people in their school. We were paying thousands to attend this school, and then to have it be poorly maintained. There is an evident "pay up and shut up" precedent set by the owners. No wonder they can't keep staff, who would want to work in such an environment (poorly maintained facility and difficult leaders). New teachers every other week should have been my cue. DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS HERE! read more

The Goddard School of Gilbert - Higley - Zoom in to see the mold growing from a ceiling tile in the 3 year old classroom. DO NOT send your kids to Goddard on Higley! - Preschools Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

This school gets low marks on everything. My kid was unable to get into a class appropriate for her age and the school was unable to provide a timeline for when she would be able to move up. In addition, this school states it is a screen free school, but my kid regularly had movies put on in her classroom, like Sing 2, Luca, etc. My kid also got out of her classroom once (unbeknownst to the teachers) and was at the front door before anyone realized she was there. She was 3 at the time. Finally, several of the teachers yell at the kiddos and the owners/director turn the other cheek. The owners are also completely unprofessional. Highly recommend you avoid this school. read more

This is the best school for kids! Maybe I am biased because our kids enjoy it so much and have grown and learned so much as well! My wife and I would highly recommend Goddard to anybody that asks. They have really shined throughout COVID as well, making sure our kids are safe, first and foremost, and having fun and learning. The teachers, General Manager and Owner are all absolutely incredible! read more

The Goddard School of Gilbert - Higley - Preschools Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

See all

The Goddard School has been an amazing place for my two boys. The staff and owner have been so nurturing to my boys and I am so grateful for them. They are helping my boys learn and grow while also encouraging them to have fun and make friends. I can't say enough positive things about the staff. All of the teachers here know my boys by their first name and go out of their way to say hello. They give me updates on how their day was in addition to providing me notes in their daily update and photo app (this app is amazing by the way!!). This is an amazing school with a dedicated staff. Your kids will love the private playground and clean classrooms. We love the Goddard School :) read more

The Goddard school has blown all of my expectations out of the water! We recently had to move my 3 year old daughter due to location and chose this school based on recommendations within our community. I can honestly say that even knowing they come highly recommended I am still so impressed with my interactions there every day. Ms Van and her staff are so kind, professional and humbly confident about the way they care for the children there. Ms Beth has been particularly amazing! She is truly a hidden gem of a teacher. I have seen such a positive change in my daughter (and she was a happy child before this) since starting at this school. She comes home excited about learning and wanting to teach me what she has learned without any prompting. She is happy, bubbly and more confident with herself that she has ever been! I am truly grateful to this school for the positivity and happiness it has brought to the stressful lives of two working parents. It has been a silver lining in all the changes we have had to make over the past two years. read more

My son is really thriving at Goddard. The first month was really tough for him, but the teachers made sure he transitioned to where he walks into class excited for the day. He's been there for a little over 6 months now and asks for me to sing wheels on the bus constantly. Shows me animals that he recognizes. He's able to sign 'All Done', 'More', and 'Please'. He loves to clean up and throws things in the trash. I'm confident that he gets the social interactions he needs. read more

My Wife and I are so happy to have found this Goddard school. We know that our kids are in a safe place during the day with teachers and staff that care about them very much. Between the work that the teachers do and the music, computer and science teachers that come in on a weekly basis our kids get a fantastic education in addition to excellent care. We've used three daycares, two Goddard schools and an in home nanny, this location has been the absolute best and our kids love going here. read more

Finding the Goddard School was a "Godsend" to say the least after an awful experience with another local child care facility. From the moment I made the phone call, to our first day, and beyond this school has been spectacular! I cannot say enough good things regarding the curriculum, cleanliness, professionalism, and overall care and safety for the kids. The owner and teachers have been so helpful, and the communication we receive is stellar. I also really love the Tadpoles app the the daily reports we receive as they are thorough and allow us to practice at home. WE WILL NEVER GO TO ANOTHER SCHOOL! This place far exceeded our expectations and we highly recommend! read more

Goddard@Higley is one of best preschools in the East Valley that truly cares about people, I mean, ALL PEOPLE-the kiddos, parents, teachers, and staff. My brother Ken Chan and I own and teach computer classes for the school since 2015 and are always grateful to be part of the children's learning experiences. From what we have seen, kids are having fun learning and well behaved and teachers go extra miles to work with their students to help them reach their potentials. And the owners are wonderful people, there is always something happening-may it be festival celebrations, field trips, birthdays activities, annual dinners for staff, etc. They made people feel warm inside like a family and that's exactly how they treat everyone from the little ones to grown ups. read more

We enrolled both of our children at Goddard when they were infants. The school has given great care and consideration to both of them throughout their time at The Goddard School. It is really amazing to watch the learning and growth that occurs as a direct result of this school. My son recently graduated the pre-k class. He was screened and accepted into an advanced class for kindergarten. We are proud of what he's accomplished, but know that it wouldn't have been possible without the care, concern and rigor of The Goddard School. This school is really an extension of our family and we are forever grateful for the teachers. read more

The kids don't get enough water throughout the day. The people who work there often don't get breaks for the entire day not even bathroom. Some people get 30 min breaks and others sometimes will be told they get a 15min break but then get called in after 9. There has been 2 people who haven't gotten a break at all on several occasions. The director is rude and speaks to employees without respect or professionalism. People keep quitting because of her. She doesn't care if you have the flu and will make you come in and expose the kids and doesn't know what influenza b means and has to look it up. After your kids get a fever the parents have to be notified but why do they not notify the parents when they know a worker has influenza b and has exposed the kids? You say "im sick I have been throwing up" and director says come in anyway. The director tells employees personal information about other employees for example if someone calls in and says they have the runs , she will tell everyone else. Your not allowed to cross your arms or put your arms on your hips to rest them or you will get in trouble. They put the ac on the lowest setting and it gets so hot for the kids and they sweat. There is not enough people working and there are so many demands including every time the kid eats,sleeps,poops etc has to be written down so there is not enough time for everything that's important like quality time. They need more employees to pick up the slack, please the kids need more water. The babies stay snotty nosed and they don't wipe them. Parents pay $1000 a mo for one child to go here and I cant tell you how bad this place is. The kids are bored out of their mind, many have been there for 4 years + and do the same exact thing every day. The kids are genuinely sad to be there. They need a new director period. They need someone who can manage the place and bring happiness to the place,its not being managed now. The owner is ignorant to the goings on and I'm not saying she doesn't know, she just doesn't care. read more

Amazing staff that really cares about both their teachers as well as the kids in their care AND their families. There is amazing communication between parents and the staff (esp. during COVID). We're a bit bummed to know our son will be moving on to Kindergarten later this year but we also know that Goddard School is the reason he'll excel! read more

Wonderful owners who care deeply about their students. They are actively involved, there everyday from 8-5, and know every student by name. Our daughter has attended for years and we have a special needs son whom we recently inquired about attending. The owner took the time to research his condition and write us a personalized email about how we might partner together in his care. This is a business with a big heart. We love and appreciate you Van and Huy! read more

I wanted to love this school because I feel they have an amazing program!! When we enrolled our kids we advised the director our kids are a little behind she said that's fine we will get them caught up etc... So my boys are 3 and twins and they are a little rowdy like most 3yr olds.. They had a problem transitioning from one activity to another... Their teacher told us the problem so we worked on it at home. My kids were there for 3 weeks and the owners arranged a meeting with us to let us know they want our kids out! Apparently the teacher threatened to quit and they had to have a special aid come into the classroom to handle my children. I felt this is such crap because their teacher never gave them a chance. She wants kids who are robots! She wants them to come in and sit down and shut up. She's weak and not capable of finding solutions or attempting to help them. She let them free play all day because she did not feel like "dragging" them to circle time or different stations. I'm sorry but being a teacher you will not always have perfect angels! Again I am not in denial about my children they are twin toddlers and very active! I feel it's not fair they were never given a chance to learn and it's funny because they are now doing a lot better but the owners still want them out. Ms Rebecca sucks her attitude is garbage! She acts like she doesn't want to be there and she has no motivation! I feel like she never liked my boys and I never had a good feeling about her and my kids felt my energy... This school is expensive and very structured way to structured for toddlers! We have found a better fit and they are doing the same curriculum as Goddard. This school is 1054 per month per kid and they do not serve lunch. Not worth it to me! read more

My wife and I chose this school to give our daughter the best care and education. Our expectations were exceeded in every category. After Covid, the owner and staff of this school have stepped above and beyond cdc recommendations to ensure the health and safety of all the children in their care. My only regret is having tried another school before we found this one. read more

This school is fantastic as are the owners. Their curriculum and balance between play and learning academics along with manners and social skills is the perfect mix. My son was competely prepared for kinder and my daughter is thriving with 2 months left before kinder starts. My daughter started when she was 9 weeks and it's been an amazing program. My son started when he was 2 years old and it's amazing all of the knowledge he had in preparation for kinder. They also have a lot of activities for holidays and other special events that make it such a great place and experience for the kids. I can't thank them enough for all they've done for my two children. read more

My experience with this Goddard school has been very positive! Mrs. Van is very invested in the success of her teachers, staff and students. The handful of teachers I have dealt with are educated and provide the students with a safe and nurturing environment. I think there is a solid curriculum being provided as well as daycare that offers outside expert vendors to come in and teach specific tools so children can build character and habitats for success. I have not come across many schools in the East Valley that provide both preschool computer classes, music classes, a wonderful outdoor playground and an enriching learning environment that is fun and exciting visually from the moment you walk in the front door. read more

My 3 and 1 year old goes to this school. Both started at 6 weeks old and has been there since. Even as an infant, your baby will learn something daily. This is not a daycare but a true school. We are very happy here and are impressed with the curriculum. All the teachers seem to really enjoy teaching here and my kids love them. read more

Mrs. Van is not just the owner but a caregiver for your children with sincere interest in the success of your children in life. The director Myckleanne is a positive force who can be seen not only at the front desk, helping out where needed and providing a calming hand to the children. Mr. Van while not always there uses his engineering background to do quality control in the overall operation of this Goddard and it shows. read more

Our daughter started at this school, first school ever at three years old, and she already is singing the full alphabet song and counting past 10. She sings new songs every day and has so much fun. The teachers are all very caring and patient. I would definitely recommend this school. read more

Taking our 3 & 4 yr. old to Goddard was the first time we really let go of our children. We just relocated from out-of-state and had in-home daycare. After spending 10 minutes in the facility and with Van(owner) I knew this was the place for our kids. If you want your kids to develop in an awesome and safe environment, there is no other option but this Goddard School. I only wish they were K-12! read more

I would rate over 6 stars if there is an option. My sister and I provide our computer class service to Goddard School for over 6 years if not more. We work closely with the teachers and the owners Ms. Van and Mr. Huy there. Ms. Van and Mr. Huy treats us like a part of their families. We are very thankful and grateful. And they show caring about their students families as well as their teachers. They are one of the best schools whom we work with. They are educated-oriented and always focus on helping to prepare their students for better future even at such young age. They have vendor/service providers like music, sport, and us to further improve their overall curriculum for students. These people are honest and sincere. A lot of students graduated and go to some well known local public schools and charter schools like Great-heart or Basis. This tells a lot already. I highly recommend them to families looking for quality childcare and learning for their kids. read more

I absolutly love this school! I have 2 children ages 1 and 5. My 1 year old has been coming to this school since she was 3 months old, and has been very happy. She loves her old teacher in the infant class, and loves her teachers in the one year old class. My child is already meeting and exceeding her one year old milestones. The teachers are great with curriculum and helping the children to meet their goals. I really enjoy that I have open communication with the teachers and staff. They are friendly and professional, not only with my child, but with all the children in the classroom. They always have a smile on their face, and that is what matters most. My oldest daughter is 5, and has been coming to Goddard since she was 2.5 years old. She loves this school and on weekends, asks if we are going to school. She has learned so much, loves her teachers, and has exceeded all of her milestones with the help from this school. She talks about her teachers and friends everyday. It's like her home away from home. She is currently in the pre-k class and already knows how to add to 10, write her letters, and is learning how to read. I will say, she will have no problem with kindergarten, next August. The school provides a computer class, music class, and sports class, my daughters favorite in music. I am AMAZED everyday with how much she has grown since coming to Goddard. Her teachers everyday show her how much they care, and in return, my child is thriving! In my opionion I wouldn't want my children to go anywhere else. I feel they are loved and safe at there school. The staff are all very kind, professional, and every room is clean and beautifully decorated. Children come to school with smiles, and that says it all!!!!! Thank you Goddard read more

I hate to write a review like this, but I feel like I have to warn any parent considering using this particular Goddard as a provider for their child. My child attended this school in the infant room and I was already very hesitant about childcare being that I was a first time mom. Well, one of my worst fears became a reality. I had been having many little issues I tried to overlook such as, teachers never being on the children's level and always sitting in a chair while the kids were on the ground. Then, they were giving food I didn't provide/ wasn't comfortable with my child having, without consent, even after they advised they don't provide food and only give what , send a our children. When the kids weren't on the floor, they were strapped in some type of chair, seat, or bouncer for extended times. Some slumped over crying when I walked in. Teachers sitting there as the bigger/ older infants trampled the smaller babies, and just "asking" the older kids to have nice hands (not removing them from the situation). The biggest issue being when I came to pick up my son and as I walked in the main entrance and was walking, looking into the window on his class door, I witnessed my child crying in a bouncer and a teacher walking over and forcefully ripping him out of the bouncer and slamming him into her hip. Obviously, my child was crying hysterically at this point. I notified the teacher that I saw what had happened and my son would not be attending here anymore. I proceeded to talk with the director who advised she would talk to the teacher. The next day when I came in to sit down with them, the teacher approached me and wanted to "apologize" i let her know there was no excuse and i would not accept the apology because it never should have happened. I gave the director the benefit of the doubt up to this point, until she pulled me into the office to let me know mistakes happen and that these kinds of things happen at other centers and you just don't hear about it. Now A. She either thinks I'm lying because this employee is still working here OR B. She knows what happened and doesn't care enough to right the wrong. Either way, this was the most unprofessional situation I have ever encountered and I highly encourage any parent with a child who cannot communicate, to stray as far as possible from this childcare center. Again, this is solely my experience with the infant room and no others. I did not stay around for my child to experience any other classes. read more

My grandkids go to this school. My daughter always raves about the teachers. I am impressed at how advanced they are compared to my other grandchild that doesn't go to daycare (not that I compare). They started in the first room as babies and moved up to the other classrooms. My daughter has been very happy with all teachers caring for her kids. The lady in the baby room just loves your babies like they are her own. The lady in my grandsons room is always so happy to see him and he runs in to give her a hug everyday. Great place. Great staff. read more

I love this place. I trust all the people caring after my kids and the staff always greets my children by name and are very friendly. Miss Maureen in the infant room loves my babies so much. I felt anxious trusting my kids with other people at first, but she cared for my son until he moved into the older rooms, and currently she cares for my daughter. I am at ease knowing she is there looking after her. My Son has loved all his teachers as he grows and moves to the other rooms, He has excelled by going here. A lot of people seem impressed by his vocabulary and his social skills. I can only thank Goddard for that. I love that I know I am leaving my kids with good people who I trust to look after my kids. I also love that my kids are so attached to them, which tells you how great the staff is. If you're a parent looking to leave your babies somewhere that you can trust, they are in good hands here! I know that when we have more I can look forward to the teachers we love so much looking after my kids. read more

My husband and I took my 3-year old son to the school for an open house a few weeks back as part of our process to choose a school. We came back to sign him up at this Goddard location yesterday since it is, my far, the best school on our search. Surprisingly, the tuition is lower than some of the lower-end schools if you really look at the cost per week, or per day. And they have many many extra perks for the parents. We are using the free Parents' Night Out this weekend. Really looking forward to that since my husband and I have not had a real date for a while now. I might update you on how fantastic our romantic date is after this Sat :-) read more

My son has been attending this Goddard School for the past two months and his vocabulary has skyrocketed. I couldn't have asked for a better school for my child. I love the fact that they stick to their schedule and routine very strictly, which provides good structure for my son who thrives on routine. It has always been clean and orderly and the staff has always been friendly. read more

I have my daughter in this exceptional school for almost 4 years now. Of all my time there I am 99% happy. The 1% when I wasn't happy, I let them know and they corrected the issue almost on the spot. I think I have a very good idea about the staff and the operations there after 4 years of seeing up-close everyday. Here are a few observations: 1. The school is run on relationships on top of everything else. People there know me and my daughter as well as any non-blood relative would. 2. I am amazed at the length they are willing to go to make the children safe. My child was bitten by a very sweet but aggressive child in the class. I was very upset. But they were very decisive to stick to their policy of dealing with aggressiveness to protect the rest of the children. I wasn't happy with my child being bitten but was very pleased with how they stuck to their policy. I see another example when a teacher was reprimanded for even raising her voice when talking to a student. 3. They operate on the principle of creating equal environment for all students. All of the extra activities such as computer class are without extra fees. This way it did not create a situation where a child is left behind because his family cannot afford extra fees. Basically, that were the main points. there were countless other smaller examples I can give. What I really like them is they are not afraid to "rock the boat" for a few to keep it safe and pleasant for the 99% of the students and families. read more

Exceptional school! My son was enrolled there a year ago but had to leave. Looking at returning again for the great quality and caring environment. Spread the word! read more

Not a school, but a poorly run daycare. It is not what it seems to be, do not take your children here. The biggest problems: the owner and management have no advanced training in child development, some of the teachers mistreat children, it is poorly managed, and they don't place an emphasis on learning, just on making money and appearing like they do care about your children. Below we detail several issues we experienced when we took our child here: 1) No one here has an advanced degree (bachelors or higher) in child development, the owner used to work in a daycare so she thinks that is a sufficient knowledge base/experience to now be responsible for children from 6 weeks old to 6 years old. It should have been a red flag to us as parents that the owners and director (who don't have expertise in child development) are then guiding the teachers in managing children in the classroom. For example, when our daughter was 13 months old the owners came to us and said they felt she was "advanced" and ready for the 2-year-old room. The owners said she was bored in her current room and needed the stimulation the older room could offer. We trusted them and approved the move. Right after she transitioned, our daughter started acting out. At that time, we as parents didn't realize that our daughter at 13 months (of course) wouldn't have the developmental skills to manage being with a larger class and older children that could speak and communicate their needs. She started to bite due to the stress she was experiencing. We talked to the teachers about it that told us they did not have any knowledge of how to manage it. We felt terrible and tried to meet with the owners/director to develop a plan. Instead, the owner told me to purchase a children's book about biting and read this everyday, which we did. The biting continued and increased. The owners told us the biting was not normal for her age and they did not know how to manage it. We asked if we could move our daughter back to the younger room, but the owners told us they had immediately filled her spot with a child on their wait list. That is when we realized they did not advance our daughter because they thought it would be beneficial to her, but to make more money. When we confronted the owner about this, she said it was totally developmentally appropriate, which all the evidence-based literature denies. (This is when we started to look at leaving ASAP). 2) All the while, the poor teachers in the 2-year-old room were brand new to working in a daycare and didn't have the ability to problem-solve the situation. We started to witness one of the teachers in the room mistreat our daughter, and other children. We saw her grab children and speak to them harshly. We spoke to the owner and director about it. They said they would talk to her and work with her to develop her behavior management skills. They also told us they would keep it confidential, but the next day the teacher asked us why we said something to the owner about her. She then told us they offered her NO skill development in coping with children. We encouraged her to ask for trainings because it was obvious she was struggling, but she responded that the owners are not interested in the teachers' professional development. She told us the owners say in their weekly meetings with the teachers all they care about is the first 5 minutes when kids are dropped off and the last 5 minutes when kids are picked up, that the image of what is happening when the parents are actually there is what is important. 3) The learning goals for the day are rarely met, which is why on the daily report they list that they "attempt" to make them. I learned that this Goddard doesn't actually have their curriculum accredited by Goddard; they just have the certification to run as a daycare. They owners won't tell you this and lead you to believe they are. 4) When teachers resign or move on to other jobs, the owners force them to leave immediately. Not even allowing them to say goodbye to children or families. This traumatized a boy in our daughter's class. In the mornings during drop off, he would often cry and ask for the teacher. It was devastating to watch. read more

We had a great experience with this school, my son enjoyed his time there, learned something everyday. The director teachers in his classroom were wonderful, Mrs. Van is a wonderful owner and person, my work scheduled changed, she was very understanding and helpful financially as well. I definitely recommend this School!! read more