Our daughter has attended The Goddard School in Murrysville for several months now and we have been extremely pleased. The teachers have always been very warm and attentive to both our daughter, and all of the other students. We receive pictures and videos throughout the day to update us on how she is doing, and a daily report soon after we pick her up. The only complaint I have ever had is that they do tend to respond to calls or e-mails relatively late, but that's because they're attending to children all day. On top of that, the staff is available to talk anytime you pick up or drop off your child, so response times really aren't a problem, at least for me. The building is also very secure, which is great. Nobody from outside can get in without a fingerprint scan or the parents contacting the school in advance, and the administrators are good about making sure the door stays secured. I really can't say enough about the teachers though. Our daughter is in the three-year-old classroom, and the teachers are always incredibly welcoming when she comes in. If she's having a slow morning and feels shy, the teacher sits with her until she feels comfortable. And when the school does events with parents, which I'm sure can be stressful on the staff, they never let that show; they're always as warm and attentive to the kids as ever. After moving to the area over the summer, we spent several weeks touring different facilities before coming to this one. It's a little bit out of the way for us, but we have no regrets whatsoever. I would highly recommend them. read more

T.J., the owner, was very rude to us after we pulled our child from their program because it wasn't a good fit. He called me unreasonable and even hung up on me during a phone conversation. Is it unreasonable to want your child and the "school" they attend to be a good fit? They seemed unorganized and were unprofessional. I would suggest that you look elsewhere is you are looking for more that a daycare. This Goddard did not seem very people focused or process driven in my opinion. read more

My tip is to keep looking for child care. Unorganized staff, unprepared director & owner, not the educational system or nurturing atmosphere they try to tout. Keep looking! 1) Upon walking in to drop off my child for the first day, no one was at the front office or lobby to escort us to the correct classroom; which left me fumbling through the halls looking for my child's room or someone to point me in the right direction. 2)After getting in the room, my child has specific dietary needs - teachers did not know what the day's snack would be. I had to go back up front to find someone to figure it out. 3) My child did not enjoy his experience with the staff and classroom. First off when I dropped him off, he was upset after I left...somewhat to be expected. I later called the office to make sure he calmed down and I was told he was doing "just fine". Perfect. Then as the morning progressed, they sent pictures and videos of the students. I notice my son in the corner ALONE. I emailed to see what the issue was... was he in trouble? was he hurt? I again received: "he's fine, just didn't want to sing with the class." Now honestly - not being an overbearing parent, but putting him in a corner isn't exactly encouraging him to join in. Is that how it works for other facilities? I would expect one of the two teachers to maybe be talking to him about how it's fun to join in, or maybe give him something else to do in the meantime. ??? But sticking someone in the corner just seems careless. Then once the day was done and we got home, he told me that it wasn't a nervous to join in situation... He (according to him) said he wanted to come home and the teacher told him to sit in the corner until his mother came back. (Even though they told me he was fine) Wow. That's how you encourage children to ENJOY school and time away from their parents?? 4) Furthermore, when both my husband and myself expressed our concerns we were ignored. LITERALLY. Numerous emails and voicemails went unacknowledged. We decided to withdraw our child from the program and that too was ignored. 5) It has been over a month and although we were within policy reimbursement, we have yet to hear from them at all. So basically they don't care that my child had a bad experience and they don't care that I paid for a bad experience. They are just out to take money; there is no follow through or communication within administration and the teachers don't seem to have a comforting bone in their bodies. No one is going to love and comfort your child like you, but I wont accept anything less than basic respect. I don't feel like they respected my son's feelings or our concerns as parents. I feel bad for the other families that go there. read more

This place is amazing. The teachers/staff are very knowledgeable & i'm very happy to know when i take my granddaughter here she is safe. You can't put a price tag on your child..remember you get what you pay for so i feel i would pay a million dollars knowing my granddaughter is learning, safe & well provided for. Packing of your child's lunch i also feel is wonderful knowing they will have what they enjoy to eat. This place is very clean, safe & child friendly. The time put into the children here to actually learn is wonderful, it's way better then just learning nursery rhymes. The activities & events that are held also show the children great learning experiences. Do not look further if you want a peace of mind, this is where to send your child. Bravo to Goddard in murrysville. read more

highly recommended...the school is safe and secure...we get updates and pictures throughout the day...staff is very friendly

The teachers at Goddard are educated, dedicated, and nurturing. I feel that my child is truly loved at Goddard by her teachers and that they have her best interest at heart. We also LOVE the daily tadpoles! read more

I am actually shocked at some of these negative reviews, because our experience has been 180 degrees different. Prepare yourself for a novel... Our first daughter started Goddard in the infant room after we took her to the next best competitor in the area. We did not feel right at the competitor, felt security was lacking, later heard about a child that was checked out and left in a room by himself before his parent arrived along with another child being fed his breast milk... In the end, our gut was correct, not that we needed that subsequent justification to know how happy we have been with Goddard. My daughter has now grown through five classrooms, and we've never been disappointed. It all starts with the teachers, each of whom has been an amazing choice at the school, even the teachers who have departed have all been wonderful. They are constantly engaged and the kids absolutely adore them, which lets me know the teachers are working hard and treating my child right. More importantly, the right teachers have been hired to challenge our kids. While you feel like your child and their peers are pushing the threshold of their capabilities in knowledge, skills, math, and language, it becomes VERY apparent when you see them interact with children outside of Goddard. I know it's not just my daughter either, because we're around her peers who are similarly advanced. It's really a tribute to the school and the staff hired by T.J. And Kelly. As far as T.J. And Kelly, they are amazingly accommodating and flexible, and they truly care about the quality of care and education our kids are receiving. They are wide open to dealing with any issues and suggestions, and they have really made Goddard a school, not a daycare. It may surprise you, but the cost of Goddard is nearly identical to KinderCare from our understanding. This may or may not be a popular statement, but Goddard also does not accept public assistance which was attractive to us, because we knew all of the parents were invested. I understand not everybody is fortunate, but my kid's education comes first, so this was a consideration. If all parents are invested, the probability they challenge their kids is higher. Being surrounded by peers who are challenged at home only makes your own child better. If you are paying what we pay, you don't let your child slip. Obviously, not everybody challenges their children, but every parent I have encountered at Goddard through personal experience or seeing it on Facebook is really involved with their child's education, despite many of the kids living in households with two working parents. As far as facilities and activities, the teachers execute multiple planned events and curriculums to ensure the kids are exposed to a variety of topics through toys, crafts, iPads, and other tools the teachers have at their disposal that we simply can't provide our kid at home. The facilities are clean and the rooms are utilized in a way that your child often gets to interact with their older peers. I personally believe this helps with transitions to new rooms and with developmental milestones by utilizing positive peer pressure and exposure. Look, every school is going to have an issue here or there. It's the nature of a business, but it's how you manage a and respond to the issues. As far as I know, Goddard has avoided major issues and has taken immediate action when any issue has arisen. It's abundantly clear that they care about the kids, parents, and their staff. In fact, with our second child started Goddard and we have complete faith that she will surpass expectations with the same care our first child has received, thus far. So far, we haven't been disappointed and believe number two is receiving additional benefits our first child didn't... If that was even possible! I swear to God I don't work for Goddard - I am just incredibly happy with the service we've received, love our teachers, and wanto to let other parents know who may be considering the school, but may be afraid to ask certain questions or worry about the negative reviews. And, no offense, if you're making a decision based on T.J., you're missing the big picture. I love T.J., but he merely manages business side and ensures the right teachers are working with your kid. Judge T.J. Based on the quality of education and care he has worked so hard to develop and grow. He's always has a smile and says hi, and my kiddo loves to run into his office to say hey, but he doesn't teach. Judge the school based on the supremely amazing teachers that are developing your child every minute of the day. T.J. Has done an amazing job identifying college graduates and other skilled daycare professionals to enrich your child's life. I would be incredibly deflated if we had to go anywhere else. Like I said, here's your novel. I hope you found it informative and hope if you are fortunate enough, you consider sending your child to Goddard! read more