Our son was born just before the Covid pandemic started in 2020, this left us with a lack of options for childcare and also a big sense of unease about sending our baby to daycare/preschool. It took me almost a year to build up the courage to send him and in the summer of 2021 he started at Goddard. Now it's the summer of 2022 and both of our children attend Goddard. Our son is a little timid in large groups and likes to play independently, in each class his "style" has been respected. We get regular updates on his days and when a little extra attention is needed from us, his teachers have been gracious enough to help us reinforce positive behaviors at home. He loves his school and his teachers, every day he has a "great day" (his words). Navigating school and childcare in the post-pandemic has not been easy but we are always thankful and appreciative of the communication and cautiousness that Goddard places on the safety of the students and teachers. I would encourage any family looking for daycare/preschool to explore Goddard! read more

Very sketchy place. They don't have a lot of staff who are actually experts in Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Valentina has a bachelors in linguistics and is the Lead Teacher? I find that odd and weird. All this money this daycare wants you to pay yet it is troubling that someone in such a critical early education role does not hold a degree in Early Childhood Education. The Goddard School is not simply a time for play--it is a foundational academic daycare that supports essential cognitive, social, and emotional development. Educators in this space should have specialized training in early childhood development, instructional strategies for young learners, and knowledge of age-appropriate curriculum standards. A degree in Linguistics, while valuable, does not provide the pedagogical framework or developmental understanding required to teach effectively at this level. This situation raises concerns about the standards being upheld in early learning environments. Recognizing someone as "Teacher of the Year" who lacks a degree in Early Childhood Education not only undermines the value of that credential but also sends the message that passion alone qualifies one to lead a classroom. Passion is important--but it must be paired with relevant, formal education to ensure children receive the quality instruction they deserve. read more

The best staff you could ask for. They are family to our boys. We trust them like I would family, they love our boys like there own children. read more

The Goddard School is not just a daycare, they are truly a school and they have different, meaningful content that they teach every week. My son is exposed to a variety of ideas and activities that he likely wouldn't be getting if he were at home or at most other programs for children his age. Also, during this Pandemic, I feel like they are doing everything they can to keep the children and their families safe. read more

My son attended the Lynnhaven Goddard School for the past year in the Turtles classroom (2 y.o). As a new father, I can honestly say my only concern was whether or not he would be safe and have fun. I wasn't prepared for how much he would learn and grow during his time at Goddard. I'll start in the front and work my way back: Anne, the owner is awesome. She knows every child by name, she is always available if you need to talk or ask questions, and she has built the premier pre-school/daycare in the Hampton Roads area, IMO. Erica, who is Anne's 'right hand man' is a true bright spot. Every single morning without fail she greeted my son and I with a smile and positive energy. These women love what they do and it shows in the beauty of the facility, the energy when you arrive, and the staff who love on our kids. As I mentioned, we were in the Turtles class and Little Drew (my son) had Miss Abbey and Miss Erika as his teachers. These two girls truly loved my son, I have no doubt. We came from a 1-on-1 homecare scenario, so transition was tough for the little guy, but Abbey had a big hug waiting for Little Drew every morning, and before I knew it, he was running to his classroom every morning, walking in like he owned the joint. Few more points to make before I end this novel: 1. The COOLEST feature for us of being part of Goddard, was the fact that each and every day we would receive and emailed report about Drew's day. It went over activities and lessons, how much he ate (detailed specifically about each item we packed), how long he slept, diaper changes, and a highlight from the day. It also included a picture of him from the day. Especially in the early going as he was transitioning, these reports let us know how things were going, and seeing a smiling picture put our minds at ease. I mentioned safety and fun were my two main concerns going into this, and I know without a doubt that he was safe and having fun every single day at Goddard. 2, People talk about the tuition being high, but I'd charge you to find someone to watch your kid, feed them, change them, put them down for a nap, do activities with them and care for them for 9 hours a day for less money. SPOILER ALERT: That person doesn't exist unless her name is Grandma. I don't think you can put a price on peace of mind or safety. Every penny we spent was worth it. 3. Last thing.....I talked about how much he grew and developed with Miss Abbey and Miss Erika: Little Drew was always advanced in terms of vocabulary, but a lot of it was parrot talk. He'd hear something and repeat it. Still some impressive words, but he didn't know what He was saying all the time. He's now 2 1/2 (he started early) and it's like talking to a 4 yr old. He's talking in complete sentences, he sings songs on rhythm and in tune, his ability to comprehend what we are saying is unbelievable and last month he counted to 10 in SPANISH! I was shocked. 10 in English was old news! This isn't just a proud parent spouting off about my kid. Anne and her team are intentional about developing our kids, while allowing them to have fun. Today was our last day at Goddard school due to a job change for me that won't allow for the commute to Goddard, and we're pretty bummed about it. As Drew said his final goodbyes today, every one of his friends in his class gave him a hug, then they all group hugged him. It was just a reminder of how blessed we've been to have a place like Goddard Lynhaven to care for our little guy. We will miss them all, and the Montessori we're headed to has BIG shoes to fill. If you're looking for a place to send your little one, and you are scouring the Internet for reviews to find the best one (like my wife and I did), you can stop looking. This one is it. Cannot recommend it highly enough. Thanks Anne, Erica, Abbey & Erika! And hi from Little Drew! ** I was not asked to write this review, nor am I receiving any compensation or benefit for doing so** -Big Drew read more

After a lot of research and test runs at other schools we instantly knew this was the right environment for our family the moment we walked in the doors. We love this school, our son has grown leaps and bounds since attending and never wants to leave. Extra shout out to Ms. Mary and Ms. Kiara in the turtles room, but honestly everyone here has been amazing! They do the utmost to make sure my son feels loved, welcome, is learning and growing in a safe environment. I really can't recommend them enough. read more

"There's a reason there's a year-long waiting list at our local Goddard school. The staff, administrators, and curriculum is top knotch! My daughter has graduated kindergarten at a second grade reading level and really loves math! We are very sad to graduate Goddard but are excited for her future that Goddard helped pave!" read more

My experience at The Goddard School Lynnhaven was absolutely TERRIBLE. My child is African American and ever since he enrolled in this school, I felt as if he was being targeted and mistreated daily. The school even sent in a behavioral specialist to observe the classroom and I was told by the assistant director that my son's teachers were "nitpicking" with him. My son would come home and tell me how he was being mistreated by other students and how the teachers were mean. When I addressed my concerns with the Director Anne Pope, she did absolutely NOTHING. Mrs. Pope's response was "maybe it's his environment." My child has been in a structured environment since he was 6 weeks old. I am a professional and I've worked in a school setting, there is no excuse for a facility/school to undermine a mother's concerns regarding her child. This school is very unprofessional and I believe in my heart they are racist. I would not recommend this school for even a dog. Before I enrolled my child here I was told by other African American families to be aware of the politics involved with this school. I didn't listen and I had to find out for myself. It's sad that African American children are unable to attain the same information/education as Caucasian children due to the ignorance of the uneducated/immature Caucasian population/world that we reside. I now have my child enrolled in a school where he feels welcomed and where my opinions, needs and concerns are valued. read more

My husband and I researched extensively (and over thought!) about which school would be best for our precious little girl. At 2.5 years old, this would be her first experience at a school/day center/day care/anything! Up until now we have been fortunate to be able to care for our daughter at home. Due to shut downs, maskings, etc. our girl unfortunately did not get the socialization that she deserves and needs at this critical age. So, we decided it was time to get her into a school that would nurture her growth - Goddard. We can't thank the owner, Anne, enough for reassuring us and understanding our needs! As soon as we got off the zoom with her, we knew this was the school! With so many program offerings, safety at the forefront and child centered learning through play, in addition to other important considerations that align to our family, it was a stress-free decision. And, the transition for our daughter to school was just as seamless. Aimee and all the staff at the front are so helpful and always saying kind things to our girl. We feel like they truly care and we are part of the Goddard family. We are comforted dropping her off at a safe school where folks know my girl's name and make her feel special. Speaking of making her feel special, the teachers our daughter has been gifted with are truly remarkable. Ms. Tina and Ms. Kristin in the Jellyfish class work with her one on one to encourage her socialization, foster her confidence, make her feel loved and inspire her to learn and spread her wings. They really go out of their way to help our daughter however they can. The pictures, updates, reports, chats and everything they do means so much. We will forever be grateful to her wonderful teachers and all the staff. We are thankful to friends and family who have recommended this school. Many many thanks, and we look forward to watching our little girl grow at Goddard! read more

Update 12/18/17 My wife and I still have our 2 children in Goddard and we could not be happier. The teachers are simply genuine and highly skilled at what they do. Just seeing how social, respectful and happy our children have become make The Goddard School the best choice of where to enroll our kids. The only regret I have about Goddard is that I wish someone had told me about what Goddard has done for development of their children. But 3 years later with both of my kids enrolled, I have zero regrets of having my children there. I also feel strongly that even if we used a nanny instead, which we considered, our children would not have gotten the social interaction that they get with the other children at Goddard. Anne the owner is great, her door is always open and she is accessible. The culture of an organization always stems from the top and she has created a culture of trust, respect, education and nurturing. I trust her and her judgement 100 percent. Were always greeted by Erica or Allison they are always friendly, professional and happy to see the kids in the early morning. The teachers like Aimee, Lacy, Cindy follow in the culture that Anne has set and do an excellent job of it. My children are the proof. I'm thankful to be able to have our children attend Goddard. Anytime I run into someone who is expecting, I share my Goddard experience with them, because I wish it was a piece of advice that someone had given me. Lin read more

I originally looked into this daycare after a lot of research and did not find a review that was negative for those who had attended. Now that I was there for 3 days, I am sure that there are more out there. Infants less than 6 months should beware. They take their children outdoors and claim that state regulations require this. In the face of current medicine and what we know about skin cancer risk/sun exposure in early childhood it baffles me that a school this 'knowledgeable' hasn't caught up with this. I am a physician and attention to healthcare is so important to me. I was advised early on with touring that my son would not be outdoors but when I arrived (after my first month of tuition was paid) I found out that that was not the case. They hide behind the verbiage that 'infants should be dressed appropriately' to cover themselves. Well if you go there, assume that ALL infants (not just infants greater than 6 months) are included-- especially your newborn. I have been to so many other daycares in this area that I know that this is not universal. I had such high hopes for this location. To add insult to injury, you ask one person about their policies, you get multiple different answers; no one is on the same page. I waited to hear back on this for 3 days before I got a firm response. Then got a call from the owner a week later stating that it wasn't the case. The staff just doesn't communicate well together. They do not have a refrigerator although with their pricing you would thank that they would step up their game. This requires you to bring in insulated lunch boxes (which they don't tell you about until later). Then that restricts their diet further because the insulation doesn't prevent food spoilage in the afternoon. I was advised to 'bring in sandwiches' instead. They definitely need to improve their food program. They only offer water/juice instead of milk--which per above, doesn't last the whole day if you bring it in. Bad vibes all the way around. My two year old son was bullied on day 3 by other toddlers and I had to bring it to the attention of the staff member. Their acting director claimed that that was a behavior to be expected at their age--in what world I can only imagine. Learned behaviors are so telling here. As parents, do your research and don't pay the deposit until you get all of your concerns addressed in writing. Lessons learned... read more

After spending several weeks struggling with the decision, we withdrew our daughter from Lynnhaven Goddard. We were very happy at Goddard, but there were several issues that finally forced us to make this decision. Notably, we felt the owner had come to treat us as merely a tuition check and the educational program was not preparing our child for kindergarten. When we first started, my youngest was in the 2-year-old room and my oldest in Pre-K. My oldest was there for kindergarten last year and is now in public first grade. The rigor of the kindergarten program last year did not prepare her for first grade. She began the year reading below grade level. She has caught up, thanks to a great first grade teacher. Given the fact that she was in a kindergarten class with 10 children and 2 teachers meant she should have been ahead when starting first grade. My youngest, who is currently in pre-k and will be starting kindergarten next year, is also behind in preparing for school. Virginia Building Blocks for Early Learning provides a guideline for what children should know when entering kindergarten. One of those is the ability to identify and write most upper and lowercase letters. When my child left Goddard, she was unable to identify more than 7 uppercase letters and knew few lowercase. She was able to write the letters in her name, but no others. She has been at her new school for 2 months and is now able to identify most uppercase letters, many lowercase, able to write most letters, and tell the sounds the letters make. While she was at Goddard she was unable to tell me anything about her day. I received daily reports about what she did and about half the time when asked a direct question about what in the daily report, she didn't know what I was talking about. Since leaving, my daughter now tells me the letter they are working on and several words that begin with the letter. She has brought home many papers where they have worked on learning to write the letter since beginning the new school. When in the new school, I see many different ways they have practiced the letter. At Goddard, I saw pretty art projects and very little letter work. Goddard was very good for STEM. My daughters learned a lot about science and technology. The daily photos and reports were nice to receive. My children became attached to many of the teachers and it was a very difficult decision when we decided to leave. The last month was very difficult knowing we would be leaving. Now that it is done and my daughter is thriving at the new school, I am sorry we didn't do it sooner. In addition to the academic issues, we had some issues with the owner. After 2 1/2 years there, she consistently spelled our daughters and our own names incorrectly. Also, due to a lack of school availability on the Naval Base, we are entitled to a financial stipend when validated via attendance and payment receipt reports, which the owner felt was nice for us to get but not important enough for her to maintain. The feeling we had from her was our daughter was little more than a tuition check as far as she was concerned. Our decision to leave meant nothing to her because there was another child on the waiting list, ready to take her spot. Maybe other locations are different, but I could not in good conscience ever recommend to another parent enrollment in this school. read more

The daily reports, the approach to teaching (with flexibility taking into account each kid's learning rhythm and style), the teachers were always caring and attentive, the staff was friendly, the facilities are clean/big/new, the playgrounds are great and the curriculum is great! read more

Our child started Goddard when they opened this summer. We have been amazingly pleased with our experience. He is learning what seems like a new concept everyday. He loves to explore and try new things with his friends at school. He shocks everyone by identifying colors and shapes at 21 months old. His teachers are caring and he loves them, which as a mom is very important to me. He's so excited to go to school in the morning. read more

"The curriculum and structure are excellent. The hand washing practices are much appreciated especially since flu and cold season are here. Keagan is learning new things daily and impresses us with new words, color identification, counting and other new skills read more

I heard that the owners from the Chesapeake Goddard is opening this new school. Stay away! We had such a horrible experience at the Chesapeake school and wouldn't wish that on anyone! I was surprised at how different each school is and from what I have heard, the owners make a difference. I know there is another Virginia Beach school that is supposed to be good with different owners. read more

My wife and I researched several early education centers online prior to narrowing down our selection to 3 facilities. After visiting each, it was clear that Goddard was head and shoulders above the rest! Their staff, led by the onsite owner, Anne Pope, was phenomenal. The school was unbelievably clean and full of life. I watched children and parents pass through the secure entrance and immediately felt comforted by the fact that Anne and the School Director each greeted everyone by their first name, it gave off a wonderful family vibe. Fast forward 3 months and our daughter is doing fantastic! We've seen improvements in her social skills, vocabulary and desire to explore her surroundings. Her class has onsite visits from representatives of all the local museums and zoos. We could not be happier with our choice. The Goddard program is amazing and Anne Pope, along with her team, execute the vision its vision flawlessly read more

Disappointed! I was told that this Goddard on Virginia Beach Blvd. wasn't up to the standards of other ones but I didn't think it would make much difference. Sadly, it really did and we won't be continuing at this school. We have experience at another one out of state and had a great experience but this school was not what we had hoped it would be. I realize that turnover can be a problem at any school but this one never seemed to have the same teachers in many of the classrooms. I feel like my child had a different teacher every week with absolutely no communication about why there were changes. Also, I was not impressed with how the administrative staff communicated with parents. You would think with an owner working there that there would be more involvement but it isn't the case and she isn't as welcoming as she was in the tour. I felt like she put on a show for us and then quickly changed once we enrolled. The teachers don't seem to be very happy and I hear a lot of gossip which I feel is very inappropriate and unprofessional. They talk to other parents about other children and it just made me feel very uncomfortable. We really didn't want to change schools but I have to feel that when I am at work that my child is happy and I feel comfortable. This just wasn't the case at this school and I am hopeful that the next school we go to will be as good as the other Goddard we attended before we moved to this area. read more

The staff and facilities are great! We feel very comfortable at the school and our kids are learning and having fun.

My daughters leave the school almost every day chatting about something they learned or singing a tune they were taught in school. I can tell they LOVE this school! My older daughter (4) even asks to go on weekends! :) Both my girls love it and I love it just as much because they are happy and I get to know each and every day what they did, how they are learning and what they did. I even get pictures of them throughout the day and a daily activity report at the end of the day with a picture and a list of Art, Movement, Motor, Science, Social, Language and Computer Activities throughout their day. I couldn't be happier and wish that my girls could learn from people who care this much thier entire life. They really do care about your children, the curriculum they teach and how your children learn. It's amazing and I cannot say enough good things about this school! read more

Very nice teachers that care about each child. They have set lesson plans every day and great updated reports on what your child did each day with a photo! read more

I have been very pleased with the curriculum and breakdown of individual skills , and especially the "Memorable moment" in the daily reports. It is a great way to engage my almost 3 y.o. with what he is doing at school and also for me to see how he is eating, napping, and engaing with his teachers/other children. But the most important thing I have observed is the kindness of the staff.and care they take of my child's individual personality and his needs. read more

We all loved Goddard! My son has high functioning autism, and we had a lot of trouble with potty training. We had to leave an area Montessori school because he didn't make the cut-off for being potty trained for his age. Goddard was truly amazing. They worked with us, and amazingly, he was potty trained and able to move up to the next class within a few months. Best of all, he loved the school, his classmates, and the teachers. I cannot say enough for how they worked with him to build his confidence and socialization skills. From doing a bulletin board incorporating his favorite angry birds characters to giving him an opportunity to "teach" his class about planets, they really made him feel good about going to school. Goddard is a great choice...you will not regret sending your kids here. My only regret is that we couldn't keep him there for all of elementary school, but Goddard gave him the skills to help him excel as he transitioned into 1st grade at our local elementary school. read more