The Goddard School

Our four-year-old son started here about a month ago, and so far our experience has been positive. At his previous school, he didn’t have many peers and wasn’t exposed to as much structured learning. In just one month here, he has mastered writing his name fully on his own and is noticeably more enthusiastic about learning. He comes home each day talking about the fun activities he participates in. Ms. Ariane has been a fantastic teacher. She provides individualized care and seems genuinely engaged in helping the children grow while making learning fun. The other staff members we’ve interacted with have also been sweet and attentive. We’re aware that new management took over last summer, though we were not part of that period. Based on our experience so far, we’re happy with the care our son is receiving and the progress he is making.

We joined Goddard Flemington after visiting several local programs. I worked in childcare for many years and was impressed by how kind and attentive the teachers are. My grandchild settled in quickly, and the classrooms are bright, clean, and full of energy. The management and staff have been welcoming and responsive from day one. It truly feels like a caring, community-focused school that puts children first.

We recently made the decision to withdraw our son from Goddard, as many others have also done. In the past month alone, the school has lost a large portion of its student body (40+ children) and numerous teachers and leaders, (at least 8, including the Operations Director after 21 years and the Education Director). All have cited the recent ownership change and the resulting stress as their reasons for leaving. I’ve shared this feedback directly with the new owner, Amar, but prospective families deserve to understand what’s happening as well. Families are not leaving because of rumors, they’re leaving because of direct experiences, a loss of trust, and serious concerns about the school’s direction. When we first joined, we were thrilled with the teachers, leadership, and environment. We joined Goddard because we felt the most at home here. The staff were warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely cared about the children. Up till now, we’ve had a great experience. Teachers are a school’s greatest asset. They nurture, teach, and comfort our children every day. We trust and deeply respect them. So when a change in ownership leads to a mass exodus of staff within weeks, it’s alarming. Some classrooms have lacked consistent teachers for over a month, resulting in disorganization, no curriculum continuity, and basic care issues. The level of turnover and low morale has directly affected the children’s experience. In mid-September, the new owner also sent an extremely unprofessional email to all parents about a departing staff member. It included personal details about her attendance and PTO, written in a tone that conveyed frustration and blame. The staff member then felt compelled to send her own message defending herself. This public back-and-forth between leadership and staff should never have involved parents and severely damaged trust. Parents are now openly discussing other daycares, and teachers we adore are interviewing elsewhere. We’ve heard from multiple sources that staff meetings have been filled with blame and defensiveness rather than accountability. Leadership should model the honesty, responsibility, and respect we teach our children. When I raised concerns directly, I was told that parts of the school weren’t up to Goddard Corporate’s standards and that there was teacher “pushback” to those changes. I’m not opposed to improvements to the program, but the way this transition was handled was unprofessional and dismissive of long-term, dedicated staff. I don’t believe so many beloved teachers would resign en masse simply because of new standards or curriculum. We need a stable, nurturing environment that prioritizes children’s developmental needs over appearances or internal politics. While I do think there’s always a chance things could improve, that doesn’t feel possible right now, and we’re not willing to gamble our child’s care experience on a “maybe.” We wish the remaining teachers and families the best and truly hope the school finds its way back to the wonderful place it once was.

We’ve had great experiences in multiple classrooms here. All the teachers are lovely and clearly care about their students. Most importantly, our son is so happy going to school every single day and we get reports about all the amazing things he’s learning daily. We’re really happy with our experience here!

The service is good and teachers treat my daughter very well. They give a schedule of the time your kid ate and changed diapers and what time they slept, which is very helpful to know and keep track. And there is many great activities for the children to do and have fun. My daughter each time I come to pick her up from the daycare learns so much more each day and leaves me very surprised with her knowledge. I really recommend this daycare based off of my experience with my daughter! Thank you Goddard School!🙏🥰🫶