The Goddard School

My husband and I cannot say enough to describe how absolutely wonderful the Goddard School at Walton Park is for childcare. We began the search for daycare in July for our then, 16 month old daughter. We searched every square inch of Richmond and no center (private or in-​home) came close to the Goddard School, Walton Park. From the owner who is there every day to hold the door for you and greet you with a smile and a «how are you doing?» to Connie, the director who you just know from the minute you meet her that she genuinely loves her job and the children that come through that door every day. We started our daughter in school part time in August and from the beginning her teachers were just awesome. The feeling of dropping your child off and watching them run to their teacher for a hug is a great feeling that every parent wants to see before heading off to work. For most, the transition to day care can be tough. From the very first moment there was trust, a trust that my daughter was getting the love and attention she so needs and deserves day in and day out and that is extremely comforting.
If you are on the fence and can’t decide, choose Goddard Walton Park. You will not be disappointed. At Goddard Walton Park, everyone is Family.

If I could give Walton Park zero stars it would be generous. Beware and look at other schools!
Don’t be fooled by the owners used car salesman business philosophy. Like most businesses, some of the staff can be great (like Connie) but they by themselves can’t overcome poisonous ownership.

Would never recommend. Make sure you do your research. The owner placed our family in a very bad predicament and offered no apology. In doing research, I found that this man used to own an enterprise rent a car franchise– he runs. that place as such and appeared to be all for the profit. I prefer an owner with more appropriate experience

4 years ago my wife and I set out on the daunting task of finding a preschool for our first child. We had a very specific set of criteria in mind (no more than 15 mins from home OR work, no more than a 4:1 ratio for newborns, a reliable development/​education program that prepared for school, and a caring, honest staff) and set out on a series of site visits and interviews before committing to enrollment.
As luck would have it, and somewhat surprising to me at the time, The Goddard School at Walton Park was the first school we visited and was the heads and tails winner amongst the schools we sampled. The school has a separate Owner (Ted) and Education Director (Connie), which I really liked because it allows each to focus on their respective fortes.
I take pride in asking really difficult questions and Ted passed our interview with flying colors. Not only did he go to great lengths to explain the multitude of reasons why we should enroll at The Goddard School, he did so without a single cross word about ANY of his competitors. Connie was equally impressive in our conversation, explaining the details of the Goddard development philosophy and how that tied into their preschool educational plan. Both are incredibly personable, warm, and approachable. Also, a great selling point for us is that Connie is a retired nurse, FANTASTIC to have on site.
From the handmade artwork that I receive daily, to the personalized reports that are sent home each day, to the cleanliness of the facility, to the exceptional teaching staff, to the special events like Summer Cookouts, to the on-​site amenities like Little Kicks (through the Richmond Kickers), The Goddard School has exceeded our expectations in just about every way. Folks tend to knock TGS for not providing lunch for their children; frankly, I like the ability to tailor our lunches to the specific likes and dislikes of our kids. While schools like Primrose may provide lunch, it is a single option each day and pickier (or diet-​restricted) children may be out of luck.
When you throw in perks like a multi-​child discount and referral bonus, it is 5 Star all the way around. The entire staff goes out of their way to make not only the children, but also the parents, feel like a family. In summation, we love it here and are pretty sure that you will, too.