Ranked in the top 100 statewide across all North Carolina licensed childcare centers scored in our 2026 rankings.
#1 in Cary
Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Cary. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.
Best Safety
Earned the highest safety score in Cary. This dimension evaluates facility maintenance, staff-to-child ratios, emergency preparedness, and parent-reported safety perceptions.
Best Curriculum
Earned the highest curriculum score in Cary. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.
Best Arts & Enrichment
Earned the highest arts score in Cary. This dimension captures music, visual arts, creative play, and enrichment programming that goes beyond core academics.
Best Infant Care
Earned the highest infant care score in Cary. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.
Best Kindergarten Prep
Earned the highest kindergarten readiness score in Cary. This dimension measures literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skill-building that prepares children for elementary school.
Best Teacher Quality
Earned the highest teacher quality score in Cary. This dimension reflects educator credentials, tenure, consistency, and the depth of praise parents direct at specific staff members.
Most Compassionate
Earned the highest compassion score in Cary. This dimension captures warmth, emotional attunement, and the degree to which parents feel their child is genuinely loved and seen.
Best Management
Earned the highest management score in Cary. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, operational consistency, communication quality, and how problems are handled.
Best Culture
Earned the highest culture score in Cary. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.
Best Extras
Earned the highest extras score in Cary. This dimension captures standout features — specialty programs, extended hours, unique amenities, or community partnerships that set a center apart.
Full Ranking Detail
childcarepreschool
The Goddard School of Cary on NW Maynard Road is a COGNIA-accredited, NC 5-star licensed center serving infants through Pre-K with a capacity of 165. Owner-operated since 2016, it stands out for its Wonder of Learning curriculum, robust enrichment offerings (ASL, music, yoga), and strong safety protocols. Parent reviews consistently praise the caring, educated staff and the director's hands-on leadership.
Safety9.0
Curriculum9.0
Art / Music8.0
Infant care9.0
Kindergarten readiness8.0
Teacher quality9.0
Compassion9.0
Management8.0
Culture9.0
Class sizes7.0
Extracurriculars8.0
What parents say
“Goddard School Cary, NW Maynard Road is a great school. They have really great programs for the kids and enough teachers for students to keep the ratio low. The teachers pay lots attention to the kids and on education. The staff are the most friendly I have encountered at any pre-school.”
“The staff at Goddard are beyond top notch. Educated, caring, kind and respectful! I've had terrible experiences with other providers in the past. It warms my soul to know they are in good hands!”
“I believe that a daycare is only as good as its director, and we love Leah. By proxy, we love the teachers she has hired to care for our children. Leah genuinely cares about all of the children in her school, and I can tell that she works hard to find loving and fun teachers to work alongside her.”
“My daughter started her first week reluctant to go to school, by the end of the week she was excited to leave the house in the morning, saying 'school, school' as we walked out the door.”
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Wonder of Learning curriculum designed by early childhood development experts to encourage natural curiosity and whole-child development.
Programs & activities: American Sign Language, handwriting, music appreciation, outdoor classroom, sports and fitness, yoga and mindfulness, and secondary languages instruction.
What sets it apart: COGNIA Accredited with Merit and NC 5-Star rated. Open Mon-Fri 7:00am-6:00pm. On-site cook provides meals. Security features include custom key code entry, gate alarm, outdoor security cameras, air filtration systems, and disinfectant sprayers.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
🏆 For Center Directors
Your center has earned independent recognition based on verified parent reviews. You are welcome to display this badge on your website. Paste the snippet below into your site's HTML — it links back to this verified recognition page.
Top 100 in NC
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
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<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-100-state.jpg" alt="Top 100 in NC - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 100 in NC</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked in the top 100 statewide across all North Carolina licensed childcare centers scored in our 2026 rankings.</span>
</span>
</a>
#1 in Cary
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-1-city.jpg" alt="#1 in Cary - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">#1 in Cary</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Cary. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-safety.jpg" alt="Best Safety - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Safety</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest safety score in Cary. This dimension evaluates facility maintenance, staff-to-child ratios, emergency preparedness, and parent-reported safety perceptions.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Curriculum
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-curriculum.jpg" alt="Best Curriculum - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Curriculum</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest curriculum score in Cary. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Arts & Enrichment
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-arts.jpg" alt="Best Arts & Enrichment - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Arts & Enrichment</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest arts score in Cary. This dimension captures music, visual arts, creative play, and enrichment programming that goes beyond core academics.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Infant Care
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-infant.jpg" alt="Best Infant Care - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Infant Care</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest infant care score in Cary. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Kindergarten Prep
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-kinder.jpg" alt="Best Kindergarten Prep - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Kindergarten Prep</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest kindergarten readiness score in Cary. This dimension measures literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skill-building that prepares children for elementary school.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Teacher Quality
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-teacherq.jpg" alt="Best Teacher Quality - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Teacher Quality</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest teacher quality score in Cary. This dimension reflects educator credentials, tenure, consistency, and the depth of praise parents direct at specific staff members.</span>
</span>
</a>
Most Compassionate
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-compassion.jpg" alt="Most Compassionate - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Most Compassionate</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest compassion score in Cary. This dimension captures warmth, emotional attunement, and the degree to which parents feel their child is genuinely loved and seen.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Management
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-mgmt.jpg" alt="Best Management - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Management</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest management score in Cary. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, operational consistency, communication quality, and how problems are handled.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Culture
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-culture.jpg" alt="Best Culture - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Culture</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest culture score in Cary. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Extras
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School of Cary -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/the-goddard-school-of-cary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-extra.jpg" alt="Best Extras - The Goddard School of Cary - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Extras</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest extras score in Cary. This dimension captures standout features — specialty programs, extended hours, unique amenities, or community partnerships that set a center apart.</span>
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</a>
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
