Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Westlake. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.
Best for Safety
Earned the highest safety score in Westlake. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.
Best Teachers
Earned the highest teacher quality score in Westlake. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.
Most Compassionate
Earned the highest compassion score in Westlake. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.
Best K-Ready
Earned the highest kindergarten-readiness score in Westlake. This dimension reflects pre-literacy, pre-math, and school-readiness preparation reported by parents and visible in the curriculum.
Best Culture
Earned the highest culture score in Westlake. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.
Full Ranking Detail
childcare
The Goddard School has strong credentials: a 4.8-star rating across 44 reviews with consistently positive feedback, and teachers who are described as excellent and invested in children's development. Located in Westlake, it serves infants through kindergarten with extended hours (6:45am-5:45pm) and a comprehensive curriculum emphasizing "Leading with Curiosity" and whole-child development. The center offers extensive programming including American Sign Language, music, yoga, dramatic arts, and an indoor gym, with security features like key code entry and outdoor cameras. With no concrete concerns raised in available data, it presents as a well-regarded option for working families seeking hands-on learning and social-emotional development.
Safety8.0
Curriculum8.0
Art / Music5.0
Infant care5.0
Kindergarten readiness8.0
Teacher quality8.0
Compassion8.0
Management6.0
Culture8.0
Extracurriculars6.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Emphasizes "Leading with Curiosity" with high-quality educational programming to ignite curiosity and a lifelong love of learning. Teachers create personalized lesson plans focused on whole-child development with hands-on learning and social-emotional development.
Programs & activities: American Sign Language and secondary languages, music appreciation, yoga and mindfulness, dramatic arts space, child learning kitchen, basketball court, indoor gym, outdoor classroom, sports and fitness, and a Summer Wonder summer camp.
What sets it apart: Open Monday-Friday 6:45am-5:45pm; serves infants (6 weeks) through kindergarten. Security includes custom key code entry, non-biometric scanner, outdoor cameras, gate alarm and supervised lobby entry; catering and fresh fruit/veggie snacks provided; received an Outstanding Customer Service Award (2006-2007).
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
🏆 For Center Directors
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#1 in Westlake
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/cleveland/westlake/the-goddard-school/" 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;">
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">#1 in Westlake</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 Westlake. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best for Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/cleveland/westlake/the-goddard-school/" 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 for Safety - The Goddard School - Westlake, OH" 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 for Safety</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest safety score in Westlake. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Teachers
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/cleveland/westlake/the-goddard-school/" 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 Teachers - The Goddard School - Westlake, OH" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Teachers</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest teacher quality score in Westlake. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.</span>
</span>
</a>
Most Compassionate
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/cleveland/westlake/the-goddard-school/" 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 - Westlake, OH" 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 Westlake. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best K-Ready
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/cleveland/westlake/the-goddard-school/" 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 K-Ready - The Goddard School - Westlake, OH" 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 K-Ready</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest kindergarten-readiness score in Westlake. This dimension reflects pre-literacy, pre-math, and school-readiness preparation reported by parents and visible in the curriculum.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Culture
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: The Goddard School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/ohio/cleveland/westlake/the-goddard-school/" 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 - Westlake, OH" 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 Westlake. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.</span>
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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.
