About Us

School Within School @ Goding (SWS) is a DCPS public, teacher-directed school.

Our mission is to support and develop children’s potential through a uniquely child-centered and teacher-directed collaborative learning environment inspired by the Reggio the schools for young children in Reggio Emilia, Italy. SWS was founded in 1995 by teachers who sought to apply the Reggio principles to early childhood education.

Originally, SWS was located on the top floor of Peabody School at Stanton Park and was considered its own school “within” the Capitol Hill Cluster Schools. Although we have expanded to our own building, SWS remains our name that has identified excellence in education for nearly 20 years. After DCPS granted the school permission to expand in 2011, SWS reached full capacity in 2016, when the school added fifth grade.