Finding the right nursery

By Emma Oliver

shutterstock_130240289-300x214A parent’s perspective on choosing childcare

All too quickly, your maternity leave is nearing an end and the time has come for you to go back to work. You are faced with the daunting prospect of finding childcare. You’ve narrowed it down to a nursery place but how on earth do you know it is the right nursery for you and your little one?

This was the question I, like many parents having to return to work faced, although I happened to have a little bit of help on my side. I was once a trained nursery nurse. So, with my insider’s knowledge, here are ten all-important guidelines that helped me to find peace of mind, as well as a nursery for my child.

Turning up unannounced can be really telling. Ad-hoc visits mean you do get to see the nursery functioning as it really is and not for example, when they’ve planned to dazzle prospective parents through an organised open day (I was mostly shown around without an appointment, although a few arranged one for another time).

Talking to other parents is often more helpful than checking a potentially out of date Ofsted report. Finding out from those in the know is paramount. Talking to mums at the local park, I became aware that many felt their children were coming home with nappy rash.

Is EVERYONE at the nursery friendly and welcoming?

On entering the building, a smile from staff members should be one of the first things you notice.

Is every member of staff permanent?

What is the nursery’s policy on bank staff?

I worried about there being new faces every other week and it pleased me to know the only bank staff ever employed were the same two nursery-nurses and that was to cover holiday leave as needed.

Is every member of staff fully qualified?

It is perfectly normal to find that some members of staff are not fully qualified but are training on the job. That’s fine but how many staff in the room are training versus fully qualified?

Dedication of staff ought to be obvious; after all, nursery practitioners are trained to understand the development of all children from birth up to eight years. They should work to educate the child whilst caring for the child. Devotion, commitment and enthusiasm of staff members are key to a happy childcare environment.

The Early Years Foundation guidelines are in place for a reason. Your child’s nursery ought to offer every aspect of play and through that play encourage your child to learn. After all, the future success of each child starts here.

Facilites?

I remember one nursery I viewed had a great hall. The amount of equipment it housed – from dressing up to musical instruments, to bikes and climbing frames – and the liberty it afforded the children was unrivalled. Brilliantly, it meant that outdoor play could continue inside on a wet day. And if you think it’s a big and fabulous space, imagine the colossal pleasure it could bring a two-year-old!

Healthy eating ought to be encouraged at a nursery facility with a fantastic ever-changing menu. A well balanced diet is hugely important to the development of little ones.

Settling in should be something your child does within six weeks. A content child is a settled child and ideally you will have regular feedback from staff members supporting this. Communication between the parent and their child’s key worker ought to be face to face where possible as well as recorded on an advice sheet at the end of each session. As a parent, you should be aware how your child’s day went (from appetite to nappies and activities to naps).

For more advice visit The Good Schools Guide