Learn what you should know before choosing a day nursery for your child.
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What is a day nursery?
A day nursery provides care and early year’s education for children from age 6 weeks to school age and:
- are all registered with Ofsted
- work towards the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
- may offer funded childcare places for 9 months to 4 year olds.
Choosing a day nursery
First, you will need a list of registered day nurseries in your area.
The Families Information Service has put together a listing of local day nurseries on the Find childcare directory page.
Start your search as early as possible because some nurseries are heavily subscribed.
If you work, you can also check with your personnel department. They may have an agreement with a local nursery.
Call the ones you think you might like to arrange a visit. It's important to visit a few nurseries so you can get an idea of what you like and don’t like.
Visit the nurseries during the day when there are children around and take your own child with you.
Things to look out for when visiting a nursery:
- Is it clean?
- Your first impression – gut feelings count!
- Are there play areas inside and out?
- Are there plenty of toys, activities & books?
- What are the babies doing?
- Do the children seem happy?
- Do the staff appear caring and welcoming?
- How are the staff interacting with children?
Do not be afraid to ask if you can speak to other parents who use the nursery to find out what they think.
Ask about the fees and check the terms and conditions. Read the parent and nursery agreement carefully before signing it.
Each nursery will have its own set of terms and conditions, they all should include acceptance of the place, date of issue, period of notice, belongings, allergies, payment dates, illness and fees.
When you find a nursery you like, tell them as soon as possible because you might lose your place.
You may be asked to pay a deposit at this stage. This is usually one month’s fee.
If you are on a waiting list for several months before a a space opens, it's a good idea to visit the nursery again to check it hasn’t changed.
Top questions to ask a day nursery
- What is the ratio of carers to children?
- What was the turnover of staff last year?
- What qualifications or training do the staff have?
- What happens if my child falls ill at nursery?
- What will be my child’s routine?
- Who covers for staff if they are ill?
- What food is served? Ask to see a sample menu
- How is information passed to parents?
- What is the settling in policy?
- What is the policy on discipline?
- What safety and security measures are in place?
There may be other questions you may want to ask. Take time to think of these before you visit.
Find day nurseries in our directory