Looking for a nursery or childcare setting for your child can be daunting as well as making you feel guilty as you will be leaving your precious one with strangers most likely for the first time in their lives. There are so many different styles of nurseries depending on the age of your child and the hours that you are requiring – day nurseries, pre schools, Montessori schools, work place nurseries to name but a few.
As a mother of four children and having worked in childcare for 15 years I have seen childcare in the eyes of a mother as well as someone working there and here are my tips for choosing a good childcare setting.When choosing always check that the nursery you choose is registered with Ofsted and their Ofsted rating. You can check on the Ofsted website https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/ Those rated GOOD or OUTSTANDING are the ones that you should be looking at and if rated lower speak to the Manager to ask about their rating and what they are doing to turn things around.
- Visit the nursery and always visit as many as you can so that you can compare as nurseries offer different things – types of environment, times, equipment, size of outdoor play area to name but a few things.
- What percentage of childcare staff are qualified? Some nurseries employ only qualified staff so are 100% qualified. Are they keeping to their ratios? Whilst children are awake the ration should be 1 member of staff to 3 children aged under 2 years of age, 1:4 children aged 2 to 3 years and 1:8 for children aged 3 to 5 years. Are all the staff DBS and referenced checked before they are employed?
- Are there plenty of toys and equipment that are clean and in good order as well, age appropriate, as well as able to stimulate the children who are using them?
- Does the nursery look safe, welcoming both inside of the building as well as outside?
- Is the food that the children eat prepared on site, cooked with fresh ingredients as well as nutritional? What is their scores on the doors rating? Do they cater for children on specialised diets?
- Are both the children and staff happy and active in the nursery?
- How are key workers chosen? Is it based on who is free or during settling process who the child naturally gravitates to? How is feedback given at the end of the day?
- How is the settling in process done and if the child needs more settling is this given and would you be charged?
- What are the reviews like on social media? Do you know friends who have sent their children to the nursery that you are visiting?
- Always go by your gut instincts and chose somewhere that you can visualise your child going to and be happy. If you think that you will be sitting at your workplace worrying whilst your child is at a nursery then this nursery is not for you.