We understand that choosing the right nursery for your child is one of the most important decisions that you have to make. With this in mind, we have created a helpful guide to help you through the process.
Here are some top tips from our manager, Charlie
- Book a tour of the nursery, this will give you the perfect chance to look around the premises and ask any questions that you may have. When you’ve shortlisted a few of your favourite nurseries, a visit will tell you more than a webpage ever could. When you are looking around the nursery, take note of if the children look happy and are engaged in activities? Are the staff engaged with the children? Are there a lot of practitioners caring for the children? We recommend bringing your child along to the tour (especially if they are a little older) as they reaction to the nursery can help with your decision making.
- Ask about their settling in process: At Fixby House, we offer ‘stay and play’ sessions where we invite parents to come into nursery with their child for a taster session. These sessions help the children to settle into nursery life and become confident in the new environment. We also offer ‘settling in sessions’ where you will leave your little one with us at nursery.
- Find out about the food that they serve. Ask to take a look at the menu to see what kind of meals are served. At Fixby House, we offer food taster sessions to coincide with our parents evenings so that parents can get a ‘behind the scenes’ taste of the food!
- Create a list of questions before hand, so that you have time to think about everything you need to know. We often get asked the following questions during tours of the nursery:
What are your opening hours?
What are your ratios in each room?
How do you settle new children into nursery?
How do you communicate with parents?
Do you have a key person system?
What are your fees? Do you offer full days or half days? What do the fees include?
What meals are provided at nursery and how do you cater for food allergies?
How do you support children’s learning and development?
How do you ensure safe recruitment of staff?
- Speak to other parents who have nursery-aged children to see if they have any recommendations.
- See if the nursery has a social media page – these pages provide you with a behind the scenes look at all the fun activities that the children get up to at nursery.
- Look at the outdoor play facilities. Children learn so much better outdoors and so choosing a nursery that provides plenty of opportunities for your child to be outside is a must.
Please feel free to give me a call on 01484 454854 if you would like any support with choosing a nursery for your child.
Visit our contact form for your free brochure pack today!
