Abingdon Living Jul - Aug 2022

Which nursery is right for you?
You have your lovely baby and plan to go back to work shortly. You want
them to go to a nursery to have a wide range of friends and quality learning
and development experiences. But how do you go about choosing the right
place for you and your precious bundle?
KEEP LOCAL
Initially look for a nursery close to where
you live or work, depending on your
circumstances.
Check out your local authority’s website
which will list nurseries in your area.
Ask your family, friends and neighbours
about their recommendations and where
their children went. Do some research
using your local social media groups.
Visit a few nurseries before making such
an important decision. Your child could
be there for four years or more and you
want them to be happy and develop
well.
PREPARATION
It is important to know what questions to
ask, what you should be looking for and
the legal requirements a nursery should
follow. If they have a website, brochure
or prospectus, this can help you prepare
questions and give you an insight into
their offering. Check out their social
media channels – are they posting about
a wide range of learning opportunities?
Check the nursery’s latest Ofsted report
to see what the regulatory body has
graded the nursery during their most
recent inspection. There should be a
link to the report on the website; if not
you can find any report using the Ofsted
‘Find an inspection report’ website,
all you need is the nursery address to
locate the relevant report.
ON THE DAY OF THE VISIT
First impressions really do count. Some
things to consider include:
• Is there a car park or somewhere
you can pull in easily to take your
child out safely?
• What is the nursery entry system?
Were they welcoming and polite?
• Is the nursery clean and friendly
and does it feel safe?
• Are the children playing happily
and are they engaged in activities?
• Are staff supporting children’s
emotional and care needs?
• Do the staff appear to be confident
and caring?
• What percentage of their staff have
early years qualifications?
• How do they work with parents
to keep you informed about your
child’s development?
High quality nurseries will expect you to
ask questions. Try to spend time with
staff and see how they interact with your
child. Do they offer settling in sessions?
GOING OVER AND ABOVE
Look out for professional standards
or awards which show a setting’s
commitment to quality improvement.
Millie’s Mark, the gold standard in
paediatric first aid, requires all staff
within the setting to be trained and
confident in carrying out first aid.
NDNA’s Champions programmes show
dedication to Maths, Literacy or SEND.
Nurseries who have achieved NDNA’s
Quality Counts and e-Quality Counts
show an ongoing commitment to high
quality education and care where staff
reflect and continually improve their
practice. Find out more about these
programmes at www.ndna.org.uk
Check if they are members of any
professional organisations such as
NDNA, which supports nurseries to keep
up to date with current issues and access
high quality training for their staff.
KEEP HEALTHY
Look out for local authority healthy eating
awards – some also give out awards for
teaching children about growing and
preparing their own food. Check their Food
Standard Agency rating, which will show
the cleanliness of food preparation areas.
Do they offer special dietary requirements
and can they cater for allergies?
Are you interested in forest school
provision? Do they have a good outside
space in which children can explore and
stretch their imaginations?
Do they go into the local community for
example, to visit old people’s homes or
see how their local farm works?
Ask about their SENCO (special
educational needs) support and what
other professionals they work with.
HOW SHOULD I MAKE MY FINAL
DECISION?
Visit more than one nursery to gain an
understanding of what each offers. Make
notes after each visit and refer to these later
to help you make an informed decision. Go
for a second visit and spend some time in
the room your child will be in. It depends
what is most important to you. Your gut
instinct will also help you to decide.
If you have any reservations about any
of the nurseries you have visited, look
elsewhere. If you leave the nursery and
have further questions, any good nursery
will be happy to answer them over the
phone, or welcome you for another visit.
Rosey James
PR & Policy Manager
National Day Nurseries Association
T: 01484 40 70 66
www.ndna.org.uk
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