Which nursery?

[Meringue33]

Ok so we think we have found our first choice nursery for Pfb, who will be one when I go back to work. Problem is, we haven't been offered a place yet and won't hear til July whether there is one. In the meantime others are filling up and I think we need a Plan B to be on the safe side. None of the other local nurseries seem just right, would love to hear others' reflections on the following:

Nursery B: Nice vibe, staff. Lovely big garden tho worry that parts of it are not adequately supervised. Caretaker lives on site and has scary looking dogs. Pre fab building - will it be cold in winter? Good Ofsted.

Nursery C: Outstanding Ofsted. Nice staff, building, kit. Only thing that worries me is the outdoor space. It is separated from the road only by an embankment so children are overlooked by passersby and appear vulnerable.

Nursery D: V close to us. Good Ofsted. Seems ok tho maybe not quite as nice as others. Not enough cots in baby room for all the babies, apparently they nap at different times. Larger in numbers overall - too crowded? No pets.

What do you think about these compromise options - should I be plumping for one or starting to widen my search further afield (ie probably having to drive across town in rush hour). I think I should phone Nursery A, our first choice, and see whether I can get them to give us a firm offer or not, so I can stop worrying about this.

[PoppyWearer]

Ignore Ofsted, look past the flashy facilities (if any) and trust your instincts.

Yes, phone nursery A.

But IME the most important things in a nursery are a) the staff (are they genuinely happy to be with your DC?) and b) cleanliness.

My DCs have both been to a nursery in a prefab building and it's wonderful. For reasons I do not understand it's only rated "Good". The staff are amazing, and that's what counts.

[Meringue33]

Thanks. Nursery C was the only one that insisted on shoes off in the baby room!

Do you think my concerns about caretaker/ no fence are justified or am I seeming a bit Pfb clutching at straws??

[PoppyWearer]

They sound like valid concerns to me!

[Meringue33]

Cool thanks!!

[Wolfiefan]

Sound valid to me too.
C sounds best. Why do you say they seem vulnerable? I'd contact A again.

[Meringue33]

I will ring them this morning. Thanks Wolfie. Basically the outdoor space at Nursery C faces onto a car park. The building is slightly lower than street level so you walk past and look down and there are all the children playing. There is no fence or anything to protect them. It may sound totally paranoid/weird of me to think this and I know it's v unlikely, but I did just think if a gun toting maniac strolled up the kids wouldn't stand a chance.

[ReetPetit]

all sound pretty awful tbh! they are valid concerns - dogs/car parks/no fencing etc, you are not being pfb...

the only one i would consider would be D tbh but it doesn't great.

Could you contact local childminders? We generally work on a 4 week in advance basis (ie, we get 4 weeks/give 4 weeks notice) so you probably wouldn't be too late to get a good one. It would be worth ringing around, in case A don't have a space - if you were to look in July for a Sept place with childminders you should be fine - many are also happy to take on temporary children....