to think this nursery shoud sort out alternative transport?

[dilemma456]

Message withdrawn

I would be surprised at a nursery being registered without having outdoor space.

Childminders however are in a different category - they may live in a flat. However they would arrange outings to a local park, or other suitable place.

An outing on a bus for a child can be exciting. However by the sounds of it, in the OP's case that nursery is doing the trip regularly. Maybe it is a problem with crossing roads, maybe it's down to the distance - a few stops on the bus may well be several miles (would be in my area).

The number of adults:children sounds as though they are working to minimum standards for indoors... so not taking account of the increased risks being outdoors. I would wonder how they would cope if a child had an accident on the trip.

I dont think all settings need outside space its an obvious bonus but not a must in my book. DD used to attend a lovely creche at the local leisure centre with no outside space, the children who were there the full dyacare hours would go on 'trips' to the council soft play place which was in the same building.

I am also considereing a preschool for ds which has no garden, it does however have a large room with toddler gym equipent in.

littleducks, the current thinking is that children do need to be outside every day. Some settings have access to outside throughout the whole session, whatever the weather. The provision is the same outside as in, e.g sand, water, painting,small world, role play etc. The children can choose to be in or out.
I hate it when we can't go outside, and so do the children.

I understand that purepurple but i dont agree with it

The two settings i mentioned are excellent and couldnt accomodate an outside area due to their locations but had worked around it, the subject is mentioned in the ofsted report of one. These are both popular settings which are chosen over other locally (which do have outside space/gardens) by parents due to their strengths in other areas, for part time childcare i see no harm, although agree fulltime it could become stifling.

"littleducks, the current thinking is that children do need to be outside every day"

Yes, that is until they start school and then even though they have fabulous outside facilities the children spend their days inside as soon as there is a drop of rain.

I tend to agree with you Littleducks.

gorionine - it depneds on the school. At my last school we always went out - always. The weather had to be VERY bad to stay in. A room would be set up for those in inappropriate footwear/coats etc - but to be honest that hardly happened as they all wanted to be out - apart from the odd few that wouldn't have wanted to go out no matter what the weather was doing.

As someone else said - surprised the driver lets them all on as under 5's don't pay - therfore not entitled to a seat - hence the limit to two children - the thinking that you could squish two small children onto one adult lap!

I wouldn't consider a nursery that didn't have an outside space. Even for part-time children, it is still important. Not every child has a garden at home or gets taken to the park. For some children the only time they get to play outside is at nursery/pre-school and if the setting hasn't got even a basic outside playing area, then there are children who are losing out.