Turner away from nursery

[Mulch]

I don't know if it's my pmt and I've not had breakfast yet but I've just been to view a nursery to be told they can't show me around and to come back later as their having lunch.

Reason why I ask is after working In a care setting, it didn't matter how busy we were or what we were doing if someone came to visit we'd juggle things round to make time for them. People could turn up at any time.

Did you have an appointment to view?

YABVU. If you want to see a nursery you have to make an appointment. There needs to be a staff member available to show you around and answer any questions. Do you think they would open the door and let you have a wander about? Get a grip.

You can't just turn up and expect to be shown around. Surely that goes against safeguarding?

I am all for a general open door policy but I think expecting to be shown around at lunchtime is madness!

You need an apt they can't have any old bugger off the street wandering round a nursery

Wtf? You can't just turn up, especially at lunch time and expect to be shown around.

My place we juggle staff around to show people about even if it means people take lunch abit later

Did you post this a couple of weeks ago as well?

No they are absolutely right. There is a ratio of staff to children that they have to maintain, if some of them are having lunch and one of them dropped everything to show you round they would likely go under those ratios and be breaking the law.

did you have an appointment?

many nurseries have a policy that you are not allowed in the setting at all if you don't have an appointment. I'm a childminder and there is no way that I would let a stranger in my setting when they knock on the door. Child protection issue.

And staff have a right to have a lunch break you know. Yes, even underpaid nursery staff.

Nope happened just today

I've always had to make an appointment to view a childcare setting. I'd never dream of walking in off the street.

Mine is open door, but fair enough if it was lunchtime.

No didn't have an appointment checked their website which has the following

Please browse our website and contact us with any queries you may have. Alternatively, if you would like to pay us a visit, please feel free to stop by anytime (no appointment needed).
We will be more than happy to show you around.

I agree Mulch you shouldn't need an appointment to go and visit a nursery, and I have always read that you shouldn't need an appointment to go view a nursery, it's best to go view it as it is without them doing the necessary tidying up etc because they know they have a viewing!

I would have been disappointed to, to be told I couldn't view it, but would write it off my list as they cant accommodate people, then I wouldn't trust them in the future to accommodate me if I needed the extra childcare.

Lunch is their busiest time!! The children can't wait for their lunch. Yabu.

So I suppose you have the option of not sending your children there.

Do you not get that they need a lunch break?

I think it shows that they are putting the care of the children and staff first which is a good thing.

But then they should have extra staff available if they know their lunch is the busiest and maybe not write on their website that people are free to drop by without an appointment if they can't actually accommodate them!

There was no mention of lunchbreak on their Website they advertised to turn up anytime and being the cynic that I am I wanted to see it when their not expecting people

So they feed the kids AND ensure there are adequate staff around while they are eating so it all goes smoothly and they are taken care of?

Balls to that OP, find another nursery.

After working in a similar environment I'd encourage all parents to randomly show up time to time however inconvenient

There was no mention of lunchbreak on their Website

But you do realise that they probably DO have lunch time? . And that sitting 15-20 odd children down and giving them food can get quite hectic? I wouldn't think they'd need to spell that out on the website. They could also have been a staff member down.

Im with Hate, I imagine they thought they wouldnt have to say no visits during lunch time because its obvious, especially knowing how exciting random grown ups walking around their nursery are to little kids, who would actively want to cause disruption like that while they are trying to eat?

And actually, it is obvious, as OP you yourself have admitted you wanted to go and catch them out when they weren't expecting it so went during lunch.

Maybe they thought them having lunch & feeding the dc was a given 😂 And therefore didn't feel the need to put that on the website.