To ask if this normally

[meyouus]

My toddler has recently started nursery we did all the settling in sessions and it seemed fine, he does an afternoon half session on Tuesdays and 2 morning sessions, last week I picked him on Tuesday it was 5:40 and everything had been packed away and chairs stacked on tables etc, I shrugged off since there were only 2 other children left at that time and 1 of them was a workers child. But then this week I picked him up at 5 there were 6 children there including him but everything had already been packed away again, is this normal? Would you say something? The fact it was already tidy by 5 makes me think they would of started cleaning up around 4:30 which is a full 1.5 hours before the session ends!

Were they doing anything with them, like reading a story or singing? It makes sense to clear up in advance, but I wouldn't be happy if the children were just lurking around in an empty room.

@MyBrilliantDisguise nope, I wouldn't mind so much if they were but each time the children were just walking round the room or just sitting on pillows.. I should add that the manager isn't there on Tuesday so I'm not sure if that plays a part

Our nursery used to do this, the staff had to mop the floors and clean the tables at the end of the day but usually there would be one doing the cleaning and the other supervising a small snack like tomatoes or cucumber or singing or reading a story.
I never minded as the staff already had a long day and had their own kids to get home to.
Depends if they are doing anything with them or not.

@Mrsdraper1 they aren't each time the children are just walking round or sitting on pillows

Well if you aren't happy then you have to talk to the nursery.
Do you usually go at the same time?
Them clearing up the room may only happen 5 minutes before you normlly arrive in which case 5 minutes isn't the end of the world, what time do they close? Do they get the children to help? If so then I would call tidying up an activity.
I would casually ask about it and then depending on the answer say something to the manager.

My little girl went to a nursery that did this. Used to pick her up on a Friday to an empty room with everything locked away, including all nappies and wipes - whilst children were still on the premises.

After picking her up and finding her with a soiled and sore bum on more than one occasion because nappies had been locked away, I took her out and moved her to another nursery.

This would be a warning sign to me. They shouldn't pack everything up until all children are gone. The manager should pay the staff for an extra 15 minutes to do this after closing.

@Mrsdraper1 I stated in the op they were different times- the first time was 5:40 and the second time was 5. They close at 6 which is why the first time I didn't think much off it, but 5 seems a little early especially when there's still quite a few children there. I probably will say something if it's the same next time, we pay quite a bit and have no issues with the morning sessions it's just that this seems a little off... @LittleMissCantbebothered the staff get paid untill 6:30 (I have a friend that does bank work in the baby room of the same place) which gives staff half an hour after the kids have Left to do the cleaning/stacking off chairs etc.

Oh and no they don't try and engage the children in cleaning up. Even when they do a clean up before lunch the staff don't try and engage the children in helping

Update- he had a morning session today, and mentioned it to a mother mum who picked her child up earlier that session (around 4:40) this week and it was tidy then so we have both made a complaint to the manager, hopefully things improve!

I wouldn't be happy with that at all. We tidy up with the children for 5-10 minutes then 1 or 2 staff will do singing or story until pick up time while the other staff tidy up. We don't put chairs up or anything until all children have gone and a couple of staff are paid to stay an extra 15 minutes to do jobs like that after we have closed. At my last nursery, we had to start cleaning 3 hours before the children went home (bathroom, hoovering, sweeping and mopping, washing up from tea, tidying toys etc etc) and then they were only allowed in one tiny area with a couple of toys so that it stayed clean and tidy. As a parent I would not have been happy paying for that!