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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to want to send my child to a good nursery?

50 replies

BoJanglez · 01/09/2018 07:41

Me and DP have different ideas about nurseries....

He thinks oftsted 'good' is fine plus bonus because it's cheaper.

I think ofsted 'outstanding' is what we should aim for if we can and whilst we will have less money, we can still afford it! It'll be tough for a while and will become easier when childcare costs come down with free childcare. I also get an amazing scheme through my work and will be dropping a few hours to reduce costs.

What would/did you do? And what were your criteria when looking?

It's so hard and I just want what is best for my baby...

OP posts:
IVEgotthePOWER · 01/09/2018 07:43

Honestly. You cant just go off the ofsted rating. You need to look at several and see how you feel about each one. Also bare in mind that just because a nursery got outstanding on last inspection does not mean they are still outstanding. And vice versa

Nutkins24 · 01/09/2018 07:44

I would say ofsted means very little, especially at this stage. Go with the nursery that feel right for your child. I knew the moment we walked into ours. I wouldn’t pay lots extra simply because it has an outstanding ofsted.

OddBoots · 01/09/2018 07:45

If you were to put aside the Ofsted grading (the difference between a Good and and Outstanding can just depend on the day they visit) how do you feel about the settings?

monkeysox · 01/09/2018 07:46

Go and visit nurseries. Ignore ofsted. Choose the one that feels best.

Nutkins24 · 01/09/2018 07:47

Also once somewhere has outstanding they aren’t then inppspected for about 5 years (certainly true of schools, not sure about early years) so again, that wouldn’t mean too much to me. A lot can change in 5 years.

orangeorchids · 01/09/2018 07:47

I'm a teacher, I wouldn't (and don't) send my child to their nursery based on the Ofsted rating. I won't when they get to school either.

Original poster
BoJanglez · 01/09/2018 07:47

I should've explained better in my first post... we are looking around and of course will go based on what we like, but he is basing his decision on price as long as the school has a good rating, I'm more concerned about the actual nursery and would pay more if we had to. A good ofsted review is of course important however.

Basically, an all round brilliant nursery is most important to me, but price is most important to DP.

OP posts:
DonnaDarko · 01/09/2018 07:49

I barely looked at the Ofsted ratings when looking, but we were in a unique situation where the relative who was going to do most of the childcare suddenly passed away two weeks before I was due back at work.

I only saw a couple but I loved DSs nursery the moment I walked in. The staff were friendly and smiling, the kids all seemed really happy, they had great facilities including a massive softplay area.. . Great location for us. He has been there a year and a half and he is such a happy, well adjusted child with great manners. He's with them full time, so there's only so much we can take credit for that. I can't credit them more, I'm so grateful to them!

They have a good Ofsted rating.

Original poster
BoJanglez · 01/09/2018 07:50

Thanks for your answers. Of course we could just base our choice purely on an ofsted review. We went to a nursery yesterday and I can safely say that whilst it looks brilliant online/ofsted, we wouldn't send our child there so do realise that ofsted isn't everything Smile

OP posts:
DonnaDarko · 01/09/2018 07:50

Also, depending on the nursery, you might find your costs don't drop so much with the free childcare as some nurseries do still need to charge something, or they're making a loss. The government does not always meet their full hourly rate.

Original poster
BoJanglez · 01/09/2018 07:50

*we wouldn't

OP posts:
Nutkins24 · 01/09/2018 07:51

How much variation in price is there?

Jessbow · 01/09/2018 07:52

An OFSTED rating tells you about as much about a nursery as an MOT on a car does. It tells you what was happening on the day of the inspection, nothing more.

The cost of a nursery place depends on a lot of things- more costly doesnt mean better, just different.

Visit and see what you like, then wonder about the cost.

mrsb06 · 01/09/2018 07:53

I don't know if there's as much correlation between Ofsted ratings and Nursery charges as you imply there is? Confused I don't think a setting would automatically raise their fees based on an outstanding Ofsted inspection. Go with the place that feels right.

cookiesandchocolate · 01/09/2018 07:55

It took me 3 nurseries until I found the right one.

The first one wasn't right for her, the second one wasn't right for me and her and the third is brilliant.

Ofsted rated Good, but the staff have worked so hard withy child she has made incredible progress this year. No tears since the first term and excited to go.

The other 2... not so much. Go with gut and instinct and do your research. Don't base it on a rating

SockQueen · 01/09/2018 07:57

I wanted somewhere DS would be happy. Babies don't give a shit about Ofsted and the difference between good and outstanding can often be mainly admin related.

We saw an outstanding nursery. It was very nice but I didn't get a good vibe from it - uniform from age 2 (another expense on top of the higher fees), very formal, had quite a strict routine etc - this works for some babies but DS was quite flexible. There were also some practical considerations like sickness policies and the number of weeks per year they were open.

The nursery we picked for him is "only" good but suits him and us much better. It felt right from the moment we walked in. You have to visit several to work out what your style is, not just look at Ofsted.

WooYa · 01/09/2018 07:58

At DS's nursery the difference between good and outstanding was just the paperwork.

PattiStanger · 01/09/2018 07:59

When I was looking I found that there wasn't much variation in nurseries near to me. It was a while ago so things might have changed, what is the difference in price?

user1471426142 · 01/09/2018 07:59

Once you get a feel for the different places you can work out what’s important to you and whether you’re willing to pay extra. For some people, food is the deciding factor , others outside space, others flexibility of routine etc. There will be compromises that you might not have realised you’d be prepared. For mine, the staff are brilliant and I love that there is Forrest school but breakfasts and tea can be a bit ropey (lunch and snacks are great though). I can live with it but would actually be happy to pay a couple of quid extra for a slightly nicer breakfast.

What is the price difference for the ones you’re looking at? You need to check what exactly is included. Some include nappies/wipes/sun cream. Other don’t. Some require you to bring your own food (I would hate this personally).

Original poster
BoJanglez · 01/09/2018 08:01

There's a huge difference in price here. One nursery charges an extra £4 for an extra hour and one charges £8.

OP posts:
LollyLollington · 01/09/2018 08:03

I find nurseries can change very quickly because of high staff turnover - ie within a year the vast majority can have moved on which causes huge change in working practices and quality - so definitely a big mistake on a rating that's probably more than a year old

ChocolateChipMuffin2016 · 01/09/2018 08:05

My DS goes to a Childminder, so not quite the same, but I went with the lady who I felt most comfortable with. I wasn’t worried about ofsted results. She did end up being the more expensive one but it was because I liked her more and thought she would have a better setting for my DS.
So YANBU to pay more for the setting you think is best for your child. It just has nothing to do with ofsted IMO.

InDubiousBattle · 01/09/2018 08:11

What would that mean monthly in terms of fees op? How old is your baby?

I would obviously say to go with the absolute best that you can get when it comes to childcare but if there was a fairly minor difference between the two and the more expensive, outstanding nursery would leave you unable to do things, enjoy life at weekends etc I think you dh might have a point. As pp say the of stead thing is a red herring.

Have you looked at childminders op? I think it varies by area but where I live they are cheaper than nurseries and many i've met are excellent.

Theresnodisneyending · 01/09/2018 08:12

It doesn't really matter at nursery school stage.

YourHandInMyHand · 01/09/2018 08:20

If you're still at the looking around stage I'd just stick to that for now and not hold much heed to ofsted ratings at all.

As long as the fees weren't unaffordable I'd not use that as a deciding factor either.

I work in Early Years and love the anology another poster just gave about an Ofsted grading being like a car mot. Car might have passed on the day but may be running on fumes with serious issues needing to be fixed soon as owner hasn't been servicing and maintaining the car.

I've worked in a nursery that looks marvellous on the surface and is for some reason often in the local paper in a positive light. Fancy graduation service with gowns when they go to school, lovely outdoor area (paid for with a government grant not out of nursery's budet), good ofsted rating somehow (probably because they were given notice). In reality as someone who's worked there I noticed all the toys needed a deep clean or throwing out, staff to child ratios weren't stuck to, kids with autism where not having their visual time tables used, high staff turnover, the food was really really poor quality, after school staff buying things like felt tips and paper of of their own pocket as owner wouldn't spend, I could go on. I quickly moved on to a better setting.

Do some thorough visits and ask each place lots of questions. Then look at what their fees and ofsted rating are too out of interest.

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