Nurseries in Norwich

[Gingermustard]

Really need some advice/help on choosing a nursery. Will be looking to go back to work in May when my baby will be 5 months old-how do I find out how good a nursery is?

Personal recommendations are always worthwhile.

Where do you live/work? My daughter is at Rockinghorse in Hethersett, which I highly recommend. She's been there since the age of 4mths. Also have friends with children at Chapelfield/Hewett/Busy Bees/Mulberry Bush if you need to know about any of them.

If you google 'questions to ask nurseries', there are loads of ideas what to ask about staff turnover/sleeping areas etc.

For me, what was important was: friend's recommendation; location between home and work; term time only contract (not many places do this; saves me £££ as I only work term time); open from 7.30am (again, surprising how few places open this early); really lovely atmosphere when I visited - the day I visited, the children had been planting various veg seeds, which I liked - last summer, we frequently came home with tubs of strawbs grown at nursery!

You might also like to think about whether or not you want somewhere that food is provided. I have to provide my daughter's food but because my she wouldn't be weaned until AFTER she started nursery, it was really important to me that I was in charge of what she was eating.

Hope this helps!

My DCs went to St Giles, which in terms of a central location is great - it was a lovely nursery but this was several years ago so I have no recent knowledge.
If you don't have many people to ask, a) look at the Ofsted website to see what they think and b) visit the nurseries yourself. The feel/atmosphere/impression the staff give you will count for a lot.

Thanks to both of you for your advice. I live in the city centre so that will be the best location for me.
I think I'll arrange a visit to chapelfield and hewett- great tip about googling questions to ask, there's loads I wouldn't have thought about.