What matters to you re nursery?

[Char22thom]

2 friends and I are in the process of setting up a new nursery, we have had our premises approved by OFSTED and now we are preparing to open. We have lots of experience between us but wanted to ask:

1. what positive experience have you had with nursery and why?
2. if there was one things you would change about your nursery experience what would it be?
3. can you name one thing that has stuck in your memory about nursery experience? X

TIA X

Due to circumstances my son has been to 3 different nurseries in the last 8 months so I have seen all sorts:

• Flexibility - understanding the challenges that FT working parents and single parents face.. opening at 7.30 and closing at 6.30 at least (that isn't common). When my son was going in 2/3 days a week and being looked after by my parents it was great to be able to move days around without penalty. Good to know that they have your back should things change last minute.

• Having a range of ages of practitioners and mixed gender - the 3 male nurses at my sons' nursery are excellent.

• Warm and loving environment - I went to see a Montessori (setting was amazing) but was put off by the austere and rather unyielding manager (shushing all the kids and telling me that pick up was 5.50 and no later-ever!) - he now goes to a rather noisy, rough and ready but soulful place where his key worker clearly understands and loves him for who he is - and he is allowed to be himself.

• And above all - good management and communication with parents. One of the nurseries (quite a large one) is run chaotically and it is very obvious (always overhearing staff complaining/ lots of mix ups/ parents complaining and having to be placated by staff etc) it all comes down to the management. This is also a nursery where I was 'shamed' for feeding my son in the reception area. Never happened anywhere else in 2 yrs of bfing! Felt like it was run as a business first and foremost (by far the most expensive and with extra paid for late pick up)

My son absolutely loves one of these nurseries and it's actually pretty chaotic (it's run in a church hall so they have to set it all up with equipment and take it all down again at start and end of day) - the garden is a muddy mess so he comes home filthy! But he has made good friends and the staff are fab so it wins out against too better equipped nurseries. It's family run and they care. "Mummy I love nursery" is all the review I need.