What questions to ask

[whowhowh]

Hi

We are trying to find DS (16 months) a nursery and going to have a look round 2 on Friday. He is our first and I'm just wondering what questions we should ask, or what you wished you'd asked?

So far we want to know about the food offered, how nap times are managed etc., whether there is flexibility on pick up times (sometimes I finish work early and if it's nice I would like to be able to pick him up and spend time with him).

Any tips/advice gratefully received

I think it's much more about what you see.....
-are the children happy
-are the staff engaged /look motivated
-are the older children confident and curious
-are the younger children cuddled and calm
-does the nursery look clean /Well taken care of
-does it look like there's enough interesting resources around

Then I'd want to know staff qualifications and what staff turnover is like. Generally it's about the feel of the place, would you want to spend time there, does it feel nice.

Discuss all the practical arrangements: contract, terms and conditions, policies, etc. The 'business' side of things frequently gets overlooked. But childcare arrangements almost always break down over money, contracts, holidays, etc and not over the quality of care or learning.

Most disputes and fall-outs come down to differing expectations, all of which is avoidable if you put some thought in before signing up. Unfortunately a lot of people wait until there’s a problem or disagreement, then assume their way of seeing things is "obvious". But IME, 95%+ of parents' queries or complaints can be answered if they read the contract, terms or policies they signed up to.

There are vast swathes of mumsnet threads that bear witness to this.