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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Concerned regarding pick up/drop offs

24 replies

littleaprilshower · 20/10/2022 21:32

DD started nursery last week, she's really enjoying it so far and has settled great so no worries there.
Drop offs and collections are making me feel uneasy though and I'm not sure if this is normal procedure or if I should raise it with the nursery.
At drop off I ring the bell and the office buzz us into the main door (I don't see anyone and the office cannot see us enter the main door as far as I know, no windows etc), we then take coats and bags etc off and head through the second door to the main room, the nursery is quite big and fully open plan. There is a sign in sheet at the door that we sign when we enter. Unless I personally go and find a member of staff, nobody greets us or acknowledges we are there, quite often there are children in the areas beside the door but no staff members.
At collection it is similar, I'm buzzed in the door and make my own way through to the main room then sign her out. Today I went to find her myself, got her coat and bag on and not one member of staff acknowledged I was there or that we were leaving, I had no form of handover, I've no idea what DD did today, ate today etc
The whole thing is making me uneasy, how do they know I'm taking the correct child for example, anyone could be buzzers through that door, or let in by another parent as I was today, then has free access to the nursery. Am I right with how I'm feeling or is this just standard? This is local authority nursery not private.

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Dacadactyl · 20/10/2022 21:47

I've never had a child in nursery, but I do not like the sound of this at all!!! I would 100% raise it with the manager.

Whizzi24 · 20/10/2022 21:50

Regarding the door, at my DC's nursery and at the school I work at, there is a video screen showing whomos at the door. Is it possible there is one here? The camera is quite discreet.

Whizzi24 · 20/10/2022 21:51

The staff not acknowledging you and just letting you take her is completely unacceptable though, especially if she is new and they don't know you that well.

SRK16 · 20/10/2022 21:54

That is not on at all, I would raise it with the manager. It would make me want to look for another setting.

Skinnermarink · 20/10/2022 21:56

Well no that’s just odd. What are the staff doing at the time?

I have issues with my nursery at the moment actually, but DS is always physically handed to me or taken off me at drop off.

autienotnaughty · 20/10/2022 22:05

I worked in childcare for twenty years and that is really poor. It possible there's a camera so someone sees you arrive but for no one to handover that's really bad.

Original poster

littleaprilshower · 20/10/2022 22:13

Thanks for the replies. There could well be a camera and I haven't noticed, I just find it very odd that I just get buzzed in and then left to my own devices. They don't even wait for me to say who I'm there to collect before opening the door.
Communication has been pretty poor from day 1 to be honest, except from her key worker, who isn't always present, I don't know who anyone is and they don't know me. Only once I've dropped her off and someone has greeted DD using her name. She's not back in until next week now but I think I will request to speak with whoever is in charge, I've written down a few things I'm already not happy about so will bring them all to attention.

OP posts:

Original poster

littleaprilshower · 20/10/2022 22:17

As for the staff they are either with children in other areas, out in the garden, in the kitchen area or just wandering around. At the beginning of the week I went in to collect her and 2 staff members I've never met before walked straight past me without saying a word as I was signing her out. Surely it isn't upto me to prompt staff into telling me how her day has been etc

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abw94 · 20/10/2022 22:18

This is very strange. Our nursery had a bell but someone had to come to the door for it to open and if they were unsure they'd check with a key worker to make sure it was a parent - my OH didn't regularly pick up so when he did they weren't always 100% sure who he was.

Whenever I walked in my child's room there was at least 2 members of staff and they'd acknowledge me straight away.

This needs to be reported to a manger and if it's not taken seriously you should contact OFSTED as this could result in something horrific.

Original poster

littleaprilshower · 20/10/2022 22:34

@abw94 I'd feel much more comfortable if that was the case, id happily stand and wait in the rain if it meant they knew who was coming and going safely.
I'm currently writing everything out (there are other things aswell as the doors) and I'll raise it next week, I've no idea who I'm even raising it with, I've never been introduced to whoever is in charge. I'd hate not to say anything and for something to happen.

OP posts:

bigfamilygrowingupfast · 20/10/2022 22:56

That's really odd! I'm not allowed to walk into my daughter's nursery - we have to wait outside and then someone does a handover with a few words about what she did today etc.

Original poster

littleaprilshower · 20/10/2022 23:39

@bigfamilygrowingupfast that's exactly how I'd expect it to be and what I thought was standard but evidently not.

OP posts:

Katapolts · 20/10/2022 23:43

This sounds very weird. I've worked in a lot of nurseries and never known one where children aren't handed over individually between parent and staff.

imsanehonest · 21/10/2022 00:40

That's completely unacceptable and OFSTED would be on them like a shot for a severe lack of safeguarding.

When my DS was at nursery, parents were strictly warned not to let any other parents in (the nursery did have a video and intercom at the door) and that was 15 years ago.

What you have described sounds like you could be buzzed in (and not necessarily by a member of staff but by a parent), sign in as Joe Bloggs and walk out with any child, all without being approached by a single member of staff. Shocking.

A lot of nurseries have parent communication apps so you can see what DC are doing throughout the day when the staff post updates & photos etc.

I'd either ask to speak to the manager tomorrow and ask to see their safeguarding policy and risk assessments or (and I think I'd rather do the following) look for another nursery.

Original poster

littleaprilshower · 21/10/2022 00:43

@imsanehonest yes that's exactly how it is, I don't feel safe leaving my daughter there knowing that anyone could be buzzed in and then have free reign of the nursery.
I will be calling in the morning to raise my concerns.

OP posts:

Pinkittens · 21/10/2022 01:15

I've had DCs at 2 different nurseries (one an independent, one part of a chain) and both did an individual handover listing as standard on collection - what the DC ate, (or didn't eat, and how much); what activities they did, what learning they did (as they got older) any naps, etc. One of the nurseries even read out everything in detail and then gave a printed receipt of all the information to take home. That nursery also had collecting parents sign in and out of the building and had three doors to get through - the entrance (buzzed in); the entry to the hallway of the child's room (keypad code given to parents just to access the correct hallway) and then you would buzz the actual room door and wait to be let in by staff.

SunshineClouds1 · 21/10/2022 08:56

Yeah this doesn't sit right with me either.

My child's nursery they see parents walk in, they get the children ready in coats and bring them to the door.
Hand over of information on paper and they say a run down of it and anything extra (as in, he's been singing all day etc)

Ofsted would have a heart attack at this tbh

Namechange13101 · 21/10/2022 11:23

Definitely really strange. We knock on the door and a member of staff comes out and collects child and asks how they are etc. and the reverse happens at pick up. No parents go in the building at all!

PuttingDownRoots · 21/10/2022 11:27

So you could walk in and just take a random child?

Honestly its harder to get my 9yo from school and she's allowed to walk home accompanied the majority of the time.

MistyFrequencies · 21/10/2022 11:31

Very weird and seems unsafe. At our nursery we buzz, someone sees us (either directly or on camera) and a staff member comes with our children to the door, gives handover of day.

MistyFrequencies · 21/10/2022 11:33

There is also a password on file at our nursery. We made it, we change it every 3 months. If a staff member who doesnt know us is handing over our child (happened recently with a locum covering sick leave) they ask us for the password before handing kids over.

MarigoldMoonStone · 21/10/2022 11:43

Don’t like the sound of that. We always buzz or knock and are greeted at the door and they take child in, at pick up again buzz/knock they bring child out and say had a good day blah blah blah. In general parents don’t go into the building unless it’s to speak in the office for something etc.

MarigoldMoonStone · 21/10/2022 11:45

Even if there is a camera at the door, it doesn’t sound good you just having to go in and help yourself to your kid and not getting any feedback.

AllFadestoBlack · 21/10/2022 12:21

I wouldn't like this at all. It seems anyone could come and collect a child.

At my daughter's nursery, a member of staff answers the door and tells me where DD is, either outside or in a playroom. When I collect DD her keyworker or another member of staff gives me a rundown of her day, we then go to the cloakroom and when we leave the door is closed behind me.

Parents have answered the door to other parents and we've been reminded via the nursery app that only nursery staff can answer the door and we're asked not to let anyone in on the way out.

You're right to raise this. I hope they listen to your concerns.

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