Criteria for choosing a nursery

[PatrycjaUK]

Hi! What are your criteria for choosing a nursery? Is it staff qualifications? Kids-to-staff ratio? Size of the nursery? Food/menu? Ofsted report? I would be happy to listen to your opinions :) Have a nice day!

You don’t sound like a journalist at all

Are they likely to have a place come up at the right time, covering enough hours

Ease of journey, and does it fit with journey to work (getting back for emergency pick up) and other logistics eg school run for older siblings

How long is notice period to quit

Visit them

It was outside time and space for me, alongside their ethos.

I chose somewhere, where they are outside as much as possible and focused more on comforting them rather then education if that makes sense, trying to make a home from home.
So they free play, run wild outside and they cuddle her to sleep if she asks for it 😂 she is so happy and runs to them with her arms open for a cuddle in the mornings. I feel more relaxed knowing she has a bond with the staff so they can pick up quite quickly if she is getting unwell and what she needs.
They cook everything in house and they tweak the menu to fit the children they look after so no one is left out.

The best thing is to visit and get a vibe. Ofsted reports mean little as they are a snap shot of one day everyone was tense and nervous or ‘playing to the camera’ .

Ratios will be the same for all nurseries, more expensive ones possibly could have better staff ratios. There should be a mix of qualified staff and apprentices. Check staff turnover. There will be a bit of movement but hopefully a stable core of senior staff.

When you visit look at the way staff interact with the children. Staff are more important than a posh interior or old toys. They make the resources come alive.

As a nursery worker I suggest avoiding nurseries with Baby Rooms with over 12 children, Toddler Rooms with over 16, and Older Rooms with more than 32ish. There comes a point where you end up thinking of groups rather than individuals just because you have to when organising 40 plus(or whatever) children.

Avoid nurseries who use the 5:1 ratio in their Toddler Rooms.

Food/menus need to be healthy but realistic. A healthy snack of veg sticks and hummus that children don't eat is the same as giving children nothing.

Ofsted reports measure a nursery on one day when the staff are trying their best. Bad ones are bad, but good ones might be meaningless.

Staff qualifications are good and the nursery needs some qualified people, but I'd rather have an unqualified but keen member of staff who loves children over a child hating qualified one. All should have the basics of Food Hygiene and First Aid.