Visiting Nurseries - good questions to ask?

[MissMarjoribanks]

DS is 4mo, and I will be returning to work in January, when he will be 13mo. The excellent nurseries round here all have massive waiting lists (Sept 2012 ) and it simply didn't occur to me to put my still-not-conceived baby's name down for a nursery 2 1/2 years ago. In fact 2 1/2 years ago I would have scoffed at the idea of actually having children. Anyway, I digress.

So, in order to separate those not so excellent nurseries without terribly huge waiting lists from one another, what are good probing questions to ask when visiting, the answers to which might give me a good insight into whether its a place I would be willing to send DS. Every one of them has something highlighted in their Ofsted report which makes me a bit uncomfortable, but he's got to go somewhere!

The most important things for me is that he is well looked after and not shoved in a corner, he gets plenty of opportunity to develop and that the food, whilst it doesn't have to be best organic, is not reconstituted basics crap. At least I think they are; having never sent a child to nursery before, I'm not really sure.

Any advice from those who have been there before would be much appreciated.

What were the things that were highlighted?

• I would ask about routines? how flexiable are they
• Outside space? and how much do they use it?
• What kind of activites?
• Staff turnover?
• Nappies? do they provide them e.t.c
• What kind of food do they serve, do they cater for special needs, vegan? allergies?
• Settling in? How does that happen?

I am not a parent though, i work in the nursery, but these are questions we most often hear, and things you would probably want to know, will think of some more

I'd ask to see a menu, see where they sleep, and ask how often they go outside.

Also, I think the staff are the most important thing - how many are qualified (if a nursery is using lots of minimum wage "trainees" to keep their staff costs down this would be a big no for me), how long have the staff been there, how long has the staff team in each room been together - do they move staff from room to room often? This can be very disrupting for small children. Also, do the staff get any ongoing training - sign language, dealing with challenging behaviour, specialist baby courses etc - it's a good sign if the nursery values and develops it staff.

I'd only consider one that provided food. I think its more civilized (and encourages them to eat) if they are all eating the same thing at the same time
Where is the food actually made (ie is it cooked elsewherem frozen and re-heated on site or cooked on site)

what's provided and what's not (drinks, nappies, wipes)

see the staff training schedule (i.e. is it bare minimum - fire safety, first aid etc, or is there good ongoing further education type stuff for the staff with opportunities for them to specialize)

how many of the staff are permanent and how many are agency

how many babies to a key worker

Meet the manager and the staff and think about gut instinct.

The nursery I use for my two has a huge garden out the back. DS1 is now 4 and loves playing outside with his friends - the older they get, the more they love charging around outside, especially if they are boys with lots of pent-up toddler energy to burn off. I've seen them in the summer doing big waterplay games with the hose and in the winter out playing snowballs and building snowmen(they have to have one of those waterproof all in one suits for the winter). This would definitely be on my 'must have' list for a nursery.

Thanks for all your replies. There's lots to think about here and I will go armed with a list.

The concerns I have with the Ofsted reports seem to be a trend towards low staff ratios, for example in one a baby was left to cry whilst other children were given breakfast and another was criticised for the manager also having a child care role, meaning she was doing neither as effectively as she could.

I have thought about a childminder and discussed at length with DH, but we have come to the decision that we would be more comfortable with DS being looked after in a more formal setting.

Enjoyed this - thanks for helping me too!!