Off to visit a pre-school tomorrow...

[llareggub]

...what do I need to ask?

What should I be looking for?

DS is 2.2 and would probably start in September, I guess. I know nothing, help!

Just look. Are the staff interacting more with each other or the children? Are all the children clean/tidy or a bit grubby? (should be a bit grubby IMO), how much time do they get outside? Ignore staff turnover as they are never honest. Maybe ask a staff member how long they have worked there. If you ask several and they say a few months then know the turn over is high. Ask about the food, potty training, naps.

That is helpful, thanks. I'm taking DS so presumably I should be looking at their interaction with him, too?

Some preschools don't take them until 3 so he may not start until next January so that's probably something you should ask.

Do they provide fruit, do they charge for it or do you have to provide your own.

Do they have free access to a drink or is there a specified snack and drink time.

How many children are in the class and how many qualified staff/volunteers.

Do they do any PE, computer based learning, singing etc?

Do they go outside every day? Are the children able to access the outside play area at all times or is there a set time when they go out there.

Do they ever make cakes etc?

On their first day do they do a split session so half go for the first hour and half go for the second hour or do they all go for the whole session?

Is it mostly free play or structured activities.

Do they do any teaching of phonics, reading or writing?

Do they have to wear a uniform?

Just a few to get you going

Not necessarily. He's a new face so they may either be curious or they may be shy, it depends on them. Just remember that a visit is a sales opportunity for them so they will pretty much make any promise they can to get you to sign up.

I would pop back without ds to 'sign the forms' and have a look around. See if the interaction between the staff and children is the same, what's the food like, how's the safety and the cleanliness?

I always look at the displays when I look at a school and ask the children when they were done. Alarm bells ring if they are older than a few months (above 6) as it's not what they are doing currently and it's at the back of my mind as to why they have been left. It's probably unreasonable. The same with pictures of trips. I went to visit a school last year, some lovely pictures of the lake district, they did loads of things so a good opportunity for the children....three years ago. I asked if they had a trip last year or this term and they said no. Very odd IMO.

I've been to the pre-school quite a bit as they run a toddler group on a Wednesday, so I have a feel for the place, just not what happens on the other days.

I have registered DS at a nursery of a pre-prep but I've since had the heebie jeebies about him being in such a formal environment!

I think they sometimes expect different things at a pre-prep to a pre-school. Small children can learn just as much, if not more, through play and rarely a small child is ready to learn about the academic side of school. It depends on your child though. My son has always wanted to learn maths and reading, even at nursery he would rather read so I (and they) were flogging a dead horse so I got him into a school a few months earlier. He was fine academically but a PITA socially. It can be really hard knowing what to do but nothing's set in stone. You can change things if it's not working out.

It's a good thing that you know the pre-school