Things To Look For When Choosing A Nursery

17th March 2016

Choosing the right nursery for your child can be rather difficult. For many parents, this is the first time you are handing your child over to be in someone else’s care, other than your own. Therefore, it is common to deliberate over  whether you have made the right decision or not. Nursery is also often looked at as good preparation for when your child starts school, so you want to be sure you are making the right decision by your child, to give them the best head start in life.

In light of this, we’re going to take a look at some of the most important things you need to consider when it comes to choosing the right nursery for your child.  Please note this is by no means a thorough or detailed list to adhere to, but it highlights a few key areas to bear in mind when scoping out potential nurseries.

Safety

• Is the premises safe and clean?
• Is all the equipment in good condition?
• How old do the toys and equipment look?
• Is there necessary child locks in place where needed?
• Are there safety covers over all plug sockets?

Education

• Do the children look stimulated and happy?
• Are they engaged by the staff?
• Is there a timetable of the day’s activities?
• Are they supported and encouraged?
• Is there the opportunity for your child to learn new things?

Facilities

• What facilities are available?
• Are there outdoor play areas?

• How many different rooms are there?
• Are the rooms broken down between different ages?
• How regularly are the children able to use the facilities?

Equipment

• Does the equipment seem of a good quality?
• Is there a range of different equipment?
• Appropriate equipment for different age groups?

Staff

• How many staff are there?
• Ratio of staff to children?
• What qualifications do they have?
• Do they appear to have a ‘hands on’ approach with the children, showing strong leadership skills?

If you have friends in the area with children, it could well be worth asking them if they recommend any particular local nurseries to you.

It’s very important to visit a prospective nursery, rather than forming your opinion based on a leaflet, website, or word of mouth. By visiting the premises, you will often build up an impression of the nursery that you otherwise would not have been able to do. So tune into your parental  instincts and listen to your intuition when it comes to the feelings and vibes you get about a particular place.

Overall, deciding which nursery to send your child to is not a decision that should be taken lightly, or haphazardly. Taking the time to do all the necessary research, including considering some of the points above, will help you rest at ease knowing your little ones are in the safest and best hands possible.

At Tiny World, we are a close, family-run nursery that has been established for more than 30 years.  Our principles, Tony and Karen Budden, remain ‘hands on’ at all their nurseries and believe a word-of-mouth recommendation is one of the strongest indications to a good nursery. See our testimonials for our great reviews.

If you’d like to arrange a visit to Tiny World, for either our Nottingham or Mansfield premises, please don’t hesitate to give us a call and we’ll be happy to arrange a convenient time.