Choosing a nursery is a very personal decision. As mums and dads you will have any number of considerations such as the size of the nursery, whether it’s an old or new building, the location, affordability and if the opening hours suit their needs. However, the most important thing of all is the happiness of your child – make sure they feel comfortable and the environment suits them.

There are a few basic dos and don’ts that parents should consider:

• DO think about the age of your child and their personality. What kind of nursery will suit them best?
• DO visit more than one nursery. Make sure you visit the nursery you eventually select at least a couple of times at different times of the day. And take your child!
• DO talk to other parents to find out how their children are getting on at the nursery.
• DO get everything in writing and check costs, rules and hours.
• DO review website and check OFSTED reports.
• DON’T leave it until the last minute. You need plenty of time to select the right childcare.
• DON’T feel guilty about going back to check the nursery and don’t be afraid to take notes and ask lots of questions as you walk around.

Looking around the nursery is absolutely critical. It is worth calling the nursery to make an appointment, giving you dedicated time with the Nursery Manager and the team. Do visit a couple of times at different times of the day.

It’s worth seeing the nursery when a session is in full swing to see if the children look happy, stimulated and are interacting well with the staff and their peers. For this visit, it’s a good idea to take you child as well to see how they fit in.

At this stage of selection, ask lots of questions and have a really good look at everything. Think about:

• Will the nursery environment suit my child?
• Are the children having fun?
• Are the children stimulated and interacting well?
• Do the staff speak to the children appropriately?
• Are the staff attentive and friendly?
• Does the nursery give feedback to the parents at the end of / during the day?
• Is there evidence on the walls of the children’s activities around the nursery?

And ask:

• When was the nursery last inspected?
• Do the staff have the appropriate references and CRB?
• What is staff turnover like?
• Who will be my child’s key worker? How will that key worker relationship work and develop?
• How will the nursery fit in with my routine? When will my child eat and sleep?
• Are the meals nutritious and well balanced?
• How much parental involvement is there at the nursery? And check the staff to children ratios. These should be:
• Babies (0 – 2) – one to three
• Toddlers (2 – 3) – one to four
• Pre School (3 – 5) – one to eight

At this stage, consider the dietary needs of your child and how the nursery will work with you to support them. For example, what happens if my child is allergic to certain foods?

At Leapfrog Day Nurseries photos of the children with allergies are displayed in the kitchen with their particular allergies listed underneath. As the meals are taken to the base room, the child’s food is kept separate and labelled. Dietary sheets are also in every base room as well.

And what about milk for your baby? At Leapfrog parents can take expressed breast milk or formula to the nursery and all are labelled as they’re dropped off with the name of the child to ensure they get the right milk.

Once you’ve gone through the process of selecting the nursery, settling your child in is the next step.

This process should be in line with the needs of the parent and child and varies depending on the age of the child and how confident they are. Induction periods can range from one session to as many as mum and dad feel is necessary for their child.