Choosing a nursery that is right for you and your child can be daunting and it’s possibly the first time you will be leaving your precious child in the care of someone other than friends and family. Making the right decision is crucial for your peace of mind, as well as ensuring your child receives the best early education, leaving them excited and prepared for when they attend school.
Choosing a nursery
The first piece of advice when choosing a nursery is to shop around. Even if the very first day nursery you visit ticks all the boxes be sure to visit others in your area. Here at Monkey Puzzle, we believe that once you see the facilities on offer and our approach to offering quality childcare, you will want to register your child, but we want to make sure you have made an informed decision and chosen a nursery that is right for you.
Obviously, the potential day nursery should meet all statutory requirements. It must be registered with Ofsted and meet the legal ratio of staff to children. In theory, any day nursery that is operating commercially will meet these requirements, but it’s always best to check!
Activities to expect in a good nursery
This is the most important aspect of any nursery. All day nurseries have to follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. It’s a national structure of learning and care for children from birth to 5 years old. The key thing here and in all Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries is learning through play. Make sure the nursery places high value on children simply doing activities that they will enjoy. The nursery should have a wide range of age-appropriate toys. Look at what is being displayed on the walls. If there are plenty of paintings and drawings that the children have done themselves this will show that their creativity is valued.
Although not required, a good day nursery will have an outdoor play area where the children can play outside every day. Outdoor features such as sandpits, water tables and playhouses should keep the little ones occupied and stimulated.
Remember, development matters!
Qualities to look for in the staff
Ultimately you will want the staff to share your views on discipline, sleeping, feeding and other care issues. A good sign when you visit a prospective day nursery, are the questions the staff ask you about your child’s health and care. They should also take the time to get to know you and your child quickly.
A good nursery usually has a happy staff team who enjoy their work. Staff that receive benefits and are paid well. This should ensure that staff turnover remains low and relationships between your child and staff members develop positively.
A good menu in a good nursery
Healthy body, healthy mind!
Discovering what a day nursery serves at meal times, will also indicate its quality. They should serve nutritious and varied meals, with alternatives for vegetarians and those children that have food allergies or intolerances. Parents know how easy it is for their children to become fussy eaters, so their time at nursery is a great time for them to experiment and discover new things that they like to eat.
At Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries, we cover all of the above and to a very high standard. If you would like to find out more about us why not get in touch. We are a nationwide day nursery network so why not see if a Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery is in your area.
