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Day Nursery – Finding the Right Nursery

Almost all parents will eventually be faced with the reality of having to put their son or daughter into some kind of childcare. What a parent chooses to do will depend entirely on their individual circumstances and there are several options, including hiring a nanny or a registered childminder.
However, most children in the UK will eventually attend a nursery.

The timing of when to send your child to nursery care will also depend on individual circumstances, but for many parents in the UK, the question of childcare often arises around the time that the mother approaches completion of the 52 weeks of statutory maternity pay.

In the article below we address some of the key questions and concerns you will face if you decide to place your child in a day nursery.

The difference between a day nursery and nursery school

Firstly, a day nursery will offer full or part-time care for babies and children from as young as six weeks’ old, up to the age of five. They typically open during business hours to allow working parents to drop off their children before work and pick them up again afterwards.

A nursery school, also known as pre-school, and especially those run by the local authority, may be a cheaper alternative to a privately run nursery but often have long waiting lists. They often only cater for children between the ages of three and five years old. Pre-schools tend to provide a formal curriculum and have trained teachers on hand to provide a range of educational experiences that will prepare the children for ‘big school’.

Plan ahead to secure the right nursery place

Not every local authority in the UK has adequate provision of early years childcare – in fact, in 2016 fewer than half of all local councils had enough childcare available to meet the needs of full-time parents in their area. This means that acting as quickly as possible is crucial, particularly if you want to secure your child a place in one of the more popular nurseries.

Begin by asking friends, neighbours and local families for their day nursery recommendations and, of course, look online to see what’s available. The sooner you begin, the less rushed you’ll be when the deadline approaches. The less hurried things are, the better placed you’ll be to help your child transition into day nursery as calmly as possible.

Once you have done some research and identified your top nursery picks, it is a good idea to visit each of them, even at a very early stage. The sooner you start the search, the sooner you can develop a feel for what it is you want from nursery care and this will ultimately help you make an informed decision with confidence.

Ensure the nursery is registered

All day nurseries in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland must be registered and inspected on a regular basis by the relevant authority. The inspection certificate should be available online and should be displayed prominently at the premises of the nursery itself. If you cannot see it, ask the manager to see a copy. The relevant regulatory bodies are as follows:

Ask lots of questions about the day nursery

The inspection report will be full of essential information about the nursery and how well it meets all the relevant statutory criteria. However, it will not tell you everything you need to know about whether the care and environment provided by the nursery is right for your child. The only way to properly assess this is for you and your child to visit the nursery and to make observations. And, of course, you will want to ask lots of questions: speak to parents of children who attend the nursery, the nursery staff, and, if you can, ask for references and testimonials.

Questions to ask a day nursery – checklist

By asking the following questions, you are likely to get a good idea of the kind of care, learning and social environment a day nursery will provide:

Conclusion

Once you have found the day nursery that works for you and your child, you can book your child’s place and arrange for start times. This may feel daunting, but it is also really exciting and is a journey you and your child can undertake together. It will doubtless take some time for your son or daughter to adjust to their new surroundings just as it will take you some time to get used to the new reality of having them in daycare. As such, expect some hiccups along the way, but by taking time to plan ahead, you can at least ensure that the transition to day nursery runs as smoothly as possible.

Further Reading