Every year the same thing happens. There are swathes of parents worrying about which nursery they’re going to choose for their offspring. They want it to be clean, safe, and fun for their children. The last thing they want is for someone to get hurt. It leaves them agonising for months over the decision.
If you have a number of nurseries shortlisted and you need to apply today, here are the things you should weigh up before making the final decision.
Inspections
All nurseries undergo inspections on a regular basis. Most of them are done on an annual basis, or at least once every two years. Ask to see the final reports from these inspections. This will tell you everything you need to know about the quality of the establishment.
In the UK, many nurseries have taken to publishing these inspection reports on their websites. If not, contact them and ask for a full copy to be emailed to you. If they can’t fulfil your request, look elsewhere.
Visit It
Obviously, you should visit the nursery. You shouldn’t ask to visit before or after everyone has left. This shows you nothing about what the nursery is like in the middle of the day when things are in the full swing. You should get a natural view of things and be invited to look in on the various sessions.
It also gives you a chance to get to know some of the teachers. You can see if they’re likely to get along with your child and if they’re going to cater to their needs.
This covers for the disadvantage of a formal inspection. They don’t have time to prepare anything special and you can look at things as they are now. You should be allowed to observe. Alternatively, if they try to cite child safety concerns, which are perfectly valid, move on to the next step.
Friends
You might have chosen a nursery because you have a friend who already sends their child. Ask if you can go and pick up the child with them. This gives you access to the nursery and allows you to see whether it’s clean and safe.
You can also ask other parents about what they think of the nursery. Ask them if they’ve ever had any concerns about the safety and cleanliness of the location. They are going to give you honest opinions, which you won’t necessarily get if you ask the carers.
Online Reputation
The Internet is a wonderful, magical place. It’s where anyone can express what they truly think under the shadow of anonymity. Nobody is as honest as they are online. They can tell people what they really think.
Type the name of your nursery into Google and see what people are saying about. They’ll be able to tell you if things are as well as they seem, and they won’t have any problems rubbishing something if there are any issues.
It’s always worth seeing if there have been any news reports on the company. Local news on something positive and negative can reveal lots of things about your selected nursery and whether you should apply today or not.
Frank Mitchell encourages you to apply today once you have found the perfect nursery for your child to secure their spot.