Early Years, Nursery, Parenting, Decision Making
Early Years, Nursery, Parenting, Decision Making
What Questions Should I ask when visiting Nursery
What Questions Should I ask when visiting Nursery
You don't really choose a nursery from the internet and google. You feel it in the room, in the people, in what isn't said.
You don't really choose a nursery from the internet and google. You feel it in the room, in the people, in what isn't said.
The challenge
The challenge
Most parents walk into the nursery asking surface level questions. Fees, food, routines. Important, of course. But these won't tell you how your child will actually feel. And that's where the real decision lives.
Most parents walk into the nursery asking surface level questions. Fees, food, routines. Important, of course. But these won't tell you how your child will actually feel. And that's where the real decision lives.
Most parents walk into the nursery asking surface level questions. Fees, food, routines. Important, of course. But these won't tell you how your child will actually feel. And that's where the real decision lives.
Josh E
Josh E
The Journey
The Journey
walking into a nursery for the first time can feel a little overwhelming. You want to ask the right questions, but its hard to know what 'right' looks like when you've never done this before. The good news? You don't need a clipboard full of questions. You need a handful of good ones, and the confidence to trust what you notice.
In England, the Department for Education sets out legal framework that registered early years providers must follow. the EYFS. It is explicit that safeguarding and welfare requirements exist to help providers create high quality, safe and welcoming nurseries and that 'children learn best when they are healthy, safe, and secure'
On safeguarding, EYFS expects a named designated safeguarding lead and written safeguarding policies that cover
What to do when there are concerns about a child
What to do if there is an allegation against a staff member
How phones and cameras are used
How suitability of employees are checked
These are not abstract requirements, they should translate into documents, training records, and confident answers. (who the DSL is, what staff do if they are worried, and how concerns are recorded and escalated).
Of inspection and regulation in England, Ofsted sets expectations in its inspection materials. The 2025 early years inspection toolkit is very “culture” focused: inspectors evaluate whether leaders create a safeguarding culture where staff and parents feel comfortable raising concerns and confident action will be taken. Ofsted also explains to the public that it risk-assesses information it receives and that concerns can lead to regulatory activity, including inspection without notice in some situations.
Safeguarding in England sits within wider statutory expectations, including Working together to safeguard children, which defines safeguarding as including protecting children from maltreatment and preventing impairment of children’s health or development, and explicitly includes early education and childcare settings in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
UK-wide note: inspection bodies and frameworks differ across nations, but your question set largely holds. Wales: Care Inspectorate Wales publishes childcare inspection reports and provides a service directory.
Checklist of Questions to Ask on a Visit
Area | Questions to Ask |
|---|---|
Safeguarding | Who is the Designated Safeguard Lead What happens if a staff member is worried about a child What's your procedure for an allegation against staff |
Illness and Infection Control | What counts as 'to ill' to attend nursery What are your exclusion periods How do you handle outbreaks How do you reduce infection |
Allergies and Anaphylaxis | How do you collect and share allergy information Who is trained to respond to allergies |
Behaviour and Physical Intervention | How do you respond to biting and hitting What do you never do Do you use physical intervention? in what situations |
Complaints and Escalation | Can I have your complaints procedure Who investigates and in what time frame |
Staff Structure | Who is my child's room leader How are staff supervised Do you use agency staff |
Ratios and Group Size | What ratios do you run How many children are they at peak times What happens to ratios with sick staff |
Qualification and Training | What proportion of staff are level 2 and 3 Who is first aid trained What does induction cover |
Turnover and Leadership | How long have the room leaders been in the room What was your staff turn over last year What is your sickness rate |
Hours and Late Collection | Opening and closing times Late collection fees |
Fees and Funding | Full fee list and what's included How do funded hours work in practice |
Curriculum and EYFS | How do you plan learning How do you support language development What does a typical day look like |
Food | Who prepares the food How do you meet healthy food standards How do you prevent choking |
Settling-in | Is settling gradual How flexible if my child struggles Are comforters allowed |
Communication with Parents | How do you update parents How are accidents reported Do you do progress check at age 2 and share it |
Outdoor Play | Do children have access to outdoor areas What's your approach to bad weather How do you manage safety on outings |
SEND support and inclusion | Who is the SENCO What reasonable adjustments do you make |
Transitions | How do you support transitions What does school readiness mean |
How to Interpret Answers
A nursery tour is a performance, yours should be, too. The trick is to ask for observable evidence and listen for operational detail.
A green flag is when leaders talk in processes and examples: “Our DSL is X; if a concern arises we record it on Y system; we escalate to children’s social care using Z pathway”—and they can show the paper trail (policies, training renewal cycles, incident records with identifiers removed). EYFS is clear that safeguards must be implemented, not merely written down.
An amber flag is vagueness disguised as warmth (“we’re like family”, “we just know”, “we’ve never had to deal with that”). Parent forums repeatedly identify “staff turnover” and inconsistency as core worries—because children’s experience is relational, not transactional. One Mumsnet poster argues it’s worth directly asking turnover because it signals “how consistent the care will be”
A red flag is defensive minimisation: reluctance to share policies; unclear accountability; or answers that conflict with core expectations (for example, not knowing who has paediatric first aid on shift, or being unclear who checks allergies at mealtimes). EYFS expects clear responsibility in high-risk moments (medicines, allergies, accidents).
On fees and funding, listen for transparency. In England, statutory guidance is blunt: funded hours must be accessible free of charge, with no mandatory charges attached; any “extras” must be voluntary, itemised, and parents must be able to opt out and still receive compliant provision. That means your questions should target invoice structure, opt-out routes, and what happens at age milestones (e.g., when funded entitlements change).
Montessori VS. Conventional Nurseries
The label matters less than implementation. EYFS explicitly says it “does not prescribe a particular teaching approach” and places play at the heart of learning. So, a Montessori nursery in England still needs to deliver EYFS outcomes and meet the same safeguarding, ratio, and welfare duties; a “conventional” nursery may also use Montessori-like practices (child-sized tools, practical life, extended child-led periods). Montessori descriptions from Association Montessori Internationale emphasise a carefully prepared environment for child-centred learning, mixed-age groupings, accessible materials for free choice, and learning driven by trained adult observation rather than imposed schedules.
Dimension | Montessori Learning | Blended | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
Daily Rhythm | Longer uninterrupted work periods. Less 'everyone do the same thing' | Often a mix of child led play and adult guided activities aligned to EYFS areas | 'show me yesterdays timetable for this room. How much is uninterrupted child choice vs adult led? |
Environment | Structured 'prepared environment' materials laid out for independent access, adult observes and presents lessons | Learning areas, stations, adult scaffolding, flexible planning based on observation and needs. | 'How do you stop 'free play' becoming supervision only? 'what staff do in child led time? |
Social Grouping | Mixed age groups are often core. includes peer learning and longer relationships | Usually age banded rooms with transitions, quality depends on handover planning | 'how do you handle room moves without breaking attachments with key adults? |
Behaviour Approach | Often emphasises independence, relies on the environment design and adult modelling | Often explicit routines and behaviour support tied to policy, critical to avoid punitive practice. | 'what happens after a biting incident, what is the written action plan and who leads it |
Best fit for | Children who thrive in calm structure and self paced work | Children who thrive in group routines and varied adult-led activities | 'how do you adapt for children who need more movement, sensory input or predictability |
In England, the Department for Education sets out legal framework that registered early years providers must follow. the EYFS. It is explicit that safeguarding and welfare requirements exist to help providers create high quality, safe and welcoming nurseries and that 'children learn best when they are healthy, safe, and secure'
On safeguarding, EYFS expects a named designated safeguarding lead and written safeguarding policies that cover
What to do when there are concerns about a child
What to do if there is an allegation against a staff member
How phones and cameras are used
How suitability of employees are checked
These are not abstract requirements, they should translate into documents, training records, and confident answers. (who the DSL is, what staff do if they are worried, and how concerns are recorded and escalated).
Of inspection and regulation in England, Ofsted sets expectations in its inspection materials. The 2025 early years inspection toolkit is very “culture” focused: inspectors evaluate whether leaders create a safeguarding culture where staff and parents feel comfortable raising concerns and confident action will be taken. Ofsted also explains to the public that it risk-assesses information it receives and that concerns can lead to regulatory activity, including inspection without notice in some situations.
Safeguarding in England sits within wider statutory expectations, including Working together to safeguard children, which defines safeguarding as including protecting children from maltreatment and preventing impairment of children’s health or development, and explicitly includes early education and childcare settings in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
UK-wide note: inspection bodies and frameworks differ across nations, but your question set largely holds. Wales: Care Inspectorate Wales publishes childcare inspection reports and provides a service directory.
Checklist of Questions to Ask on a Visit
Area | Questions to Ask |
|---|---|
Safeguarding | Who is the Designated Safeguard Lead What happens if a staff member is worried about a child What's your procedure for an allegation against staff |
Illness and Infection Control | What counts as 'to ill' to attend nursery What are your exclusion periods How do you handle outbreaks How do you reduce infection |
Allergies and Anaphylaxis | How do you collect and share allergy information Who is trained to respond to allergies |
Behaviour and Physical Intervention | How do you respond to biting and hitting What do you never do Do you use physical intervention? in what situations |
Complaints and Escalation | Can I have your complaints procedure Who investigates and in what time frame |
Staff Structure | Who is my child's room leader How are staff supervised Do you use agency staff |
Ratios and Group Size | What ratios do you run How many children are they at peak times What happens to ratios with sick staff |
Qualification and Training | What proportion of staff are level 2 and 3 Who is first aid trained What does induction cover |
Turnover and Leadership | How long have the room leaders been in the room What was your staff turn over last year What is your sickness rate |
Hours and Late Collection | Opening and closing times Late collection fees |
Fees and Funding | Full fee list and what's included How do funded hours work in practice |
Curriculum and EYFS | How do you plan learning How do you support language development What does a typical day look like |
Food | Who prepares the food How do you meet healthy food standards How do you prevent choking |
Settling-in | Is settling gradual How flexible if my child struggles Are comforters allowed |
Communication with Parents | How do you update parents How are accidents reported Do you do progress check at age 2 and share it |
Outdoor Play | Do children have access to outdoor areas What's your approach to bad weather How do you manage safety on outings |
SEND support and inclusion | Who is the SENCO What reasonable adjustments do you make |
Transitions | How do you support transitions What does school readiness mean |
How to Interpret Answers
A nursery tour is a performance, yours should be, too. The trick is to ask for observable evidence and listen for operational detail.
A green flag is when leaders talk in processes and examples: “Our DSL is X; if a concern arises we record it on Y system; we escalate to children’s social care using Z pathway”—and they can show the paper trail (policies, training renewal cycles, incident records with identifiers removed). EYFS is clear that safeguards must be implemented, not merely written down.
An amber flag is vagueness disguised as warmth (“we’re like family”, “we just know”, “we’ve never had to deal with that”). Parent forums repeatedly identify “staff turnover” and inconsistency as core worries—because children’s experience is relational, not transactional. One Mumsnet poster argues it’s worth directly asking turnover because it signals “how consistent the care will be”
A red flag is defensive minimisation: reluctance to share policies; unclear accountability; or answers that conflict with core expectations (for example, not knowing who has paediatric first aid on shift, or being unclear who checks allergies at mealtimes). EYFS expects clear responsibility in high-risk moments (medicines, allergies, accidents).
On fees and funding, listen for transparency. In England, statutory guidance is blunt: funded hours must be accessible free of charge, with no mandatory charges attached; any “extras” must be voluntary, itemised, and parents must be able to opt out and still receive compliant provision. That means your questions should target invoice structure, opt-out routes, and what happens at age milestones (e.g., when funded entitlements change).
Montessori VS. Conventional Nurseries
The label matters less than implementation. EYFS explicitly says it “does not prescribe a particular teaching approach” and places play at the heart of learning. So, a Montessori nursery in England still needs to deliver EYFS outcomes and meet the same safeguarding, ratio, and welfare duties; a “conventional” nursery may also use Montessori-like practices (child-sized tools, practical life, extended child-led periods). Montessori descriptions from Association Montessori Internationale emphasise a carefully prepared environment for child-centred learning, mixed-age groupings, accessible materials for free choice, and learning driven by trained adult observation rather than imposed schedules.
Dimension | Montessori Learning | Blended | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
Daily Rhythm | Longer uninterrupted work periods. Less 'everyone do the same thing' | Often a mix of child led play and adult guided activities aligned to EYFS areas | 'show me yesterdays timetable for this room. How much is uninterrupted child choice vs adult led? |
Environment | Structured 'prepared environment' materials laid out for independent access, adult observes and presents lessons | Learning areas, stations, adult scaffolding, flexible planning based on observation and needs. | 'How do you stop 'free play' becoming supervision only? 'what staff do in child led time? |
Social Grouping | Mixed age groups are often core. includes peer learning and longer relationships | Usually age banded rooms with transitions, quality depends on handover planning | 'how do you handle room moves without breaking attachments with key adults? |
Behaviour Approach | Often emphasises independence, relies on the environment design and adult modelling | Often explicit routines and behaviour support tied to policy, critical to avoid punitive practice. | 'what happens after a biting incident, what is the written action plan and who leads it |
Best fit for | Children who thrive in calm structure and self paced work | Children who thrive in group routines and varied adult-led activities | 'how do you adapt for children who need more movement, sensory input or predictability |
“You’re not choosing a building. You’re choosing the emotional space your child will grow inside.”
“You’re not choosing a building. You’re choosing the emotional space your child will grow inside.”
Josh E
Josh E
“You’re not choosing a building. You’re choosing the emotional space your child will grow inside.”
Josh E
Reviews in the Wild: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Reviews and forum threads are not clinical evidence, but they are valuable because they reveal failure modes and what parents notice. The trick is to treat each quote as a prompt for a question you then verify with the nursery.
The good: consistency, warmth, and communication. On Daynurseries.co.uk, one review excerpt praises a nursery because “The staff are very caring” and there is “low staff turnover”, alongside “regular updates”. On Trustpilot, a positive chain review example describes staff as “kind, patient” who “genuinely care” And on Mumsnet, parents commonly frame turnover and key-worker allocation as central to “consistent” care.
Turn this into verification questions: “What’s the average tenure of staff in this room?” “How do daily updates work—who writes them and when?” EYFS expects nurseries to share how staffing is organised and the name of the child’s key person.
The bad: turnover, hygiene, and ‘surprise’ policies. Parent threads are blunt about what feels unacceptable. One Mumsnet comment lists “High staff turnover, dirty and wet nappies not being changed and bruising… are all red flags”. On Reddit, a UK parenting thread suggests asking directly about “policies around the 3 year old funding” because “you don’t want surprises”. On a public Facebook group post about invoices, one excerpt describes a “surprise” bill change: “our bill has increased 75%… as our daughter has turned three”. Turn this into verification questions: ask to see the sickness/exclusion policy and cleaning schedule; ask how nappy changes are logged; ask for a “worked example invoice” showing funded hours separately from paid hours and optional extras—because statutory guidance expects itemised invoices and clear opt-out routes for chargeable extras.
The ugly: safeguarding breakdowns and regulatory action. The ugliest scenarios are when a setting’s systems fail: ratios, supervision, safeguarding processes, or suitability checks. An Ofsted outcome summary (March 2026) records concerns raised about “safeguarding policies and procedures”, “staff: child ratios”, “risk assessment”, “complaints”, and “toilets and intimate hygiene”, and that the provider had failed to notify a significant event. These summaries also note that Ofsted publishes complaint details for five years where action was taken to meet legal requirements.
Turn this into verification questions: “Show me your log of serious incidents and how you decide what gets notified to the regulator.” “What’s your process for suitability checks for leaders/directors?” “How do you make sure intimate care is safe and respectful?”
Reviews in the Wild: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Reviews and forum threads are not clinical evidence, but they are valuable because they reveal failure modes and what parents notice. The trick is to treat each quote as a prompt for a question you then verify with the nursery.
The good: consistency, warmth, and communication. On Daynurseries.co.uk, one review excerpt praises a nursery because “The staff are very caring” and there is “low staff turnover”, alongside “regular updates”. On Trustpilot, a positive chain review example describes staff as “kind, patient” who “genuinely care” And on Mumsnet, parents commonly frame turnover and key-worker allocation as central to “consistent” care.
Turn this into verification questions: “What’s the average tenure of staff in this room?” “How do daily updates work—who writes them and when?” EYFS expects nurseries to share how staffing is organised and the name of the child’s key person.
The bad: turnover, hygiene, and ‘surprise’ policies. Parent threads are blunt about what feels unacceptable. One Mumsnet comment lists “High staff turnover, dirty and wet nappies not being changed and bruising… are all red flags”. On Reddit, a UK parenting thread suggests asking directly about “policies around the 3 year old funding” because “you don’t want surprises”. On a public Facebook group post about invoices, one excerpt describes a “surprise” bill change: “our bill has increased 75%… as our daughter has turned three”. Turn this into verification questions: ask to see the sickness/exclusion policy and cleaning schedule; ask how nappy changes are logged; ask for a “worked example invoice” showing funded hours separately from paid hours and optional extras—because statutory guidance expects itemised invoices and clear opt-out routes for chargeable extras.
The ugly: safeguarding breakdowns and regulatory action. The ugliest scenarios are when a setting’s systems fail: ratios, supervision, safeguarding processes, or suitability checks. An Ofsted outcome summary (March 2026) records concerns raised about “safeguarding policies and procedures”, “staff: child ratios”, “risk assessment”, “complaints”, and “toilets and intimate hygiene”, and that the provider had failed to notify a significant event. These summaries also note that Ofsted publishes complaint details for five years where action was taken to meet legal requirements.
Turn this into verification questions: “Show me your log of serious incidents and how you decide what gets notified to the regulator.” “What’s your process for suitability checks for leaders/directors?” “How do you make sure intimate care is safe and respectful?”
Ready to find your path?
Ready to find your path?
If this story resonates with you, maybe it’s time to start your own journey
If this story resonates with you, maybe it’s time to start your own journey
Prefer to chat first? Send me an email or connect with us on social, I'm always happy to help.
Prefer to chat first? Send me an email or connect with us on social, I'm always happy to help.