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How to choose the best nursery for your child

Blog

28 February 2022

No matter what age your child begins nursery, choosing the right nursery for them is no easy task. Knowing what to look for when choosing a nursery is the best thing when it comes to choosing the best daycare nursery for your child.

Questions to ask when choosing a nursery

Asking questions is an important step when choosing a nursery for your little one. These questions help you understand our nursery, our practices and help us get to know your needs and your child.

Over the years, we’ve been asked many questions. Here are some of our most asked questions:

What qualifications do the staff have in this nursery?

All our staff in all of our Kids Planet Day Nurseries are qualified to Level 3 in Childcare or higher, and those who do not have a Level 3 qualification are actively working and studying towards one.

Are all the Kids Planet staff DBS checked?

Absolutely, yes! Prior to starting their Early Years careers it’s mandatory for all of our staff to complete and pass a DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service).

What are the staff to children ratios in your nursery?

To ensure your children’s safety and happiness, we always make sure that our staff to children ratios meet the Early Years Foundation Stage standards. The ratios are –

  • Children aged 0 – 2 years: 1 adult : 3 children
  • Children aged 2 – 3 years: 1 adult : 4 children
  • Children over age 3 years: 1 adult : 8 children
  • Children over age 3 years with an EYP or Practitioner: 1 adult : 13 children

How do Kids Planet Nursery support my child’s learning and development?

Our nurseries have been designed with your child in mind, giving them an enabling environment that provides them with the space and resources they need to play, learn and explore. 

We arrange activities with your children that encourage them to exercise their creativity and self-awareness to help them develop their motor skills, critical thinking and social interaction. Read more about our approach.

toddlers playing inside at nursery

Do you track my child’s progress and report back to me?

Each child that attends our nurseries is allocated a key person with who they build a special bond and friendship. Your child’s key person will be located in the room your child will be attending and will track the child’s learning and development progress in line with the EYFS standards.

Should you have any questions about your little one’s development, learning or behaviours, your child’s key person will be there to answer any questions and support you both.

How can I check on my child during the day whilst they’re at nursery?

Although the majority of our nurseries have CCTV throughout, this is not accessible to parents. We do however have monitors in our nursery receptions where you can watch your child before and after pick up, during the settling in process and catch a sneak peek of what they’re up to.

What we offer in place of live footage is access to ParentZone. ParentZone is an interactive app that allows us to communicate with you throughout the day, share photos and videos of your child and what they get up to and allows you to share information with us at all times.

Can you follow my child’s home routine during their time at nursery?

We do our very best to ensure there is a smooth transition into the nursery and work hard to follow their usual routines. We find this method is great for children who are reliant on routine as it helps them find familiarities between their home life and nursery life, helping them settle in faster.

You can discuss your individual child’s needs and routine with our nursery managers. Find your local nursery and get in touch.

Do you have an outdoor play area at this Kids Planet nursery?

Children love outdoor activities and our nurseries have a modern garden and outdoor play areas full of toys and equipment for your little ones to use. We go outside to play no matter the weather and your child will often have direct access to the garden to play out as much as they’d like.

We also regularly go on trips outside of the nursery! Keep up to date with what we get up to across all of our nurseries on Instagram.

Can you support my child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)?

Kids Planet understands the importance and power that an inclusive environment has and we’re fully committed to adapting our care to the needs of individual children.

children playing outside at nursery

Consider your needs when choosing a nursery

So you’ve found the perfect nursery for your child, but does it meet your needs as a busy parent? When choosing the perfect nursery, finding a setting that suits your needs is just as important as catering to your child’s requirements.

Choosing the perfect nursery location for you

One common and important factor to consider when choosing a nursery is its location. Many parents choose to have their nursery close to work or home depending on what suits their routine best, and some also try to choose a nursery close to the family should they need to arrange a pick up with a significant family member.

Kids Planet has over 200 nurseries across the North of the UK, and with our easy-to-use Find a Nursery tool, you’ll be able to find a nursery in the perfect location.

Is the nursery open during the hours you need childcare?

Kids Planet Day Nurseries was founded for parents who need flexible childcare, by a parent who was looking for flexible childcare! Using our Find a Nursery tool, you can find your local nursery and check the specific opening times for that setting.

How to choose a high-quality nursery

We all want the best for our children and having a look at previous nursery Ofsted reports and parental-peer nursery reviews is a great way to gauge how good the nursery is from a non-biased point of view.

Kids Planets nurseries strive to achieve the best Ofsted reports for all of our nursery settings and are proud to earn Outstanding ratings for many of our nurseries. To see the Ofsted rating of your nursery, use our Find a Nursery tool and search your postcode and search radius. Nurseries that do not have an Ofsted rating are awaiting their Ofsted review and you can contact the nursery for more information on that.

Alongside Ofsted reports, peer-review is really important and we frequently reach out to the parents for feedback to ensure we’re always providing the best for your child. 

And most importantly – trust your gut instinct. An often overlooked and ignored method of gauging the sincerity and trustworthiness of a setting and the people involved, but listening to your parental instinct is a great way to select a setting. You know your child better than anyone! 

Book a visit to your local Kids Planet Day Nursery setting and ask us some questions, get to know us and see if we’re the perfect match for you and your child.

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