Day Nurseries

By far the largest group is the privately-run day nursery. Statistics from the Daycare Trust show that of the 7,500 registered nurseries in the UK in 2000,
7,100 are privately run day nurseries. Day nurseries take children and babies from three or four months old up to school age. They have to be registered with the local authority who will make regular inspections to ensure that health and safety, number of trained staff members, the size of class and child to adult ratio regulations are being maintained.

There are different child to adult ratios according to the age of the children, so most nurseries will have separate play areas for different age groups. The
ratios are:

• Under 2's: one adult to three babies/children
• 2's to 3's: one adult to four children
• 3's to 5's: one adult to eight children

What happens at nursery?
Nursery care should offer your child a friendly, bright and stimulating setting with lots of friends to play with, run by skilled and caring adults. Children who
go to high quality nurseries have the opportunity to develop their intellectual and social skills and build up their self-confidence in peer-groups.

A good nursery will have a structured play and learning programme, with plenty of opportunities for children to be creative but still have fun whilst they learn.
A typical day might include some or all of the following: painting, sticking, use of different materials and textures, building play, storytime, free choice
of play, music and singing, rest, messy play and outdoor play.

No nursery can run effectively without some kind of order. The majority open at 8am, and close at 6 or 6.30. Some offer breakfast, some don't. Nurseries
usually encourage their children to rest after lunch, so they will have a special area reserved for sleeping. If your baby starts nursery at quite a young age, they
should be able to sleep whenever they need to. Nurseries tend to find that babies adapt very quickly to the routine that is already in place, but if you know
that your baby will be going to a nursery, find out what their routine is, and start it off at home when your baby is old enough.

What are the pros and cons of nursery care?
One of the most important things to remember about nurseries is that they are usually open all year round. If one of the carers is sick, the nursery will
stay open. Added to this, a nursery setting will not change over the years, so a child who goes there will get to know the place and their routines well.
Also, nurseries offer children the chance to play with and be with other children all day, which can help develop their social skills. The staff there are trained
to give the children a stimulating and child-centred day - there is no shopping or ironing to be done here.

On the other hand, some parents prefer a more home based environment, especially for babies and young children. The nursery can be seen as a rather institutional environment, which can be seen to limit children. There is little opportunity to do ordinary things such as shopping or visiting friends in their homes.

A nursery will have a routine and the children will need to adapt to it, which some parents do not like. And if your child is sick, then they can't go to nursery, which means that you will have to take time off work or find another form of childcare.

High quality care tends to be found in nurseries where there is a high ratio of trained staff, a low adult to child ratio, and where the children play in
smaller rather than larger groups.

How much does a nursery place cost?
According to a recent survey by the Daycare Trust, a typical full-time nursery place for a two-year-old will cost over £110 per week. The price will of course partly
depend on where you live. As you would imagine, the figures are highest in London and the South East, with a typical place rising to £135 per week.

What inspections are carried out?
Nurseries have to be inspected regularly by Ofsted, who will produce a report on the nursery, which parents can ask to see. It will contain recommendations for improvements etc, , and you will be able to find out if those have been carried out when you visit a nursery.

The nursery will also be visited annually by Social Services, who may drop in at random at any time. There will also be an unannounced visit from the
Environmental Health Officer at some stage.

Are the staff qualified?
At least 50% of the staff of registered nurseries must be qualified.