Questions you might ask when visiting a nursery:

• Is the nursery registered with social services? (Can you see the certificate displayed? Ask to see it)
• Is there a recent Ofsted report that you can look at?
• What is the ratio of staff to child? (Are these ratios are maintained during lunch hours and breaks)
• How are the staff supported? (Is there in-house training, or mentoring/supervision systems, or support networks for the staff?)
• What is the staff turnover like? (very important, this, to see whether the staff are happy, and stay for lengthy periods. It is not ideal to send your child to a nursery where there is a high turnover of staff, with frequently changing faces)
• Is there a key worker system? (This is where every baby or child is assigned a special nursery nurse to liaise with the parents, tell them about their day, stay in close contact with child and parent and so build up relationships)
• How many of the staff are qualified in first aid?
• How many accidents have there been in the past year?
• How are parents involved in the nursery? (Are there parents evenings? Are parents encouraged to visit?)
• What is the policy on sickness?
• How/where do the babies/children sleep?
• How does the nursery stop unauthorised people entering the building? (And how do they ensure that the right person collects the children?)
• How are the children settled in? (Sally Green, manager of Toad Hall Nursery near Guildford says that they reassure both parents and children by having trial sessions and settling in sessions. She says, 'It's a matter of building up trust. You have got to get to know who is looking after your child before you leave them. Once you see them and know how they behave and what they do, you feel more confident.')
• What does the nursery want to know from you? (It's really important that the nursery asks you about your child, her habits, likes and dislikes, and tries to incorporate them as much as possible into their routine. A good nursery will try help your child to adapt gradually)
• Do the children look happy and occupied? (The acid test)
• Does the staff look happy in what they are doing? (Another acid test)
• Are the walls decorated with the children's own work? (Beware the nursery that has lots of posters and drawings - but not the original work of the children)
• What do they do if your child is unhappy? (And you should think about what you want them to do)
• How do they respond to bad behaviour?
• Does the nursery feed into a particular first school?

You may think of other questions when you make your visit. The chances are that you will think of other questions once you have left, but you should ring up and ask, or go back again, until you feel satisfied.