Day Nurseries

Day nurseries care for children and babies from three or four months old up to school age. They have to be registered with Ofsted 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.

By far the largest group of nurseries are those that are privately run.

There are many regulations that must be met in order for a nursery to meet the National Standards. For example, there are different child to adult ratios according to the age of the children. These ratios are:

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

The majority of nurseries open between 7.30 and 8.00 and close at 6 or 6.30. Some offer breakfast, some don't. Nurseries usually encourage the 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 remain 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. Nurseries offer children the opportunity to play with and be with other children all day, which can help develop social skills. The staff 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, with 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 child under two will cost £141 per week, which is over £7,300 per year. 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 £197 per week, or over £10,000 per year in inner London.

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.

There may also be visits from the Environmental Health Officer.

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