Choosing Nursery Care

Do you remember your first day at nursery? Were you tearful and clinging to Mum's leg, or did you wave goodbye without a backward glance? For many parents, one scenario can be just as painful as the other and both can result in more tears from Mum or Dad than from the child. Either way, it's natural to want your child's first experiences of school to be as good as, or better than your own.

There are constraints on every family's decision regarding pre-school education. Often it's money, or rather the lack of it, that is the major consideration. But location is also important and if you live in the middle of nowhere, you may find your choices restricted. And your child's age will also determine the type of nursery care your child needs. Before the age of about four, little Johnny won't formally be taught the 3 R's, but you should expect him to be part of a stimulating environment suited to his age.

According to the Daycare Trust, full-time private day-care costs an average of £140 per week in the UK, but can be as much as £350 in places like central London. At age four your child is entitled to a free nursery place, even if it is only part-time. And in some areas, free places are available for three-year-olds.

As far as the Early Years curriculum goes, the Government has introduced the Foundation Stage for 3-5 year-olds which is comprised of some early learning goals known, rather pompously, as Desirable Learning Outcomes. They emphasise the importance of learning through play, outdoor learning, the parent-school relationship and inclusion and are linked directly to the National Curriculum. To get government funding for places all pre-school groups are expected to follow the Foundation Stage principles, making the provision more uniform across the variety of nurseries and playgroups available.

What are the choices?

There are several different types of nursery care for children and it can be confusing.

State-run stand-alone nurseries and those attached to primary schools tend to offer only half-day sessions, although there maybe some full days in the few months leading up to primary school.

Day nurseries usually offer full and part-time places and tend to be run privately. If your child has been at a private day nursery there will probably be a provision for him to stay until he's five, before he goes to "big" school. It may make sense to keep him in a familiar environment rather than uprooting him to another nursery if he's happy. However, if the chosen "big" school has a nursery attached you may feel he is ready to make the move there sooner rather than later. The advantage of opting for the latter is that your child will almost certainly be guaranteed a place at that particular primary school.

Parents hoping to send their children to independent schools will sometimes have the option of starting them in a Pre-Prep school. The advantages, such as smaller class sizes, may be outweighed by the costs though.

Finally there are also the Montessori and Steiner forms of nursery schooling. Although seen as alternatives, both methods have shaped what we now perceive as "regular" teaching. In brief, Montessori encourages children to learn at their own pace (using specially designed equipment) while the Steiner schools advocate the spiritual development of children, encouraging emotional maturity and moral responsibility towards the earth and fellow humans. It may sound a bit "hippy-ish" but you'll find similar philosophies, maybe worded slightly differently, in most school prospectuses.

How do I choose?

When I started trying to find a nursery for my four-year-old, I initially asked my Health Visitor which one she thought was the best. (Any mums and dads who've stopped reading after the words "Health" and "Visitor", please bear with me -- I know these words can strike fear into the hearts of the most courageous of parents but good Health Visitors know what's available in your area). Their perspective will also be a little more objective than information from the nursery itself: They will know kids who attend the local nurseries and will be able to pass on first-hand knowledge of, for example, special needs and general attitude. Other parents are also obviously a good source of information and it's always worth checking the relevant Ofsted reports as they carry out independent inspections on nurseries and the facilities they offer.

Once you've done a bit of initial research, you can plan your campaign and it may well turn out to feel like that!

You could (a) phone around to arrange a formal visit or (b) turn up in person to book your appointment. I found the latter was much more fun and I got to see the school in action when they weren't expecting me. You'll also find out what security is like on the premises: Could you just walk in off the street and find your way to the classrooms without being asked who you were? Or did you have to fight your way through various locked gates and intercom systems? (I found examples of both). You will probably have to arrange a more formal visit if you want more time to ask more detailed questions and get a proper "tour". Don't expect them to accommodate you fully if you just turn up.

Before you go for a formal visit, write down any questions you wish to ask and make a mental note to check for signs that the nursery is well run. The most important thing is whether you like the "feel" of the place, but here are a few others:

• Is the school bright, airy and well-kept?
• Is the children's artwork enthusiastically displayed?
• Are there enough activities going on for the numbers of children there and do they seem happy?
• What's the ratio of staff to children?
• How do they deal with bad behaviour?
• What provision do they make to ensure the right person collects the child?
• Does the playground look safe and are the children well supervised?

Finally, I have, of course, assumed that you're going to send your children to nursery but I don't like assuming anything, so hang on. It's education that is compulsory, not school. I struggled long and hard with this one and seriously considered home schooling. Whilst education is important for the child, the well-being of the family as a whole needs careful consideration too. Would my daughter and I get fed up with each other, as I would have to be the "teacher"? Could we afford for me not to return to work for however many years? What exactly would she be missing by not attending school? What would be the social implications, if any? Anyway, having weighed up the pros and cons we decided we'd take the nursery route... for now!

Useful links: Daycare Trust | ChildcareLink