Find out what to look for when choosing a nursery, with practical questions about daily routines, safeguarding, fees and settling in to help you find the right fit for your child.
Choosing a nursery can feel like a big step. You might be returning to work, looking for a little more flexibility or hoping your child will enjoy playing alongside other children. Whatever brings you here, you want to feel comfortable with the people caring for them.
But how do you choose a nursery when every website looks welcoming and you’re unsure what to ask?
A visit helps you picture everyday life beyond the photographs. You can meet the team, explore the rooms and talk about the things that matter to your family. This guide covers what to look for, useful questions and how to make the important decision.
Key takeaways
Start with your family’s everyday needs. Which days do you need? How will drop-offs fit around work? Would a nursery near home make collection easier?
Our nursery finder can help you explore nursery locations. Once you have a shortlist, arrange visits and give yourself time to ask questions.
Spend a moment watching the interactions around you. Are adults listening when children speak? Do they notice a baby reaching towards them? How do they help when two toddlers want the same toy?
Look for patience, warmth and interest in each child. A lovely room matters, but the relationships within it deserve just as much attention.
Ask about your child’s key person: the practitioner who gets to know them and builds a relationship with your family. Find out who provides continuity when that person is away.
Think about how your child would use the space. Can they reach suitable books and resources? Is there somewhere quieter to take a break? Are there opportunities for movement, imaginative play and getting messy?
Ask how children access fresh air and outdoor learning, including during colder weather. A useful answer explains what children actually do, how they are supervised and what clothing they need.
For babies, ask to see where feeding, changing and sleep happen.
You don’t need to see worksheets to understand what children are learning. Ask the team to explain an activity you notice and how they adapt it for different children.
Our MiChild Matters framework offers a starting point for discussing learning at MiChild. You might ask how a child’s fascination with vehicles becomes an opportunity for conversation, counting or imaginative play.
For nurseries in England, check the setting’s registration and available findings through Ofsted’s inspection report service. Read the details and the inspection date, rather than relying on a headline judgment.
Ask what the nursery has worked on since its inspection. If a setting has not yet been inspected, ask about its registration, leadership and approach to checking the quality of care.
Use this information alongside your visit. It helps you ask informed questions.
You don’t need to remember everything on the spot. Save your questions on your phone and start with those that will affect your child’s day most.
Ask the team to talk you through arrival, play, meals, rest and collection. Find out which parts are flexible and how routines change with children’s ages.
Useful follow-up questions include:
Check the available session types and hours against the care you need, including travel time.
Ask about the room team, their experience and relevant qualifications. How does the nursery organise staffing throughout the day, including breaks, sickness and holidays?
It’s also reasonable to ask about staff changes and how new practitioners get to know the children. Listen for a clear explanation of continuity and supervision.
Ask what you’ll hear at collection and how the team shares updates about meals, sleep, activities and wellbeing.
You should also know how to pass on information. Perhaps your child slept badly, has a new interest or is finding a family change difficult. Ask how that message reaches the people caring for them. Find out how to arrange a private conversation when something needs more time.
Ask to see a menu and discuss your child’s dietary needs. How are allergies recorded and communicated? What support is available for weaning or a child who is unsure about unfamiliar food?
Our information about food, nutrition and mealtimes can help you prepare questions before visiting.
Request a written breakdown for your chosen attendance pattern. Check what is included, any optional charges, deposits, payment dates and notice periods.
If you plan to use funded childcare, ask how it applies to those sessions and which costs remain payable. Our fees and funding information is a useful place to start before discussing your individual quote.
Also check arrangements for holidays, illness, closures and late collection. Understanding these details early helps you plan confidently.
Safeguarding can feel like a formal topic, but your questions can be straightforward. You’re asking how the nursery protects children and responds when something is wrong.
In England, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework sets requirements for children’s learning, development and welfare. You don’t need to memorise it before a visit. The nursery should be able to explain its procedures clearly.
Ask who leads safeguarding and who covers their absence. How are staff trained to recognise and report concerns? How does the nursery check that people working with children are suitable?
You can also ask how a parent would raise a concern about an adult’s conduct, including a manager. A clear answer should explain who receives the concern and how it is escalated.
Ask how visitors enter, how their identity is checked and how children are kept secure during busy handovers.
Discuss collection arrangements, too. What happens if a grandparent collects unexpectedly? How do you authorise another adult? What would staff do if someone arrived without permission?
These are everyday situations, so practical explanations are more helpful than general reassurance.
Ask about the procedures most relevant to your child:
You can ask about nappy changing, toileting and how children’s privacy and dignity are respected. Find out how the team explains care routines to children and responds when they are uncomfortable.
Ask which devices staff use for photographs, where images are stored and how your preferences are recorded. Check the rules for personal phones and visitors taking pictures.
Our key policies provide a starting point for further discussion. Ask to see the complaints procedure and find out how to contact the manager.
The responsibility for safe care belongs to the provider. Your role is to ask questions, share relevant information and expect concerns to be taken seriously.
Two children can experience the same room differently. One might head straight towards the construction toys, while another prefers to watch from your lap.
Neither reaction tells you everything about whether a nursery will suit them. Focus on how the adults respond and what they would do to help your child feel comfortable.
Ask how staff support children who prefer to observe before joining in. Can a familiar adult introduce activities gently? Is there somewhere calm to spend time together?
Share what helps at home, whether that’s a favourite story, a comforter or knowing what will happen next.
Our settling-in process includes at least five settling sessions, with additional time where needed. We also use an All About Me form to learn about your child’s routines, preferences and family. Ask how you’ll review those sessions together before the usual attendance pattern begins.
Look for opportunities to climb, build, dance and explore safely. Ask how staff support enthusiastic children with turn-taking and recognising when someone else needs space.
An active child may still need quiet moments. Find out how the team notices tiredness and helps children slow down without treating their energy as a problem.
Explain the support your child currently receives and what makes daily life easier. You can discuss concerns even if you don’t yet have a diagnosis.
Ask who coordinates special educational needs and disabilities support, how activities are adapted and how the nursery works with other professionals.
Every MiChild nursery has a trained special educational needs coordinator. Our SEND and inclusion approach explains more about working with families and planning support.
Discuss specific arrangements before booking, including accessibility, communication, medical needs and any training required.
Share your home language, family traditions and the names your child uses for important people. Ask how these will be reflected in conversations, books and everyday routines.
Choosing well means finding people willing to understand your child as an individual.
A visit is a snapshot. A child crying, a busy room or paint on a table does not automatically indicate poor care. Notice how staff respond and whether the explanation fits what you see.
Concerns worth following up include:
Ask for clarification while the details are fresh. You might say, “I noticed this during our visit. Could you explain what was happening?”
Consider the response. Does the person listen, explain and take responsibility where needed? If an important concern remains unresolved, give yourself time to reflect carefully before deciding.
After each visit, write down what you liked, what you learned and what still needs answering. Compare the same practical points across your shortlist, including your child’s needs, communication, availability and affordability.
If possible, bring your child along and allow a little time to explore together. You might notice things you would miss on your own, such as whether they can find a comfortable place to sit or how a practitioner introduces themselves. There is no need to expect them to join in straight away.
Before accepting a place, confirm the proposed start date and whether your requested sessions are available. Ask when settling visits can begin and what happens if your circumstances change. Keep the written information somewhere handy so you can check details afterwards. If you’re deciding with another parent or carer, compare your impressions while the visit is still fresh in your minds.
Knowing how to choose a nursery doesn’t mean finding a perfect first impression. It means gathering enough information to feel confident about everyday care.
Ready to meet us? Book a MiChild nursery visit, bring your questions and tell us about your little one. We’ll help you explore what nursery life could look like for your family.
