Visiting a nursery or childminder is the single best way to work out whether it’s right for your child. Websites and brochures can only tell you so much. Walking through the door, watching the children play and talking to the people who’d be caring for your little one tells you far more.
But tours go quickly, and it’s easy to come home realising you forgot to ask half of what you meant to. This guide covers the questions worth asking, why they matter, and what a good answer sounds like. Some questions will matter more to you than others, and you’ll have your own to add. Maybe your child has a particular sleep routine, a health need or an allergy. Don’t shy away from asking anything you need answers to. A good provider will welcome your questions.
Before you visit
A little preparation makes your tour much more useful.
- Read the provider’s latest Ofsted report. Most nurseries publish it on their website, and every report is on the Ofsted site. If you can’t find it, or something in it raises a question, ask about it on the tour.
- Visit during normal hours if you can, so you see the setting in full swing rather than tidied up for show.
- Jot down your non-negotiables (hours, location, budget) and your nice-to-haves before you go.
Opening hours and flexibility
Drop off and pick up can be the most stressful part of any working parent’s day, so start with the practical stuff.
- What are your opening hours? Do you offer early starts or later pick ups?
- What happens if I’m running late?
- Are you open year round, or do you close for holidays? Which ones?
- Do you offer part time places or flexible days?
If the hours don’t fit around your work and there’s no flexibility, it’s better to know now. Some families find a childminder or a nanny works better for exactly this reason.
Ethos, curriculum and learning
Every nursery and childminder in England has to follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which sets the standards for learning, development and care from birth to age five. So the question isn’t whether they follow it, but how they bring it to life.
- What’s your ethos? What do you want children to learn while they’re with you?
- What does your curriculum look like day to day?
- How do you go beyond the basics of the EYFS?
- How will you support my child’s individual learning and development?
- How do I know what I can help my child with at home?
Listen for answers that sound specific and considered rather than rehearsed. A provider who lights up talking about what the children have been learning this week is a good sign.
A typical day: activities and outings
Ask what your child would actually be doing all day.
- What sorts of activities do you do throughout the day?
- How much time do children spend outdoors?
- Do you go on outings? Where do children go, who goes with them, and how many adults come along?
- Are there any extra activities, like music or forest school? Do they cost extra?
Getting out into the local community, plenty of outdoor play and a mix of structured and free play are all things to look for. If outings are part of the routine, it’s worth understanding exactly how they’re supervised.
The people caring for your child
Your child’s experience will be shaped most by the adults looking after them, so it’s worth spending time on this section.
- Who will look after my child? Do they work full time or part time?
- How does your key person system work? (Every child in a nursery should have a named key person who builds a close relationship with them and is your main point of contact.)
- How do you recruit your staff? What qualifications, experience and references do you look for?
- What’s your staff turnover like?
- How experienced are staff with babies, and what training have they had?
- What ongoing training do staff receive?
- How many staff have paediatric first aid? How many in my child’s room?
High staff turnover is worth probing. Children do best with consistent, familiar carers, and constant churn can be a sign of deeper problems. On first aid, the gold standard answer is that everyone working with children holds a current paediatric first aid certificate, not only one designated person.
For childminders, the questions shift slightly:
- Do you work alone or with an assistant?
- What happens when you’re ill or on holiday?
- Who else is in the house during the day?
Ratios and supervision
There need to be enough adults for every child to get proper attention, especially in a busy group setting.
- What are your child to adult ratios for my child’s age group?
- How do you maintain ratios at busy times, like early mornings, lunchtime and staff breaks?
In England the legal minimums are set out in the EYFS: for under twos it’s one adult to three children, for two year olds one to five, and for three and overs typically one to eight (or one to thirteen with a qualified teacher). Childminders can care for a maximum of six children under eight, of whom no more than three can be under five. Many good providers work to better ratios than the legal minimum, so ask what they actually do rather than what they’re required to do.
Sleep
If your child still naps, sleep arrangements matter a lot, and this is one area where settings differ hugely.
- Where will my child sleep?
- What supervision do children have while sleeping?
- Can you follow my child’s existing nap routine?
- What’s the sleep space like? Is it quiet, dark and calm?
Ask to see the sleep area on your tour. You’re looking for a safe, calm space and regular checks on sleeping children.
Food and mealtimes
- What food and meals do you provide? Can I have a copy of the menu?
- Who prepares the food? Is it cooked on site?
- How do you handle allergies, intolerances and dietary requirements?
- How do you approach fussy eating?
- Do you support weaning for babies?
A good provider will happily share their menus and talk you through how they manage allergies. If your child has a specific dietary need, ask exactly how they’d keep them safe, including how food is labelled and served.
Behaviour and big feelings
Tantrums, biting, sharing struggles. It’s all part of growing up, and how the adults respond matters enormously.
- How do you manage children’s behaviour?
- How do you help children understand and manage big feelings?
- What would you do if my child was having a hard time settling or was upset during the day?
- At what point would you contact me?
You’re listening for warmth and patience rather than punishment. Answers that talk about helping children name their feelings, staying calm and working with parents are what you want to hear.
Keeping you in the loop
You’ll want to know what your child got up to each day, and providers handle this differently.
- How do you share what my child has done during the day?
- Do you use an app, photos, a daily diary or a chat at pick up?
- How often will I get updates on my child’s learning and development?
- Do you hold parents’ evenings or progress reviews?
- How would you tell me about an accident, illness or incident?
There’s no single right answer here. Some parents love photo updates through the day, others are happy with a chat at pick up. What matters is that their approach works for you and that they’re proactive about anything important.
Fees, funding and the fine print
Nursery bills can hold surprises, so get clear on costs before you fall in love with a place.
- What do your fees include? Are nappies, wipes, food and activities covered, or charged separately?
- Do you accept government funded hours, and how do they apply in practice?
- Are there charges on top of funded hours, for example for meals or consumables?
- What’s your policy on holidays, sickness and absence? Do I still pay?
- How much notice do I need to give to leave, and is there a deposit or registration fee?
Ask for the full fee schedule in writing. The difference between two providers’ headline rates can vanish once you add up the extras.
Practical day to day questions
- What do I need to bring each day? (Think nappies, spare clothes, and outdoor kit like snowsuits, hats and suncream.)
- How does settling in work? How many sessions, and can I stay at first?
- What happens if my child becomes ill during the day?
- What’s your policy on medicines?
- How do you handle security at drop off and pick up?
Ofsted and safeguarding
- What was the result of your last Ofsted inspection?
- Was there anything the inspection asked you to improve, and what have you done about it?
- Who is your safeguarding lead, and what safeguarding training do staff have?
Most providers publish their Ofsted outcome proudly. If it’s not mentioned anywhere, ask. And remember an inspection is a snapshot. A provider’s answer about what they’ve improved since can tell you as much as the grade itself.
What to notice while you’re there
The questions matter, but so does what you see. While you’re touring, notice:
- Do the children seem happy, busy and absorbed in what they’re doing?
- Do staff get down to the children’s level and talk to them warmly?
- Is the space clean, safe and set up for children to explore?
- How does the person showing you round interact with the children as you walk through?
- Does it feel like somewhere your child would be happy?
That last one is hard to put on a checklist, but it’s often the thing parents remember most from a visit.
Trust your instincts
No provider will be perfect on every question, and you don’t need them to be. What you’re looking for is a place that’s open with you, warm with the children, and strong on the things that matter most to your family.
If something feels off, even if you can’t put your finger on why, keep looking. And if you walk out already imagining your child there, that tells you something too.