What to expect during a nursery visit

Choosing a nursery is an exciting, but oftentimes overwhelming milestone. Whether you’re visiting a nursery for the first time or comparing multiple settings before making your decision, a nursery visit is the best way to see what daily life is really like.

A nursery tour gives you the opportunity to explore the environment, meet the people who will care for your child and ask the essential questions that matter most to your family and the wellbeing of your child. By the end of your visit, you should feel informed and feel confident about whether you’ve found the right nursery.

Here are some suggestions on what to ask and look out for during your time on the nursery visit.

Meet the nursery team

People make all the difference in your family’s nursery experience. During your nursery viewing, take the opportunity to meet the team, including the nursery manager, nursery practitioners and other nursery staff who will play a part in your child’s day.

Pay attention to how staff interact with all the children. Are they warm, engaged and encouraging? Do they listen, praise achievements through positive reinforcement, and create meaningful opportunities for play and learning? Do the management team seem to know the children’s names? These everyday interactions are key to supporting your child’s learning, wellbeing and social development.

At Grandir UK, our experienced teams are passionate about delivering high-quality early years education. We invest in ongoing staff training, ensuring our nursery teams have the knowledge and skills to support every child and their unique needs throughout their early years journey. During your visit, you can ask about staff qualifications, whether team members are first aid and paediatric aid trained, and how practitioners continue to develop their skills.

Explore the nursery environment

Every nursery setting is unique, so take time to look around both indoors and outdoors. Grandir UK nurseries are carefully designed to support children’s early development through inspiring learning spaces, resources and experiences. Ask about the different age-specific rooms, how children move between them as they grow, and how activities are planned for each age group in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Your nursery visit should take place during active learning hours, so keep an eye out on the various activities and resources they have readily available for children to interact with as they flow between their interests and routines.

Don’t forget to explore the outdoor space too. We believe outdoor play, outdoor learning, physical activity and plenty of fresh air are essential parts of a child’s development. Spending time outdoors helps children build confidence, develop new skills and explore the world around them through hands-on experiences.

Be sure to ask about nursery or education types and how that is reinforced in the day to day if that is something that is important to you. Each of our nurseries have implemented types they feel is best applicable to their community and the children they serve. Forest School, Montessori, etc are all popular within early years learning environments.

Ask about your child’s day

Understanding what a typical nursery day looks like can help you picture your child settling into nursery life. Ask about the daily routine, including mealtimes, naps, learning activities and pick up arrangements. It’s also worth finding out about opening hours, how the nursery communicates with parents, and how they’ll keep you updated on your child’s progress.

Our teams work closely with families to share observations, milestones and achievements through our Grandir UK app, helping parents stay involved in their child’s learning while supporting their development every step of the way.

If your child is starting out in the baby room, ask about how the team will help your child transition with their current routines – including nap times, weaning stages if applicable, bottle times and storage, and any other part of your current routine that is important to your child’s current phase.

Safety should always come first

Your child’s safety is always a top priority, so don’t be afraid to ask about the measures in place to keep children safe. Questions about staff to child ratios, safeguarding policies, emergency procedures, visitor management, locked doors and strict recruitment checks can help reassure you that the nursery provides a secure environment. You can also ask how the nursery supports children with additional needs, manages dietary requirements and promotes healthy eating through nutritious, balanced meals.

All Grandir UK nurseries are supported by our team of experts who are dedicated to ensuring all nurseries are run according to high standards and are trained to reinforce policies and measures throughout their settings. Our wonderful nursery practitioners have the resources and expert guidance at hand to ensure they are able to focus on what matters most – the development, wellbeing and safety of each child in their care.

Settling in and supporting your child

Starting nursery is a big milestone for both children and parents, and it’s completely normal to have questions about the transition. Ask whether the nursery offers settling-in sessions and how their settling-in process works. Many children experience separation anxiety at first, so understanding how the nursery team helps children settle can provide valuable reassurance.

If you have specific concerns or questions about your child’s settling in process, you should talk to your child’s relevant nursery practitioners about it and how they will specifically help them.

Your nursery visit checklist

Before you leave your nursery visit, take a moment to make sure you’ve covered the key things that will help you make the right decision for your child. Don’t be afraid to take a checklist written down or printed out to ensure you don’t forget anything that is important to you.

• Meet the nursery manager, nursery team and the practitioners who will support your child’s day.
• Explore the learning spaces, including age-specific rooms, play areas and the outdoor space. Ask about education type (Montessori, Forest School, etc) if that is important you,
• Observe how nursery staff interact with children and whether the environment feels warm, welcoming and engaging.
• Ask about your child’s daily routine, learning journey and how the nursery shares updates on their progress.
• Find out about staff qualifications, staff to child ratios, safeguarding and how children are kept safe.
• Discuss meals, healthy eating and how the nursery supports individual dietary requirements.
• Check practical details such as opening hours, availability, waiting lists and the next steps for securing a place.

Most importantly, think about how the nursery feels. Choosing the right setting is about finding a place where your child will be happy, supported and able to thrive throughout their early years journey. Your gut feel is often just as important as the practicalities.

Questions to ask during your nursery visit

Your nursery visit is the perfect opportunity to find out everything you need to know before choosing a nursery. While every family will have different priorities, these questions can help guide your conversation with the nursery team:

• What does a typical day look like for my child’s age group?
• Is there daily access to outdoor play?
• Is play mostly child-led or adult-directed?
• Are meals freshly prepared on-site?
• How do you support my child’s learning and development through the Early years foundation stage?
• How will you share updates about my child’s progress and learning journey?
• What does your settling-in process involve?
• Will your child have a dedicated key person?
• What are the next steps if we’d like to secure a place?
• How do you keep parents updated and involved?

Remember, no question is too small. A good nursery will welcome your questions and take the time to help you understand what makes their setting the right choice for your family.

Finding the right nursery for your family

Ultimately, choosing a nursery is about finding a place where your child will feel happy, supported and inspired to learn every day. During your nursery visit, trust your instincts. If the environment feels welcoming, the team is caring and knowledgeable, and you can picture your child thriving there, you’re well on your way to choosing the right nursery.

At Grandir UK, we’re proud to support families through every stage of their childcare journey. Our nurseries combine high-quality early childhood education, engaging learning experiences and strong partnerships with the local community to help every child flourish.

Ready to take the next step? Book a visit to your local Grandir UK nursery today. We’d love to welcome both you and your child, show you around, answer your questions and help you discover why so many families trust Grandir UK for their early years journey.