We understand that choosing a suitable nursery place for your child can be a daunting process. Parents often ask us what they should look out for when searching for a nursery. Although it is difficult to give “general” advice, there certainly are a few pointers and key questions that can help you – and we have listed some to help you on your quest to find the perfect nursery!

1. Always visit the nursery in person before going on their waiting list. It can be time consuming, but it really pays off.
   
   
2. Trust your gut instinct: do the children look happy – is it a reassuring sight, or do the children look bored? (tip: don’t be overly put-off by the odd bit of crying as long as the child in question is being comforted. Occasional crying is a fact of life for young children as they fall over or gently bump into each other. Be more concerned about the over-all feeling and atmosphere amongst the children.) Remember also, that a room which feels small to an adult may feel huge to a child. Ask to sit on the floor, or crouch down to see the room from a child’s perspective.
   
   
3. Ask how long the staff have been there. During your visit of the nursery, ask specifically how long each member of staff has been there. We would not send our own children to a nursery with high staff turnover because if the staff members are not happy to stay, then something’s not quite right. Besides, it takes time to build a trusting relationship with children; stability and continuity have many long-term benefits.
   
   
4. Ask about the menu: children need fresh fruit & vegetables as well as a balanced diet. It’s an easy area to cut costs – but not in your child’s best interests. Ask specifically how the nursery provides balanced meals. Using organic ingredients is seen by many to be important. You could also ask if the food is freshly prepared onsite, or if it’s pre-packaged and simply warmed up. At Mars we have followed the advice of a nutritionist when designing our menus, and follow the Caroline Walker Trust recommendations. (The Caroline Walker Trust guidelines are the “Gold Standard” when it comes to young children’s nutrition)
   
   
5. Outdoor space. Ideally every school would have large amounts of outdoor space – but even a small space is much much better than nothing at all. Again, look at the space from low down, as children experience size and space differently to adults.
   
   
6. The Montessori pedagogy or philosophy has an excellent reputation, and deservedly so in our opinion. It is a great way to bring out every child’s full potential and confidence. To make the most of this, a full range of expensive equipment is required. Sadly,  many settings claim to be “Montessori” whilst paying little or no attention to the Montessori Philosophy.  An easy way for you to see how genuine the ethos is, ask to be shown the Montessori equipment, and given a brief description of what it achieves. We have seen wonderful results in children who use the full range of Montessori materials – and hope as many setting will start using them as possible.

And as we said at the beginning - visit the nursery and trust your gut feelings.

4 Collins Yard, (off Islington Green), London N1 2XU - 020 7704 2805