12 questions you need to ask when you visit a nursery

Once you've got a shortlist of nurseries your're considering for your child, you should pay them a visit. You can find the latest Ofsted inspection reports on the Ofsted website, but there's more to deciding on the best nursery than a great report. So what exactly should you be asking? Here are the 12 must-ask questions you should bring with you when you visit, so you can leave with all the vital info you want...

1. What’s your staff to child ratio?
2. What qualifications do your staff have?
3. How long have they worked here?
4. What’s a typical daily routine?
5. Will my child have a key worker ( one nursery-care worker who is based in my child’s room)?
6. How do you manage children’s behaviour?
7. How do you keep me informed of my child’s progress?
8. Where can my child rest?
9. How many weeks a year is the nursery open?
10. What’s the policy on taking children for extra days – how much more is it going to cost me?
11. My child has allergies and/or special needs. How will these be managed?
12. Can I see the nursery’s registration certificate and latest inspection report?