How to choose a nursery in England: a parent's checklist
How to choose a nursery in England: types of setting, EYFS ratios, reading Ofsted reports, what funded hours cover, and the questions to ask on a visit.
Choosing a nursery comes down to four things: a setting that fits your hours and journey, a recent Ofsted inspection you are comfortable with, a price you understand in full once funded hours are counted, and a room where you can picture your child being happy. Work out what you need first, shortlist three or four settings nearby, read their latest Ofsted reports and check the date, then visit and ask the same questions everywhere. Every registered nursery in England must meet national legal minimums on ratios, qualifications, first aid, safe sleep and food, so your visit is about how well a setting goes beyond them.
This guide is for parents in England choosing childcare for a baby, toddler or preschool child. It covers the types of setting, what the rules guarantee, how to read inspection reports old and new, what nurseries can and cannot charge for funded hours, and a checklist for your visit.
Start with what your family needs
Before you look at any nursery, write down the practical limits. They will rule out more options than anything else.
- Hours and days. Full days or shorter sessions? Which days, and how fixed are they?
- Opening pattern. All year round, or term time only? Many pre-schools and school nurseries close in school holidays.
- Start date and age. Places for babies can be the hardest to find. Check whether a setting takes children your child's age now and as they grow.
- Location. Near home or near work? Think about pick-up on the day you are running late, and about who collects if you are ill.
- Budget. Know which funded hours you might get and when they start, so you can compare the real cost.
- Your child. A quiet child may do better in a smaller setting. If your child has additional needs, a nursery's support for them matters more than almost anything else on this list.
Types of nursery and childcare
In Ofsted's data, most nurseries are registered as "childcare on non-domestic premises", which just means care that is not in someone's home. These are the main options in England.
| Setting | What it usually offers | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Day nursery | Long days, often from around 8am to 6pm, all year round, for babies up to school age | Recorded by Ofsted as full day care. Often run privately, by a charity or by a nursery group |
| Pre-school or playgroup | Shorter sessions, often in term time, mostly for children aged 2 to 5 | Recorded as sessional day care, usually in blocks of under four hours, according to Dudley Council |
| School nursery class | Sessions in a primary school, usually for 3 and 4 year olds, and sometimes 2 year olds | Inspected as part of the school, and usually led by a qualified teacher. Usually term time only |
| Maintained nursery school | A standalone state school for young children | Inspected by Ofsted as a school, not as a childcare provider |
| Independent school nursery | The nursery or pre-prep class of a fee-paying school | May charge fees on top of any funded hours |
| Childminder | Care usually in the childminder's own home, often with flexible hours | Separate rules: a childminder can care for up to six children under eight, of whom no more than three may be young children, and should normally have only one under one |
Out-of-school clubs, such as breakfast and after-school clubs, are also registered childcare, but they are for school-age children.
FindMySchool lists group settings, not childminders. Our nursery pages cover Ofsted-registered childcare on non-domestic premises, which Ofsted records as full day care, sessional day care or out-of-school day care, plus nursery provision attached to schools. If you are considering a childminder, your council's Family Information Service can tell you who is registered locally.
Montessori, forest school and other approaches
Some nurseries follow a named approach. Broadly, Montessori settings emphasise child-led activity with specially designed materials, forest school settings spend much of the day learning outdoors, and Steiner settings put a strong emphasis on play, rhythm and routine.
Whatever the approach, every Ofsted-registered group setting and school in England must follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the government's framework for learning, development and care from birth to five. A setting whose established principles conflict with the EYFS can apply for an exemption from some of its learning and development requirements. Exemptions do not cover the safeguarding and welfare requirements, which apply everywhere. The name on the sign does not tell you how much of the approach a nursery uses day to day, so ask what a normal day looks like.
What the rules guarantee in every nursery
The latest EYFS framework for group and school-based providers came into force on 1 September 2026. The changes from last year include updated safer sleep rules and a new duty to have regard to government guidance on children's screen use. Here is what the framework requires.
Staff to child ratios
| Children | Minimum staffing | Qualification rules |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 | 1 adult to 3 children | At least one member of staff at level 3, experienced with under twos; at least half of other staff at level 2; at least half of all staff trained in caring for babies |
| 2 year olds | 1 to 5 | At least one member of staff at level 3; at least half of other staff at level 2 |
| 3 and over, with a teacher or equivalent working with the children | 1 to 13 | A person with Qualified Teacher Status, Early Years Teacher Status or Early Years Professional Status, plus at least one other member of staff at level 3 |
| 3 and over, without one | 1 to 8 | At least one member of staff at level 3; at least half of other staff at level 2 |
| 3 and over in a maintained nursery school or a nursery class in a maintained school | 1 to 13 | At least one school teacher and at least one other member of staff at level 3 |
The ratio for two-year-olds changed from 1 to 4 to 1 to 5 on 4 September 2023, so any checklist that still says 1 to 4 is out of date.
Three details are easy to miss. Ratios apply to all the staff working directly with children across the whole setting, not room by room. They are minimums, and some nurseries staff more generously. And students and apprentices can count in the ratios in some cases, so ask how many of the staff in your child's room are fully qualified.
Other requirements every nursery must meet
- Manager and deputy. The manager must hold an approved level 3 qualification, and at least half of all other staff at least level 2. There must be a named deputy who can take charge.
- A key person. Every child must be given a key person, whose job is to help your child settle, build a relationship with you and make sure care fits your child's needs.
- Paediatric first aid. At least one person with a current paediatric first aid certificate must be on the premises whenever children are there, and on every outing. A member of staff with the certificate should be in the room while children eat.
- Food. Children must be within sight and hearing of staff while eating, food must be prepared to prevent choking, and the nursery must find out about any allergies and dietary needs before your child starts.
- Sleep. Children under two must be put down to sleep on their backs in their own sleep space, babies aged 12 months and under only in a cot, and babies under six months with an adult in the same room for every sleep.
- Special educational needs. Every setting must have arrangements to support children with SEND. Group settings are expected to name a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), and nurseries funded to offer free hours must have regard to the SEND Code of Practice.
- Information for you. A nursery must tell you how it delivers the EYFS, its daily routines, how staffing is organised, what food it provides, how it supports children with SEND, and the name of your child's key person. It must share copies of its policies on request.
- The progress check at two. Between the ages of two and three, your child's nursery must give you a short written summary of their development.
- Complaints. A nursery must have a written complaints procedure, investigate written complaints about how it meets the EYFS and tell you the outcome within 28 days. It must also give you Ofsted's contact details.
How to read a nursery's Ofsted history
Ofsted inspects every setting on the Early Years Register. How to read its report depends on when the inspection took place.
Inspections before 10 November 2025
Older reports give a single overall grade: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate. You will still see these on many nurseries, because a setting keeps its last grade until it is inspected again. According to Ofsted, a nursery judged Outstanding or Good before November 2025 can keep using that logo until its next graded inspection.
Report cards since 10 November 2025
Since 10 November 2025, Ofsted has inspected early years settings under a renewed framework that produces a report card and no single overall grade. The early years toolkit sets out what is judged:
- Safeguarding, judged as met or not met
- Inclusion
- Curriculum and teaching
- Achievement
- Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines
- Children's welfare and wellbeing
- Leadership and governance
The six areas after safeguarding are each graded on a five-point scale: urgent improvement, needs attention, expected standard, strong standard or exceptional. Curriculum and teaching and achievement are not graded for out-of-school clubs. For a nursery, the areas to read most closely are usually children's welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, and inclusion if your child has additional needs. The written text tells you more than the grades, so read what the inspector saw.
Check the date
A report can be several years old. Settings are moving to a four-year inspection window, introduced from April 2026 and phased in by March 2030, and a newly registered setting is normally first inspected within 18 months. A setting with any area graded needs attention is usually inspected again within 12 months, and within six months for urgent improvement. If the latest report is old, or the manager has changed since, ask what is different now.
You can read any nursery's reports on Ofsted's reports website. Nurseries must tell parents when an inspection is coming and give a copy of the report to the parents of children who attend regularly. Ofsted normally sends the final report card to the setting within 30 working days of the inspection and publishes it five working days later, so a very recent inspection may not be online yet.
Inspection data on FindMySchool
Each nursery profile on FindMySchool has an Ofsted tab showing the latest inspection we hold: the official grade and date for older inspections, or the report card's area judgements and the safeguarding outcome for newer ones, plus earlier inspections and, where we have it, a link to the setting's Ofsted page.
Our profiles do not yet include most of the report cards Ofsted has published since November 2025. If a profile shows an older graded inspection, open the Ofsted page linked from the profile to check for anything newer before you decide.
Profiles and our nursery rankings also show the FMS Inspection Score, which is FindMySchool's own reading of a setting's most recent inspection evidence on a 1 to 10 scale. It is not an Ofsted rating and is not endorsed by Ofsted, so use it to sort a shortlist, then read the official report.
Funded hours and what a nursery can charge
Many families in England can get some childcare paid for by the government. The main schemes are:
- 15 hours for all 3 and 4 year olds, from the term after their third birthday (starting 1 January, 1 April or 1 September), usually taken over 38 weeks of the year. See GOV.UK.
- 30 hours for eligible working parents of children from 9 months to school age. You apply online, give your nursery a code and reconfirm every three months. If your child turns 9 months between 1 September and 31 December 2026, hours start from 1 January 2027 and the deadline to apply is 31 December 2026. See GOV.UK.
- 15 hours for some 2 year olds in families who get certain kinds of extra support. You apply through your council. See GOV.UK.
Funded hours can sometimes be spread over more than 38 weeks as fewer hours a week, if the nursery offers it. Not every nursery offers every entitlement or every pattern of hours, so ask.
What a nursery can and cannot charge
This is where the price you are quoted and the price you pay can differ, so it helps to know the rules. The DfE's statutory guidance for councils, which applies from 1 April 2026, says the funded hours must be free to parents, with no mandatory charges.
A nursery can charge for:
- meals and snacks
- consumables such as nappies or sun cream
- optional extras such as trips, celebrations, or music or language classes
- any extra hours you choose to buy
But those charges must be voluntary. Parents must be able to opt out, and the nursery must offer a reasonable alternative, such as bringing your own food or nappies. Buying extra hours or extras cannot be a condition of getting a funded place.
A nursery should not charge, in connection with the funded hours:
- top-up fees covering the gap between its normal price and the funding it receives
- for the materials, toys and equipment it needs to deliver childcare, or its running costs
- non-refundable registration fees or deposits as a condition of taking up a funded place (a deposit can be kept if you do not take up the place)
- extra for support for a child with SEND during the funded hours
- general charges such as "enrichment" or "sustainability" fees that are not itemised
Nurseries should publish their charges for extras, usually on their website, and give you itemised invoices. Before your child starts, you will usually sign a declaration setting out your funded hours and any extras you have agreed to pay for. If a nursery's charges look like they break these rules, you can raise it with your council's early years team.
Tax-Free Childcare can also help. For every £8 you pay into a childcare account, the government adds £2, up to £2,000 a year per child, or £4,000 if your child is disabled. The nursery must be signed up to the scheme, and you cannot get it while you claim Universal Credit or childcare vouchers. See GOV.UK.
Nursery prices vary widely by area, age and hours. For each nursery on your shortlist, ask for a written breakdown for your child's actual pattern of days, before and after funded hours, including meals, holidays, closures and notice periods.
Questions to ask when you visit
Take this list with you and ask the same questions at every nursery, so you can compare the answers afterwards.
Staff and care
- Who would my child's key person be, and what happens when they are off?
- How many staff work in my child's room, and how many are fully qualified?
- How long have the manager and room staff worked here?
- How many staff hold a paediatric first aid certificate?
Settling in and the day
- How does settling in work, and how long does it usually take?
- What does a typical day look like in my child's room?
- How often do children play outside, and in what weather?
- How do babies sleep, and how are sleeping children checked?
Food and health
- What do children eat, is it cooked on site, and how are allergies managed?
- What is your policy when a child is ill, and when must they stay at home?
Learning and support
- How do you share my child's progress with me, day to day and over time?
- How do you support children with special educational needs, and who is your SENCO?
- How do you manage behaviour, and how do you tell parents about incidents?
Inspection, money and practicalities
- What did your latest Ofsted inspection find, and what have you changed since?
- Can I have a written breakdown of all fees and charges, with and without funded hours?
- What is your notice period, and do you charge for holidays, closures or sick days?
What to watch for
Visit during a normal session if you can, not only at an open morning. Notice how staff speak to children, whether they get down to the children's level, and whether they seem to know each child. Look for children who are busy and absorbed, and for staff who handle a crying child warmly and calmly. Check that the entrance is secure, that you are asked who you are, and that the rooms are clean and have space to play. Ask to see where babies sleep and where meals are eaten. Trust your instinct: if something feels wrong, it is fine to walk away.
Waiting lists, deposits and settling in
There are no national rules on when to register for a nursery, and demand varies a lot from place to place. Baby rooms and popular settings can fill well ahead, so it is worth contacting nurseries several months before you need a place. Ask each nursery how its waiting list works, whether registering costs anything, and what happens to any deposit if your plans change. For a funded place, remember the rules above on non-refundable fees and deposits.
Plan for settling in before your return-to-work date. Many nurseries use a few short visits, with you staying at first and then leaving your child for longer each time. Some children settle in days and others take weeks, so build in some slack if you can.
When your child is ready for school
Most children start Reception in the September after they turn four. Our guide to when your child starts school explains the dates, and the primary school admissions timeline explains when to apply. If you choose a school nursery class, a separate application is still needed for Reception, as the School Admissions Code requires state school admission arrangements to make clear, and a place in the nursery class does not by itself secure a Reception place at the same school.
How FindMySchool helps
- Find settings close to home or work with nurseries near me, or search nurseries and childcare by place and filter by childcare type, number of places and FMS Inspection Score band.
- Browse nurseries by city and London borough, for example the best nurseries in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. These pages are ranked by FMS Inspection Score, so read each nursery's Ofsted report too.
- Add up to four nurseries from a list to compare their FMS Inspection Score, type, number of places and location side by side.
- Open a nursery's profile for its Ofsted tab, contact details and, where we have them, sessions, opening times and which funded hours it offers.
- If a school nursery suits you, browse the best primary schools with a nursery.
Before you decide, do three things: confirm the hours and total cost in writing, read the latest Ofsted report and check its date, and visit at least two settings. That gives you a real choice, and a back-up if your first choice has no space.
Frequently asked questions
Start with the practical fit: hours, days, term-time or all-year opening, and a journey you can manage every day. Then check the latest Ofsted inspection and its date, how staff are organised and how long they stay, who your child's key person would be, how the nursery handles settling in, food, sleep and illness, and exactly what you would pay once any funded hours are taken off. Visit at least two settings and watch how staff talk to the children.