Key Signs of a Good Preschool

• Little Regent Nursery
• Choosing a Nursery

Key Signs of a Good Preschool

Every nursery brochure says much the same thing. The differences show up in the room, in the first ten minutes of a visit, and they are surprisingly easy to read once you know what you are looking at.

Here is what experienced early-years people notice when they walk into somewhere new.

The children look occupied, not entertained

In a strong setting, most children are absorbed in something of their own choosing. They are not queuing, waiting or being marched between activities. Genuine engagement looks calm and slightly untidy.

Adults are down at child height

Educators kneeling, sitting on the floor, talking with children rather than at them. Watch how a member of staff handles a small conflict or a spilt drink - the tone they use when nothing is going to plan tells you more than any policy document.

The displays belong to the children

Twenty identical cut-out flowers made by an adult's hand tell you one thing. Wobbly, individual, genuinely child-made work at child height tells you another. Look for photographs of children in the middle of activities and written observations pinned beside them.

Someone knows your child's name and needs

Ask who your child's Key Person would be, how many children that person is responsible for, and how you will hear about the day. A daily communication diary, photographs and an open-door policy are signs that the setting expects to be in constant conversation with you rather than reporting at term's end.

Staff stay

High turnover is the clearest warning sign in early years. Ask how long educators have been there, what qualifications they hold, whether they are paediatric first-aid trained, and how much professional training they receive each year. Settled adults make for settled children.

Safety is visible but not oppressive

Controlled entry, visitor checks, a gated outdoor area, a plan for illness and accidents, and clear rules about who may collect a child. All of this should be obvious without the building feeling like a fortress. Ask what happens if a child falls ill during the day.

They welcome hard questions

The best answer to "may I come and see a normal Tuesday morning?" is yes. A setting that only shows you empty rooms or polished open days is choosing what you get to see.

Little Regent Nursery follows the British EYFS curriculum for children from two months to four years in a bright villa in Tawam, Asharej, with small classes, a Key Person for every child and an open-door policy. Come and judge for yourself - arrange a visit with us.