A nursery visit is your chance to picture an ordinary day for your child. If you are comparing places in Streatham or Leyton, taking the same short list of questions to each setting can make the decision easier afterwards.
Before you visit
Write down your preferred start date, days and collection time. Consider the journey from home and work, including who could collect your child if your usual plans change. If possible, try the route at the time you would normally travel.
Read the setting’s latest inspection report and note anything you want to discuss. Lambeth Council’s childcare guide provides a useful visit checklist. We use its visit questions here; check current funding rules separately.
Questions about your child’s day
- Who would be my child’s key person, and how would we get to know them?
- How do you respond when a child is upset or needs quiet time?
- How do meals, rest, outdoor play and individual interests fit into the day?
- How would you manage allergies or additional support needs?
- How do you keep parents informed, including if a child becomes unwell?
Get to know the people caring for your child
Ask who would usually welcome your child and who covers when their key person is away. You might ask, “If I mention a difficult night at drop-off, how will that information reach the people caring for my child later?” Listen for a practical explanation of how staff share information.
Take a moment to watch ordinary interactions: how adults respond when a child asks for help, how they join play, and how they speak to children. A visit is only a short glimpse, so use what you notice as a starting point for questions.
Talk through settling in and family routines
Ask how initial visits are arranged, whether a parent stays at first, how the plan is adjusted and how you can check in after leaving. Tell staff what comforts your child and any words or gestures they use to ask for help. Our settling-into-nursery guide offers ideas for preparing together.
For sleep and meals, bring a brief picture of home life rather than expecting every detail to be identical. Ask where children rest, how sleep is supervised and what happens if your child does not nap. Ask how staff respond to food refusal and how dietary instructions reach everyone involved in preparing and serving food.
Make support and communication specific
If your child has additional needs, describe both what they enjoy and what helps them participate. Ask who coordinates support, how existing professional advice is used and how you would review arrangements together. You can explore our guide to finding additional support before the conversation.
Find out how you can raise a concern privately, not just receive a daily update. Ask how an injury or illness would be communicated, how collection by another trusted adult is arranged, and where you can read the relevant policies. You do not need to remember every answer on the day: request written information to take home.
Questions about booking and costs
Ask about availability for your actual days and your child’s age at the intended start date. A waiting-list entry is different from a confirmed place. Ask what happens next, when you can expect an update and what any deposit or registration payment commits you to.
Request the offered sessions, start date, charges and cancellation or refund terms in writing. There is no single booking timetable that applies to every nursery; contact settings directly about your plans.
If you plan to use funded childcare, ask for an itemised explanation of the proposed sessions and optional extras. Our funded-hours guide includes an example to help you compare arrangements. Before making a payment, check whether it reserves a specific place and what happens if your plans change.
After the visit
Make a few notes while the conversation is fresh. What felt comfortable? What still needs an answer? You can also explore Lambeth’s childcare directory and Waltham Forest’s childcare information.
To discuss Jan in Streatham or Leyton, contact the team with your preferred branch and attendance pattern. Bring this checklist along and add the questions that matter most to your family.