Holiday playschemes checklist

This checklist may be useful to you if you take it along with you when you visit any group childcare. There are lots of questions and it may not be necessary to ask all of them – they can merely act as guidelines as to what to ask, or they could act as a springboard for a discussion.

If there are any other issues that you’d like to discuss, do not be afraid to ask. Any good childcare setting will welcome such questions, and staff should be willing and able to answer them.

The childcare setting

how many children are there per childcarer?
how many staff have the appropriate childcare qualifications?
do you have any references from parents with children at the nursery?
can I see your current Ofsted inspection report/certificate?
what procedures are in place to allow my child to settle in?

The staff

how long have you been working with children?
do you enjoy being with children, and why?
do the staff members join in with what the children are doing?
are staff listening to children and answering them carefully?
how will you make sure I know how my child is getting on?

Activities and services

is there a garden that is safe for the children to play in?
if there is no outside play area, will children go to parks and other such places regularly?
where will my child rest?
what kind of food and drink will you provide?
are you able to meet our dietary needs?
what will my child do all day?
what toys and books are available?
are there lots of activities planned to help children learn through play?
can children initiate some of these activities themselves?
which festivals and special occasions do you celebrate and how do you celebrate them?

Discipline

what do you consider to be unacceptable behaviour?
how would you handle this behaviour?
have you, or would you, ever smack a child in your care?

Safety

are the premises clean, well kept and safe for children?
have you ever had an emergency with a child in your care – what happened?
what would you do in the event of an accident or emergency either to you or my child?

Pay and conditions

what are your hours of service?
do you offer part time care?
what are your charges for hourly, daily or weekly care?
do you offer a reduction for two or more children from the same family?
what would happen if I signed the contract and my circumstance changed, meaning that I no longer required childcare?
do you need a deposit if care is not needed immediately? How much would it be?
what do I do if I know I’m going to be late? Is there a charge?