If this is the first time you have ever thought about using a nursery it is absolutely crucial that you know what to look for and why these things are important. Below is a top tip for what to look for when choosing a nursery for your child. For more tips and further information purchase your copy of The Definitive Guide to Choosing a Nursery here
Top tip number 6. The Kitchen
There is no reason for you not to be able to see the kitchen. However, it is quite understandable if you are asked to see this another time if your visit coincides with the serving up or delivery of meals.
You want to see a kitchen that is clean, hygienic, organised and well- maintained.
You should also see kitchen staff who are dressed in appropriate clothes and wearing ‘chef’s whites’ or an apron. Other staff may go into the kitchen to collect food but should not be involved in the preparation of food unless they are wearing an apron.
High quality nurseries will understand the value of children being able to cook and help to prepare food. Can children enter the kitchen, do they know the chef? Are there opportunities for children to help?
The menu. Ask to see a copy of the last week or month’s menus. Is this the sort of food you would like to eat or is the nursery serving the sort of food you might expect at a very cheap pub? There is no reason why children should not have a really varied and exciting range of foods served every day. The nursery must cater for children with allergies and vegetarians.
Settings serving or preparing food for children must register with the local authority environmental health department to do so. The person preparing or serving food must be suitably qualified. They should hold a Level 2 Food Handlers certificate as a minimum requirement. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) now requires local authorities to inspect premises where food is being prepared or served and provide a food hygiene rate. This rate should be clearly displayed in the setting. If this is not evident ask the setting about their rate. Rating is from 0-5 with 5 being the highest score. Ideally the setting will have a 4 or 5, anything below this is not acceptable.
Look out for Tip Number 7 coming shortly!
I really hope you have enjoyed reading my top ten tips for choosing a nursery. Want to know more? Why not purchase a copy of the book at https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+Definitive+guide+to+choosing+a+nursery
