Day Nurseries Information

Welcome to the Day Nurseries Information Pages

How to use these pages

You will find below a basic introduction, and a useful list of further information sources. Netx select a type of childcare relevant to you eg. private day nursery / pre-school/ school day nursery etc. and you will find a useful checklist of information you may need, and can follow the links through to more detailed information if you want it.

What is a Day Nursery?

A facility which provides day care for children under eight for a continuous period of four hours or more in any day in premises which are not used for domestic purposes.

Who sets up day nurseries?

Throughout the Northern region, we have day nurseries who are run by private individuals, partnerships, limited companies, voluntary groups, family support agencies, local Sure Start Programmes and schools. They are in village halls, refurbished buildings, converted sawmills, school classrooms, colleges, workplaces, family centres and (sometimes) brand new tailor built nurseries. While they all employ suitably qualified and experienced managers, and are often developed because a childcare specialist has a vision to have their very own facility, many are also the brainchild of people from many walks of life including builders, housewives, business people, hoteliers, community workers, personnel managers, teachers and school governors.

What standards apply to day nurseries?

The Government is committed to promoting the welfare and development of all young children. Children who receive good quality early years education and care stand a better chance of achieving higher grades in school and having better employment opportunities later on in life.

The Government is also determined that all childcare services provide a safe environment for children so that parents can have confidence that their children are well looked after. To make sure that all childcare provision is of good quality the Government introduced the National Standards for Under 8s Daycare and Childminding. Ofsted are the regulatory body for all childcare providers, and their website is a useful source of information and guidance on the relevant standards which apply to daycare providers.

What do you need to set up a day nursery?

-        Funding (public/private or a combination)

-        Time

-        Drive & Determination

-        Ability to plan & allocate tasks to people with appropriate skills

-        Support of friends and family

-        A leader who doesn’t give up

Everything else can be bought, brought in or found out. This is a very exciting time for the sector, which is growing faster than practically any other in the UK, attracting huge government funding initiatives, and much free advice and help is available. Use the attached checklist to see the range of tasks which are involved and open the relevant documents to find out more.

Want more information? Why not....

• Select a type of daycare from the drop downs eg. private /schools / voluntary etc.and look at the information checklist which is relevant to anyone setting up or running a day nursery. This will lead you into more detailed information on eg. choosing premises, market research, business planning etc*.
• Use the search facility on this site
• Check out what funding is available
• Look on the document list* for checklists, forms, tables, policies etc
• Get an expert's opinion on the expert direct forum* – advice from a range of professionals is free to members, and articles and previously answered questions for there for you to search or browse through. Ask your own question if you can’t see what you need.
• Get in touch with other day care providers in the region on the provider forum* – many providers will be happy to talk to you and show you around their setting
• Contact your Children’s Information Service(CIS), who can :   put you in touch with development staff working in your area   /    give you with local information on what childcare already exists in any location in your County   /  provide you with data on the need for childcare in locations throughout your County.
• Find out more about the costs and benefits of membership of the two main sector representatives who offer their members a range of services and lobby nationally on their behalf. They are respectively the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PSLA).

* Please note that our interactive services are only available to members of this site. Membership is FREE to all registered providers throughout the region, and is extended to those currently working towards registration. To become a member, simply register on the site, tick the relevant box, and your membership will be confirmed as soon as possible. If you experience any difficulties registering or you have not had your membership confirmed, please contact us.

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