Come at ten in the morning, on a normal day.
Not after hours. A nursery at four in the afternoon with the children gone tells you nothing except what the paint looks like. Come while it is running, stay as long as you want, and ask the staff rather than me.
What happens, in order.
- 1
You ring, or you turn up
You do not have to book. Ringing first only helps if you want to see a specific room, because the toddlers are asleep from half twelve.
- 2
About forty minutes, walking round
All four rooms and the yard. Staff will talk to you while they work — they are not going to stop, and watching them not stop is most of what you came for.
- 3
Twenty minutes at the table, with the fees
We work out what you would actually pay, including whether you qualify for the state program. If we think you will not qualify we will say so rather than let you spend an afternoon on the form.
- 4
You go away and think
Nobody will ring you. If you want a place, tell us and we will put you on the room's list with the date. If you do not, that is a perfectly normal outcome of a visit.
- 5
A settling week before you start
Three short sessions across a week, free, with you in the building for the first one. It is not optional and it is not charged.
Elder has room at the moment, so a visit there could turn into a start date within a few weeks. Everywhere else you are joining a list, and the list is published.