Answers to the questions parents search for.
Search practical, parent-friendly information about funding, childcare, EYFS, choosing a setting, starting nursery and preparing for school.
Childcare Funding England 2026: 15 and 30 Hours Explained
A parent-friendly guide to funded childcare in England, including the 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements, eligibility and when to apply.
Read guide → Choosing a settingHow to Find the Right Nursery or Pre-school for Your Child
A practical checklist for comparing nurseries and pre-schools, from location and opening hours to staff, outdoor space and the feel of the setting.
Read guide → Activities & learningForest School for Early Years: What Is It and Is It Good for Children?
Discover what forest school means in early years, how outdoor learning can support development and what parents should look for in a forest-school programme.
Read guide → EYFSEYFS Stages Explained: A Parent Guide to Early Years Development
A simple explanation of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the seven areas of learning and the key points parents should know from birth to five.
Read guide → Choosing a settingNursery vs Pre-school: What Is the Difference?
Nursery and pre-school can overlap, but the names do not always tell you how a setting operates. Here is what parents should compare instead.
Read guide → Choosing a setting20 Questions to Ask When Visiting a Nursery or Pre-school
Take this practical checklist with you when visiting an early years setting so you can compare the things that matter most.
Read guide → Ofsted & qualityOfsted Early Years Inspections 2026: What Parents Need to Know
Understand how to use Ofsted information when comparing early years settings, including the inspection changes being introduced from September 2026.
Read guide → Choosing childcareChildminder vs Nursery: Which Childcare Option Is Best?
Compare childminders and nurseries by group size, environment, routine, flexibility and the type of childcare experience they can offer.
Read guide → Funding & costsHow Much Does Nursery Cost? Funding, Fees and Extra Charges Explained
Understand nursery costs in England, how funded hours work and which additional charges parents should ask about before accepting a place.
Read guide → Starting nurseryStarting Nursery: How to Help Your Child Settle In
Practical tips to make the first days and weeks of nursery or pre-school easier for children and parents.
Read guide → FundingFree Childcare for 2-Year-Olds: Who Can Get It?
Understand the main routes to funded early education for eligible 2-year-olds in England and what parents should check with a setting.
Read guide → Starting nurseryWhen Can My Child Start Nursery? Ages, Sessions and Timing
A simple guide to nursery starting ages, session patterns and the practical questions parents should ask before choosing a place.
Read guide → Choosing childcareNursery Waiting Lists: How Early Should Parents Apply?
How nursery waiting lists work, when to ask about availability and what to do if your first-choice setting is full.
Read guide → Starting nurseryNursery Settling-In: What to Expect From the First Few Sessions
A practical guide to settling-in sessions, separation and working with practitioners during the first weeks.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentWhat Is a Key Person at Nursery?
Understand the key-person approach and why a consistent relationship can help children feel secure in an early years setting.
Read guide → Starting nurseryA Typical Nursery Day: What Do Children Do at Nursery?
What a nursery routine might include, from arrival and free play to meals, outdoor learning, rest and home time.
Read guide → Choosing childcareNursery Food and Meals: What Should Parents Ask?
Questions to ask about meals, snacks, allergies, dietary requirements and how food is handled at nursery.
Read guide → Choosing childcareNursery Sleep and Naps: What Parents Should Ask
How nurseries manage naps and rest, and the questions parents should ask about individual sleep routines.
Read guide → Starting nurseryToilet Training and Nursery: What Parents Need to Know
How to talk to nursery about toileting, changing, accidents and your child's move towards independence.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentThe 7 Areas of Learning in the EYFS Explained
A parent-friendly explanation of the seven EYFS areas and the kinds of experiences children may have.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentEYFS Communication and Language: What Parents Can Do at Home
Simple ways parents can support listening, attention, understanding and speaking through everyday activities.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentEYFS Physical Development: Movement, Coordination and Independence
How early years settings support movement, coordination, healthy routines and growing independence.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentEYFS Literacy: Reading, Writing and Early Mark-Making
A simple guide to early literacy and how parents can encourage a love of books, stories and mark-making.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentEYFS Mathematics: Early Number and Shape Skills
How young children develop early mathematical ideas through counting, comparison, patterns, shape and everyday play.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentEYFS Understanding the World: Exploring People, Places and Nature
What 'Understanding the World' means in the EYFS and how children explore their environment.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentEYFS Expressive Arts and Design: Creativity Through Play
How music, movement, art, role play and making help young children express ideas and develop creativity.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentEYFS Personal, Social and Emotional Development Explained
Understand how early years settings support confidence, relationships, emotional regulation and independence.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentThe 2-Year Progress Check: What Parents Need to Know
What happens during the two-year progress check, what parents can expect and how it supports early development.
Read guide → Preparing for schoolWhat Is School Readiness? A Practical Parent Guide
What school readiness really means and practical ways to build confidence, independence and communication before Reception.
Read guide → Preparing for schoolMoving From Nursery to Reception: How to Prepare
A practical guide to the transition from nursery or pre-school into Reception.
Read guide → Safety & wellbeingNursery Safeguarding: What Parents Should Expect
Key safeguarding questions parents can ask when choosing an early years setting.
Read guide → Activities & learningWhy Outdoor Play Matters in Early Years
Why outdoor time is important and what parents should look for in a nursery outdoor environment.
Read guide → Activities & learningForest School vs Outdoor Play: What's the Difference?
Forest school is more than simply playing outside. Learn what parents should look for when a setting advertises forest-school sessions.
Read guide → Types of settingWhat Is a Montessori Nursery? A Parent Guide
Understand the Montessori approach and what parents should look for when comparing Montessori nurseries.
Read guide → Types of settingSchool Nursery vs Private Nursery: What Parents Should Compare
Compare school nurseries and private day nurseries by hours, age range, environment and practical childcare needs.
Read guide → Types of settingPlaygroup vs Pre-school: What's the Difference?
Understand why playgroup and pre-school labels can overlap and what parents should compare instead.
Read guide → Choosing childcareHow Important Is Location When Choosing a Nursery?
A practical way to weigh distance, travel time and convenience against the quality and fit of a nursery.
Read guide → Choosing childcareNursery Opening Hours: Full Days, Sessions and Wraparound Care
Understand common nursery session patterns and the questions to ask about early starts, late finishes and holiday opening.
Read guide → Choosing childcareChoosing a Nursery for a Child With Additional Needs
Questions to ask about inclusion, communication, adaptations and support for children with additional needs.
Read guide → Safety & wellbeingNursery Allergies and Medication: Questions Parents Should Ask
How to discuss allergies, medication and health needs with an early years setting before your child starts.
Read guide → Safety & wellbeingNursery Illness Policies: When Should a Child Stay at Home?
What parents should check in a nursery's illness policy and why clear communication matters when a child is unwell.
Read guide → Choosing childcareHow Nurseries Communicate With Parents
What to ask about daily updates, progress information, apps, meetings and communication with your child's key person.
Read guide → Safety & wellbeingHow to Raise a Concern or Make a Nursery Complaint
A straightforward guide to raising concerns with an early years setting and understanding the role of the regulator.
Read guide → Ofsted & qualityHow to Use Ofsted Information When Choosing a Nursery
How parents can use inspection information sensibly alongside visits, questions and their own observations.
Read guide → FundingCan Nurseries Charge Extra for Funded Hours? What Parents Should Ask
Understand why funded childcare can still involve additional costs and what parents should ask before accepting a place.
Read guide → FundingWhat Is Stretched Funding? Using Funded Hours Across More Weeks
What parents mean by 'stretching' funded childcare and what to ask a nursery about spreading hours across the year.
Read guide → FundingTax-Free Childcare Explained for Parents
A simple guide to Tax-Free Childcare, who may qualify and how it fits alongside other childcare support.
Read guide → FundingUniversal Credit Childcare Costs: What Parents Need to Know
How childcare costs can interact with Universal Credit and why parents should check the latest rules before claiming.
Read guide → Choosing childcareNursery Terms and Conditions: What Parents Should Read
The parts of nursery contracts and terms that parents should check before accepting a place.
Read guide → Choosing childcareHow Many Days a Week Should a Child Go to Nursery?
How to think about nursery hours and days based on your family's routine, your child's needs and the setting's offer.
Read guide → Choosing childcareWhat to Look for During a Nursery Visit
A practical visual checklist for parents visiting a nursery, including children, staff, spaces, routines and atmosphere.
Read guide → Starting nurseryMoving Rooms at Nursery: What Parents Should Know
How nurseries manage transitions between baby, toddler and pre-school rooms and what parents should ask.
Read guide → Activities & learningWhy Free Play Matters in Nursery
Why child-led play is important in early years and what parents should expect to see in a high-quality setting.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentHow Reading at Home Supports Early Years Learning
Simple ways to make reading part of family life and support language, attention and early literacy.
Read guide → EYFS & developmentWhen to Talk to Someone About Your Child's Speech and Language
What parents can do if they have concerns about communication and how nursery can help identify support needs.
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