If your child's private day nursery starts at 1pm, what time would you drop them off?

I'd probably take her at 1 or a bit after. Like my daughter's nursery opens at 8 so I wouldn't think they'd let us in prior to 8, so I guess the same thing applies?

12:59 but wait a couple seconds after it hits, if they’re late getting to the door at least they’ll see you waiting at the door? Idk sounds like they need to get their business in order!

Edit. I don’t take my daughter to a nursery or daycare so maybe listen to the other mamas that commented, I don’t know anything about them other than what my sister has told me about the one she takes her baby too.

Yes it has to be 1pm on the dot, as I got told the exact same thing as you when I went in at 12.55pm so I just try to go for 1pm or wait a few mins until it’s 1pm. Like someone said, it’s the exact same thing for an 8am start, they won’t let you in before then. It’s just how it is!

1pm or after

They won’t take her any earlier! If you pay from 1pm, then you can’t drop her off earlier. If you arrive at 1pm would they be late to the door? I’m guessing they only don’t answer the door because you’re too early?

@Annie yep this!

My daughters nursery opens at 8am, you can't get in any earlier. If you start at 1pm you can't come any earlier because they are putting the younger ones down for naps, clearing up from lunch, and taking their lunch breaks!

Some of this may be to do with staff ratios as well. They may have to let the morning children go first or maybe staff are on their lunch break. Or as Claudia said tidying up from lunch and sorting out.

It probably takes them 5/10 minutes to come to the door because you are 5/10 minutes early. Aim for no earlier than 1pm.

When they're late to the door after 1pm, where do i stand with that? I know its only a few mins etc but same vice versa

Some nurseries have a 5 minute buffer, and will not let parents drop their children off before that. Just speak to the nursery and ask them what their policy is.

I’ve worked in private nursery setting and it would be 1pm on the dot no earlier due to staff ratio and needing to get the morning children out before the afternoon ones come in and staff breaks needs covering too

Ill press the button a few minutes to 1 and sometimes its an immediate answer and sometimes ive got to wait a few minutes. 1pm is also nap time for most of the kids so it depends on how many awake kids there are when I get there.

Drop off at 1pm, and if they are then late to answer the door by 5+ minutes on a regular basis I would raise it with the manager.

Nursery tends to open their door exactly on the dot, and this is purely for safeguarding (in the UK). It’s to ensure that your child is always going to be supervised, if you bring them too early, there may not be anyone around to look after them, and that can put them at a safety risk, especially for babies and toddlers under 3. You don’t want to leave them alone at the door anyway.

So going there exactly at 1pm should it be a problem?

Ours is a 8am start and his first official day I was there at 7:55 and they wouldn’t let us in! 🤣 I think it’s normal because otherwise people are just dropping off early and “not paying” for that extra time

Usually 12.55, nursery have never said anything, unless that's because we pay til 6 but always pick up between 4.30 & 5

1pm because they will have worked it so they have the correct staffing from 1pm. They probably have rotas where lunch breaks finish at 1pm so they have the right ratios. If they are a couple of mins late answering, I would assume they are in the middle of something e.g changing a nappy which they can’t break off halfway through

Ours is 7.30 drop off and cannot be any earlier due to insurance and staff ratios.

1pm and no earlier.

1pm. Our nursery has protected mealtimes between 12-1, where they don’t answer the door/phones as all hands on deck for meals. Morning children are collected at bang on 1pm, and afternoon children picked from from bang on 1pm

It could be due to staff ratio rather than the staff being funny. For example people might be due back of dinner at 1 etc

Clicked earlier by accident. I would be there for 1. At my nursery we open the door at the time we open and let them in. No one needs to buzz then as they know to wait outside and then have 10 minute window with a staff member on the door letting them in.