Frequently Asked Questions

We suggest that you visit several settings before making your final choice. We believe that we are well on the way to establishing Willows as one of the best settings in the country. We believe that an outstanding assessment from Oftsed is the minimum any setting should attain. Much of what Willows offers is not measured by Ofsted and thus it is important to visit to see what the culture of a setting is.

In a word NO! We are passionate that every child in our care is given a development plan that is unique to them. However, Willows has a successful record of children joining selective schools such as Wimbledon High and Squirrels.

All our keyworkers are qualified to at least degree level and the vast majority has qualified teacher status. Staff also work a strict three-month probationary period where we can find out if an individual has the qualities required by Willows.

We can provide the majority of the things that your child will need throughout their day at nursery. However, we do ask you to provide a full change of clothes and Wellies for outdoor play.

You will be given an invoice when your child starts. Payments are made monthly on the first day of the month.

Yes. Our fees are worked out on an annual basis and divided into 12 equal monthly payments.

No – The nursery grant is awarded to the setting, not the individual.

The reason other settings have higher prices for younger children is because it reflects the teacher: child ratio. Under 2 years = 1:3, 2-3 years = 1:4 3 -5 1:8 (at Willows). We take the view that parents can budget more easily if a flat fee structure is adopted.

Yes, Willows already accept the majority of voucher schemes as payment for nursery fees. If you book a place just check that we already accept the vouchers that you can access – if we don´t it is easy for us to set up a new account with another company. If your workplace doesn´t currently run a voucher scheme, why not look into it? It can be a great way of saving a few pounds!

When you register your child you will be asked to provide a list of people permitted to collect your child. We will only allow those people to collect your child. If however, you need a neighbour, for example, to collect your child you would need to inform the nursery staff and we would arrange a method to be sure of that person’s identity when they arrived. This could be done either by providing a photo of the person, setting up a password, or by asking them to bring ID with them.

Safety is paramount at Willows.

• All exterior doors are locked from the outside. Only staff can allow access to the building and outdoor play areas. Internally the door handles are designed so that the children cannot open them.
• Children are not allowed to roam around unsupervised and the majority of staff are first aid trained.
• All staff are subject to rigorous safety checks including obtaining references from previous employers and undergoing an enhanced police clearance form to ensure their suitability to work with children.
• Staff are not permitted to take mobile phones into the classrooms and any photographs taken are done so decently, and on a nursery registered camera.
• Your family´s confidentiality is respected at all times.
• Only adults nominated to collect your child will be permitted to take your child from the premises and unless we were certain of someone´s identity they would not even be allowed to enter the premises.
• The tube lighting is Perspex to minimise the risk of glass tubes shattering and all plug sockets are protected. Every possible measure to protect your child is taken.