What should I consider when looking for an Early School?

We’ve put together some suggestions below to ask when visiting a Nido Early School, as we know this is a hugely important decision for your family and we want you to feel comfortable that you’ve made the right choice for your child.

The Basics

Do the hours offered suit my requirements?
What happens if I need flexibility with childcare requirements?
How do I calculate the fees / what is the Child Care Subsidy
What information to do I need to provide? How do you keep my information confidential?

Nido educator with kids in harmony week celebrations

nido teacher and kid seeing to the sky at nido child care centre

Early Education

What do the children do on a daily basis? Examples of activities, any special services that the Early School offers and types of learning in outdoor learning spaces?
What does the Reggio Emilia philosophy mean in practice?
How does the Nido team work together to offer the best care?
Do you have ratings for the Early School?
What qualifications do your Educators, Curriculum Leaders and other staff have?
What other training do Nido staff have?
How many people work in each room and for each age group?

General

What kind of food do you offer?
What do I need to bring on a daily basis?
How will you communicate with me?
What happens if my child is unhappy, or they have behavioural issues?
What is your illness policy for children?
Do you follow guidelines in terms of your outlook on sustainability and how do you encourage children to support this?

Download your own printable checklist

Nido educator teaches kids how to point to fish in a fish bowl

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Hi Georgina,

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the recruitment of Centre Directors and Educators to join the expanding Nido family.

With so many open roles in the sector at the moment, I think we should be talking about the differences that really sets Nido apart. From my own experience, they are not always obvious from the outside, but when you get to meet the Nido family you really feel it.

Leaving my previous employer, who I was with for over 10 years, was not an easy decision. I had interviews with a few different companies, before finding my home at Nido.

I remember walking out of that initial interview, literally with tears in my eyes, I knew I had finally found what I had been looking for.

As you mentioned, honesty and integrity are critical and a given, our Services, resources and environments speak for themselves, and candidates merely need to look at our website to understand how engaging and wonderful they are.

We really need to focus more on what a Centre Director and an Educator will experience at Nido;

Authenticity; At Nido they will get honesty with heart
Trust and understanding; At Nido you are treated from day one, as competent and capable
We have the opportunity to inspire Educators and children to reach their full potential and change their worlds for the better, this still delights me everyday
At Nido you can make your mark in the world and are given the respect and autonomy to do what you love and truly make a difference
Collaboration – we are one team, far and wide we inspire and challenge each other
Nido is a family, for me, I have the overwhelming sense of belonging at Nido, my people and my home, this is what drew me to Nido in the first place

I am continually driven by our purpose;

To provide our Educators with the training, environment, motivation, and empowerment to deliver exceeding quality education to children, partnering with families, and giving children a voice and the opportunity to lead wonderful fulfilling lives.

I love that we seek to make quality early education available to everyone, regardless of their economic position. That we focus more on suburban children and advocate for their rights, Nido is truly a movement and not one to join without knowing you will need to put your heart on the line every single day.

Mary Oliver asked “What will you do with your one wild and precious life”, I cannot think of anything more fulfilling than what I get to do every day at Nido.

Kind regards,
Danika x