What to ask on a Private School or Daycare Tour?

1. What’s the child-to-teacher ratio?
The rules for ratios in Ontario vary depending on the age group of children, and there are some loopholes; however, for preschoolers, it should be 1:8, Kindergarten 13:1, and for grades 1-3, it’s 20:1.

These are the absolute limits, however, a really great school might set their own limit at a lower ratio. For instance at Children’s Garden Nursery School we promise a 10:1 for all classes from kindergarten to grade 3.

2. What are the staff’s qualifications?
At CGNS we follow the Ministry of Education requirements, therefore, all of our classroom teachers are registered members of the College of Early Childhood Educators or Ontario Certified teachers. All of our specialty teachers have specific qualifications in their area of expertise.

3. How do you keep in touch with parents and communicate how their child is doing?
It is important to know that you can be contacted or that you can contact your child’s teacher or school admin easily during the school day. A program that keeps all of the school communication in one place, without having to search through emails, is ideal. CGNS uses an app called ClassDojo to communicate with our parents on a daily basis. This allows us to post information, give reminders and even post photos and videos of the children enjoying their time at school.

4. Is there always someone present who has been trained in first-aid and CPR?
All of our staff are trained in First Aid and CPR. We also ensure that our staff are familiar with Epipens and feel comfortable with having a child who may have a severe allergy in their class.

5. How do you handle food allergies or dietary restrictions?
Our children bring their own snacks and packed lunches from home. This gives parents total control over what they eat and their diet in general. We do offer guidelines as to what a healthy snack or packed lunch should consist of. We also find that there is less food waste, and parents have a true sense of what their child has eaten every day due to all leftover food from their snacks and lunch being sent home. No sharing of snacks and lunch is allowed between children.

6. Is there a clear discipline policy?
Young children are always learning and will experiment, test limits, and make mistakes. It’s important to know what the policies around discipline are at your school or childcare facility and make sure they are in line with your personal style and beliefs.

To learn more about our schools systems and beliefs on this, check out the FAQ section on our website: https://www.childrensgarden.ca/faq

7. Have all of the adults working at the school undergone police background checks, including a vulnerable sector check?
The need to know that your children are being left with adults that have undergone a police background check with yearly Vulnerable Sector Checks is vital.

8. How much outdoor time do the children get?
The answers might be different, depending on the schools and season, but you’ll want to be sure that the children get outside and/or have time for gross motor skill development and movement a few times a day.

9. If there is inclement weather, where do the children go in place of outside?
If you have a child who may be more energetic and outside time is a vital part of their day, it is important to know what would be in place should the weather be extreme and outside play is not an option. Does the school or childcare have a good-sized gym with lots of suitable equipment to meet your child’s needs? At CGNS, we have a great gym area for the children to use on such days. We have roller racers, gym equipment, balls, and even a bouncy castle for the children to work off their energy. Playing background music is also a big part of our indoor recess, as an impromptu dance party is always fun!

10. Do you provide a parent handbook?
It’s important that your school can provide you with a detailed list of their policies and procedures and that these are stated clearly in writing. This will help mitigate any confusion or misunderstandings down the line for both the school and parents. For example, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the fees, what happens for missed days, days the school is closed for inclement weather, etc.