A tour of the childcare centre you are considering for your child is one of the best ways to determine if it’s the right centre for you. You can see the educators in action, look around the facilities and, importantly, see what kind of “vibe” you get from the people and environment.
But once you’ve booked a tour, what happens next? We’ve pulled together some tips to help you prepare for your childcare centre tour to make the most of the experience.
What to expect from a tour
First up, it’s important to know what to expect from a centre tour.
On a tour with Gowrie NSW, your guide will be either the Centre Director or Family Communications Coordinator. They are the best people to answer your questions and give you an overview of the entire centre.
Throughout the duration of the tour, you will walk around the various rooms and facilities, meet some of the educators and observe them in action with the children. You will also get a brief overview of the curriculum, our primary educator approach and what Gowrie can offer your family.
Every member of our team at Gowrie NSW, across each one of our centres, is warm, friendly and welcoming. You can expect that the tour will be relaxed and casual, to give you a true sense of the community feel within our centres.
How to prepare for a tour
To make the most of your tour, it’s best to do some preparation. This doesn’t mean hours of preparation, but you do need to think about a few key things so you can walk away from the tour with confidence.
Define your non-negotiables
Every child is different. Every family is different. And every parent has different non-negotiables that they want from their centre.
Do you want a childcare centre that has long daycare hours? Is it important to you that the centre you choose takes a primary educator approach? Do you want a centre that provides all food so you don’t have to pack lunch boxes?
It’s important to define these important things so you can quickly establish whether the centre is right for you.
Some parents will have a long list of non-negotiables, others might only have one or two things on their list. Either way, if you know what they are, you can use the tour to determine if your non-negotiables are met.
Prepare a list of questions
The tour is absolutely the best time to get your questions answered. It doesn’t matter how silly or trivial the questions seem to you, we want you to ask them!
Trust us, whatever you ask has probably been asked by at least a dozen other parents before you.
Your questions might relate to your child’s needs and how the centre can fulfil those needs or they could be related to logistics and operations, such as opening hours and fees. Either way, come with a list and ask away.
But remember, the tour isn’t the only time you can ask questions. If you leave and realise that you have forgotten to ask something, or another question springs to your mind, get in touch with the centre so you can get an answer.
A few other tour tips
Deciding which childcare centre is right for your child isn’t easy. A tour is one of the greatest tools you have at your disposal to decide if a centre is right for you.
So, what else do you need to consider while you are on the tour? Here are a few other tips:
Really pay attention to every detail while you are on the tour. If you are worried you will forget things, then take a notebook and pen to make note of things that are important to you.-
Also consider the rapport you build with the person giving the tour. If you choose the centre, they will likely become quite an important person in your life, so make sure that you can see yourself building a good relationship.
Book a tour with Gowrie NSW?
If you haven’t yet booked a tour with Gowrie NSW, we would be delighted to give you a tour and explain our pedagogical methodology. When you join Gowrie NSW, you are joining a diverse community of families from right across NSW.
Discover where your local Gowrie NSW Early Education and Care Centre is located and book a tour. We can’t wait to show you around!
If you aren’t ready to book a tour, get in touch with any questions you have about choosing Gowrie NSW for your child. We’re always here to help.
