A nursery can feel very different at 8am, lunchtime and collection time. Children, parents, staff, visitors and contractors may all need to move through the same building, but they do not all need access to the same spaces.

That is why a useful security review starts with everyday routines. Before deciding what to install or change, ask: Where could someone be unsure what should happen next?

Start at the entrance

Who can let a visitor in? How does the team check who has arrived? What happens when the person at reception is helping a parent or answering the phone?

A good entrance process should be clear to staff and welcoming to families. It should also help the team manage unexpected arrivals without relying on someone remembering an informal rule.

Walk through the busy moments

Arrival and collection often put the greatest pressure on a setting’s usual routines. Watch what happens when several families arrive together, a delivery needs attention or a staff member is called away.

Look beyond the main door. Consider gates, shared entrances, staff areas and the route visitors take once inside. The question is whether the process still works on a busy day.

Check what your team can actually do

Security equipment can support people, but staff need to know how to use it. If there is an alert, who responds? If a visitor cannot be identified, what should the person at the door do? If a situation changes quickly, how does the team communicate?

These are practical questions to discuss together. They can reveal gaps that are easy to miss when looking only at a floor plan.

Review what has changed

A process that suited a setting two years ago may need another look after changes to staffing, room use, opening hours or the building itself. The same applies when a nursery grows or starts sharing space with another organisation.

How confident are you in your nursery’s everyday security? As part of our Childcare & Education Expo activity, we’re inviting nursery owners and managers to try our new Nursery Security & Safeguarding Assessment.

This free online self-assessment helps you review entrances, access control, visitors and collections, CCTV, emergency preparedness, staff safety and training, highlighting areas that may need closer attention.

Complete your nursery assessment, then visit our team at the expo to talk through your concerns and explore practical next steps.

We’ll be at Childcare & Education Expo in Coventry on 2–3 October. If you’re attending, come and tell us about the questions your setting is asking. We’d be glad to talk them through with you.

Click here to register for your free ticket and come and say hello!