Independent nurseries fill places through a mix of referrals, Ofsted registration listings, and word of mouth. But the parents who hear about you almost always end up on your website before they call. What they find there determines whether they pick up the phone.

Most nursery websites fail at the one job they have. Not because they look bad. Because they do not answer the questions a parent is asking.

The two questions every nursery parent asks first

Before a parent thinks about your curriculum, your outdoor space, or your settling-in approach, they need to know two things: are you registered with Ofsted, and do you accept the government-funded hours?

These sound administrative, but they are often the decision point. A parent who needs the 15 or 30 funded hours is not comparing nurseries that do and do not offer them. They are only looking at nurseries that do. If your website does not make this clear, you lose them before the comparison even starts.

Your Ofsted URN and most recent grade should be visible on your homepage without scrolling. Not buried in a footer link to a policy document. Visible, clearly labelled, ideally with a link to your Ofsted report. Parents search for this and it is a primary trust signal.

Make your session structure easy to understand

Full time, part time, funded hours only, flexible sessions, breakfast club, after-school wraparound. Nursery provision is complex and parents often have specific requirements driven by their work pattern.

A session structure table — days, hours, cost, what is included in the funded hours and what is chargeable — lets a parent self-qualify before contacting you. Without it, you get a high volume of enquiries from parents who turn out to need something you do not offer, which wastes everyone's time.

A waiting list form, not just a phone number

Good nurseries fill places months or years in advance. Parents know this. They are not expecting an immediate place. They want to get on your list.

A waiting list form that captures the child's date of birth, when they will need a place, what sessions are needed, and how the parent heard about you does several things. It gives you the information you need without a phone call. It reassures the parent that their interest has been registered. And it collects data on where your enquiries come from, which tells you where your referrals are strongest.

Photos of the actual setting

Parents are sending a child who cannot advocate for themselves. Before visiting, they are building a mental picture of the environment. Stock photos of generic children playing on generic equipment tell them nothing about your nursery specifically.

Photos of your actual rooms, your outdoor space, and your staff — with appropriate permissions — are more persuasive than any paragraph of copy about your philosophy. Show them what the setting looks like. If you have recently renovated or updated resources, show that too.

The staff profile page parents look for

Who is the nursery manager? What are their qualifications? How many years of experience does your team have? How many are Level 3 qualified?

This information matters to parents more than they might say directly. A nursery that shows its team's qualifications and experience is more credible than one that does not. A named manager with a face and a sentence about their background makes the setting feel less anonymous.

What to cut

Most nursery websites have too much copy on pages that parents do not read, and not enough information on the pages they do. Long paragraphs about your educational philosophy, your approach to play-based learning, your vision for holistic development. These are not useless, but they come after the parent has already decided you are worth contacting.

Get the practical information right first: Ofsted grade, funded hours, session structure, fees, waiting list form, team profiles. Then add the philosophy. The parent who is already impressed by the basics will read the detail. The parent who cannot find the basics will leave.

For current information on government-funded childcare hours, the DfE childcare guidance is the authoritative source.