Use This Template - Free
No parent signup · 9 questions · Perfect for Ofsted evidence
Childcare Survey TemplateFree

Free Childcare
Parent Survey
Template

9 questions covering child safety, staff warmth, learning activities, settling-in support, communication, meals, and overall satisfaction. Works for nurseries, daycares, preschools, and childminders. Strong evidence for Ofsted's parent voice judgement.

Use This Template

No parent signup · Free forever · Ready in 60 seconds

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Built for nursery managers, room leaders, and childminders

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How are we doing for you and your little one?
9 questions · Anonymous · Under 2 minutes
1 of 9
Live demo
✓ Anonymous responses
✓ No parent login needed
✓ Ofsted-ready evidence
✓ 100 responses free
✓ QR code or newsletter link
Template Questions

All 9 Survey Questions

Nine questions covering every dimension of the childcare experience that parents genuinely care about. Question 2, child safety, is non-negotiable and should always score the highest. If it doesn't, that gap needs immediate attention before any other improvement priority. Question 4, settling-in and key person relationships, is the dimension most strongly linked to long-term parent loyalty. Parents who feel their child has a strong bond with their key person are five times less likely to move settings.

01Overall, how satisfied are you with the care your child receives at our setting?⭐ Rating
02How safe and well cared for does your child feel in our setting?⭐ Rating
03How warm, attentive, and nurturing do you find our staff with your child?⭐ Rating
04How well supported was your child during settling-in and how strong is their bond with their key person?⭐ Rating
05How satisfied are you with the range and quality of learning activities and play provided?⭐ Rating
06How well does the setting keep you informed about your child's day and development?⭐ Rating
07How satisfied are you with the meals, snacks, and nutrition provided?⭐ Rating
08How likely are you to recommend our setting to another parent? (0–10)NPS Scale
09What is the one thing we could do to better support you and your child?Open Text
Who This Is For

Any Childcare Setting

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Day Nurseries
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Preschools
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Childminders
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Holiday Clubs

All 9 questions are editable. Add questions about specific provision areas such as outdoor play, SEN support, or your new settling-in policy. Many settings also add a "room" or "key person" field to segment results without identifying individual families. Customisation takes under five minutes.

When to Run It

Best Times to Survey Childcare Parents

Mid-Autumn (October)
After new starters from September have settled in. Gives you feedback while the settling-in experience is still fresh but not too raw.
Spring Term (February)
Before summer transition planning. Feedback here informs room moves, key person changes, and transition letters to school.
Before an Ofsted inspection
Recent parent survey results are strong evidence for the inspectors' parent questionnaire. Documented satisfaction data shows an active commitment to parent voice.
After a significant change
New manager, policy changes, building work, or a change of meal provider. A short check-in helps you understand how parents are responding before concerns grow.
How It Works

From Template to Parent Feedback in 3 Steps

1
Use This Template
9 questions pre-loaded. Add your setting name and any specific questions in under five minutes.
2
Share with families
Post the link on your nursery app, parent noticeboard, or WhatsApp group. Display a QR code at the entrance. Parents respond on their phone in under two minutes.
3
Act on it and record it
Share results at your next team meeting. Record the key findings and your response actions. This documented cycle of parent voice is exactly what Ofsted looks for.
Sample Results

What Your Feedback Dashboard Shows

After 84 responses from a 60-place day nursery in the autumn term, the communication gap against safety and warmth scores identified that parents wanted more frequent updates about their child's day. Introducing brief daily notes via the nursery app closed the gap entirely by the spring survey:

Parent Survey · 84 responsesAutumn term · Anonymous
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★★★★★
Safety score
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Net Promoter Score
Would recommend
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Overall satisfaction
Mean score
Staff warmth4.8 ★
Key person relationship4.5 ★
Learning activities4.3 ★
Communication with home3.4 ★
91%
Would recommend ✓
9%
Would not ✗
Aut 23Spr 24Aut 24Spr 25Aut 25
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Track whether scores are improving term by term
See whether communication, safety, and key person scores improve after each change. Export results as Ofsted evidence.
Unlock with Pro - $19/month
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this childcare parent survey template free?
Yes. Free forever with no signup required from you or parents. Up to 100 responses free. Pro ($19/month) allows 10,000 responses, useful for nursery groups running surveys across multiple settings.
What questions should a childcare parent satisfaction survey include?
The most important questions cover child safety, staff warmth, settling-in and key person bonds, school-home communication, learning activities, meals, value for fees, NPS, and open feedback. This template covers all nine. You can add questions about SEN support, outdoor provision, or specific policies.
How do I share the survey with parents?
Post the link in your nursery app, WhatsApp parent group, or email newsletter. Display a QR code at the entrance or on your parent noticeboard. Parents respond on their phone in under two minutes without creating an account.
Should childcare surveys be anonymous?
Yes. Anonymous surveys produce more candid responses about staff interactions and settling-in, topics parents might feel uncomfortable raising face to face. VoteGenerator surveys are anonymous by default. You can add a room or key person field to segment results without identifying families.
Can I use this for Ofsted preparation?
Yes. Parent satisfaction data from regular surveys is strong evidence for Ofsted's parental engagement judgement. A survey showing high communication and safety satisfaction can be included in your self-evaluation form as documented evidence of parent voice. Pro includes CSV export for easy inclusion in documentation.
When is the best time to run a childcare parent survey?
Mid-autumn (October) after new starters have settled in, and in the spring term before summer transitions. Avoid the first four weeks after a new intake when many families are still in the settling-in phase and results will skew lower than the setting's true baseline.
What happens when I reach 100 responses?
Pro ($19/month) gives you up to 10,000 responses, a term-by-term comparison timeline, and CSV export for Ofsted documentation and trustee reporting.

Give parents a voice. Get Ofsted-ready evidence.

9 questions. Anonymous. No parent signup from anyone.

Use This Template - Free

No signup required · Free up to 100 responses · Pro from $19/month