Nursery prospectuses, open-day flyers, funded-hours leaflets and childminder cards
Parents choose a nursery months before a place starts, so nurseries print a small A5 prospectus booklet for visits, an A5 open-day flyer for the surrounding streets and a clear leaflet explaining fees and funded hours. Below are the products, live prices, packs, sample layouts, wording and the Ofsted and funding points to check before you print.
A nursery place is one of the biggest decisions and costs a young family makes. Parents visit, take something home and compare it with two or three other settings over the kitchen table. Print has to stand up to that.
Prospectus booklet
The piece parents take home after a visit. Rooms and age groups, a typical day, food, outdoor play, the key person system, staff qualifications, settling-in, opening hours, fees and funded hours. A small stapled booklet with real photos of your rooms (and children only with consent) carries far more trust than a single flyer.
Open-day flyers
Saturday open mornings and evening tours fill when local families know about them. A5 flyers through doors in the streets around the nursery, at baby groups, libraries, GP and health visitor clinics (where allowed), with the date, time and how to book a visit.
Funded hours and fees leaflet
The question every parent asks: what will it cost us after funded hours? A clear folded leaflet showing your daily and sessional fees, how funded hours are used, what is optional (meals, consumables, trips) and how to apply for a code is read more than any other piece.
New-baby-room and expansion launches
Opening a baby room, extending hours or adding places creates a short window to fill new spaces. A flyer to new-build estates and maternity groups with the start date and how to register interest.
Childminder cards and flyers
A registered childminder needs a simple card and A6 flyer: registration, ages cared for, hours, school drop-offs and pick-ups, the area covered and funded places. Most childminders are found through local parents, so cards passed on matter most.
Welcome pack inserts
Once a place is booked: the settling-in timetable, what to bring, the daily routine, sickness and collection policies and key contacts. Printed sheets in a folder or a small booklet save the manager dozens of repeated conversations.
Events and fundraising
Summer fairs, nativity plays and sponsored toddles are good moments for the nursery to meet the wider community, and they need a flyer with the date, place and what is happening.
Recommended leaflets for nurseries
What we would print for a nursery or preschool, starting with the prospectus. The 'from' price is today's live price for the lowest-cost options; the example line is a real configuration nurseries often order.
A5, 12 pages, 170gsm silk, 350gsm matt laminated cover
Twelve pages hold every room, a typical day, food, staff and fees without crowding. The laminated cover survives a changing bag and a toddler's sticky hands.
Drop the flyers three to four weeks before the open day. Tuck a fees leaflet inside every prospectus you hand out.
Saver speed, about 8 working days for the slowest item. Prices are the live Saver prices for exactly these options. Order each item from its own page; one delivery charge covers the basket.
Print your registration details and the schools you drop off at; those two lines answer most first questions.
Saver speed, about 6 working days for the slowest item. Prices are the live Saver prices for exactly these options. Order each item from its own page; one delivery charge covers the basket.
Three layouts we drew for invented settings: an open-day flyer, a childminder card and a fees and funded-hours leaflet. Each one gives parents the practical detail they compare: ages, hours, cost and how to visit.
These are sample designs we made to show layout and wording. The business names, numbers and addresses are invented.
Sample design
LLittle AcornsDay nursery, 3 months to 5 years
Open morning, Saturday 8 March
10am to 12 noonMeet the team, see the rooms and the garden. Children welcome.
0161 496 0341
littleacorns.example
Front
About us
Open7.30am to 6pm
Ages3 months to 5
RoomsBaby, toddler, preschool
Funded hoursAccepted
Home-cooked meals made on site
Garden and forest-school mornings
A named key person for every child
Can't make the open morning? Ring to book a weekday visit.
12 Sample Street, Anytown AB1 2CD
Sample design: invented nursery. Photo shows the room, not children.
Back
Sample: Little Acorns open day
A5 flyer, both sides, 170gsm silk
Front: the date and time are the headline, with one photo of the room rather than children's faces.
Back: hours, ages and whether funded hours are accepted in a grid, because those decide whether a family visits.
Lines that suit nursery print. Calm, specific and honest: parents read every word and compare.
Headlines
Open morning: come and see the rooms
Places for September in our baby room
Funded hours accepted for eligible children
Home-cooked food, a garden and a key person for every child
Childminder with school runs to [school]
New preschool room opening in January
Body text
[Nursery] is a [number]-place day nursery on [street], open [hours], for children from [age] to five. Every child has a key person who settles them in and keeps you updated each day. Meals are cooked on site and children play outside every day. Come and see us at our open morning on [date], or ring to book a visit at a time that suits you.
We accept funded hours for eligible two, three and four-year-olds, and for children of working parents from nine months. Funded hours are free; you pay only for any extra hours and for optional extras such as meals and trips, which we set out in writing before your child starts.
Calls to action
Book a visit on 0161 496 0000
Come to our open morning on [date]
Ask us to work out your monthly cost
Register your interest for [month] places
Use photographs of your rooms, garden and food; show children only with signed parental consent for print use.
Date every fees leaflet so parents and staff know which prices are current.
When, where and how many
Nursery places are decided months ahead, often during maternity leave. Print reaches parents where they spend those months: at home, at baby groups and on walks past the nursery.
Most places start in January, April and September, in line with funding terms. Parents look two to six months before a start, so January to June is busy for visits and September is busy for starts.
When to drop
Open-day flyers three to four weeks before the event. Plan main recruitment for January to March (for September starts) and September to October (for January starts). Expansion or new-room flyers as soon as the start date is certain.
How many
A single nursery usually drops 1,000 to 3,000 flyers in the streets within a short drive or walk, plus 100 to 250 prospectuses a year. Childminders rarely need more than 250 cards and 500 flyers.
Where
Through doors on nearby streets and new-build estates, at baby and toddler groups, libraries, children's centres, soft play and local cafés, with permission. Many families also find you walking past, so keep flyers in a box by the gate.
What response to expect
A flyer drop usually brings a small number of visit bookings per thousand; a well-timed open day does better. Visits that leave with a prospectus and a written fee breakdown are the ones that turn into registrations, so track visits and registrations, not just enquiries.
Paper, size and finish for nurseries
Nursery print is handled by parents with a baby on one arm. It needs to be sturdy, clear and easy to read.
Job
Size
Paper
Finish
Why
Prospectus
A5 booklet
170gsm silk, 350gsm cover
Matt laminated cover
Lasts in a changing bag; photos print naturally.
Open-day flyer
A5
170gsm silk
None
Calm look, natural colour, low cost.
Fees leaflet
A4 folded to A5
170gsm silk
Half fold
Fits inside the prospectus; cheap to reprint.
Childminder card
A6
350gsm silk card
None
Sturdy enough to pass from parent to parent.
Keep body text at 9pt or larger and use plain sans-serif fonts; childish display fonts are hard to read in a fee table.
Avoid putting fees in the prospectus itself if they change every April: a separate leaflet keeps the booklet in date for longer.
Before you print: rules for nurseries
Nurseries are regulated settings and parents check what you print. These are the points we see managers check before a prospectus or flyer goes to print.
Quote Ofsted accurately
If you mention your inspection, use the exact wording and date from your most recent published report, and do not quote an older outcome or a single line out of context. Ofsted has been changing how inspections are reported, so check your current report before you print.
The Department for Education's statutory guidance says funded hours must be free to parents, with no mandatory charges for them; extras such as meals and consumables must be optional and clearly set out. Describe funded hours and any extra charges accordingly.
Statements about staff ratios, qualifications and the curriculum should match what you actually do and the EYFS requirements. Words such as 'outstanding' or 'qualified' must be accurate.
Only use photographs of children whose parents have given written consent for use in printed marketing. Consent for the private parent app is not the same as consent for a flyer through hundreds of doors.
This is a printer's checklist, not legal advice. Check the current Ofsted, DfE and local authority guidance before you print.
Questions about leaflets for nurseries
What should a nursery prospectus include?
Your rooms and age groups, a typical day, food and outdoor play, the key person system, staff qualifications, settling-in, opening hours, how funded hours work, how to register and how to contact you. Keep fees in a separate leaflet tucked inside, so the prospectus stays in date when prices change.
How many pages should a nursery prospectus be?
Eight to twelve A5 pages suits most single settings. Twelve gives a page per room plus space for food, outdoor play, the team and how to start. A laminated card cover keeps it looking good in a changing bag.
Can I put our Ofsted rating on a flyer?
Yes, if you quote your most recent published report accurately, with its date, and do not imply a different outcome. Inspection reporting has been changing, so check the wording on your current report before you print.
How should we describe funded hours on a leaflet?
Say which children are eligible, that funded hours are free, and that any extra hours or optional extras such as meals and trips are charged separately. Set the optional charges out clearly so parents can choose. Check your local authority's agreement for any local requirements.
When should a nursery hold an open day?
In the months before your main start dates: January to March for September starts and September to October for January starts. Drop flyers three to four weeks before the day and offer weekday visits for families who cannot come.
Can we use photos of children in our leaflets?
Only with written consent from parents that covers printed marketing. Many settings use photos of rooms, the garden, food and children's hands at play instead, which avoid the question and still show the setting well.
Can you design our nursery prospectus?
Yes. Send your text, photos and logo through our Artwork and Design Service and we will lay out the booklet, or upload a finished PDF. Every upload gets an automatic check for size, bleed and resolution; File check (£4.99) adds a person looking over it.
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