Barbican Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Looe for children from birth to 5, open 08:45 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2024. Open since 2008, with 36 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Cornwall
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cornwall from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
PL13 1ETWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 12 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enter the pre-school joyfully and find their names for self-registration.
Younger children use the picture next to their name to help them identify which one is theirs. Older children confidently recognise the letters from their name.
Children settle quickly, and staff help them to find an activity that interests them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to implement a consistent approach to meet children's needs n develop staff interactions with children, particularly during stories and outdoor play to further extend their vocabulary.
- 12 November 2024Good
- 27 February 2019Good
- 18 May 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Barbican Pre-School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.