Farlea Childcare (St. Marys)
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Cannock for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2008, with 32 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 Staffordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Staffordshire 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
WS11 0AEWhat 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, 7 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily at this vibrant and welcoming setting. They are greeted by the friendly team and quickly settle at activities with their friends. Children get to know all staff in the team and build positive relationships. This helps them to feel safe and happy. Children make choices about where they would like to play. They explore together with small-world resources, demonstrating good sharing as they chat and take turns with small figures. Staff are positive role models. They treat children with kindness and teach them the rules of the setting. As a result, children behave well and demonstrate care for others.
Children explore activities that help them to develop physically. They practise using tools to spread glue when making crowns, demonstrating excellent hand-eye coordination. Staff support children to negotiate beams and practice balancing as they walk along them. They offer reassurance and encouragement for children that are a little unsure. Children demonstrate pride in their achievements, and staff praise them for persevering.
Children take part in activities that support their understanding of how to live healthy lifestyles. They practise pouring their own water from a self-service station in the room. Children wash their hands before snack time and then take it in turns to select their own snack from a variety of fruits on offer. They use tongs to select orange segments and carry them back to their table on their plate. This helps children to develop confidence in being independent.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance teaching so that staff consistently provide further challenge to deepen and extend children's learning to the highest level n build further on partnerships with parents to ensure all parents know who their children's key person is and understand their role in supporting continuity of care and learning.
- 7 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 2 May 2019Good
- 27 May 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Farlea Childcare (St. Marys)
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.