Garras Owlets Preschool
OutstandingBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Helston for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in May 2022. Open since 2008, with 20 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
TR12 6AYWhat 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, 16 May 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children gladly attend this beautifully planned pre-school. They settle quickly as adults greet them warmly and sensitively. Children make excellent and rapid progress as the curriculum is incredibly well sequenced. It is ambitious for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
For example, three- and four-year-old children create bugs with clay and collage pieces. They discuss whether the bugs have wings or not and with encouragement, they successfully snip wings onto their bugs. Children accurately count out and insert the right number of legs onto their bugs. They are very proud of their creations.
Children concentrate for long periods of time with activities. This is because there is an extremely calm atmosphere and adults expertly support children to develop a can-do attitude. Children persevere with challenges and succeed independently, as adults offer questions and open-ended solutions. For example, four-year-olds are climbing on a wooden structure. They want to move to another area and ask for an adult to lift them. The adult asks them how they think they might get there themselves. The children work it out independently and achieve their goal with elation. Children are extremely well behaved. They are polite and respectful towards each other and adults. They know what to expect and what is expected of them as adults work collaboratively to offer a consistent routine.
- 16 May 2022Outstanding
- 23 March 2015Outstanding
- 12 November 2010Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Garras Owlets Preschool
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.