NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in St. Austell

Happy Days Penrice

Good★ 3.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades

A day nursery in St. Austell for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in August 2025. Open since 2004, with 63 places.

Call 01726 71188Their website

Cost

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

£6.20an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£5.60an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

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.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
Birth to 8+Registered from birth. Whether there is a baby room is a question for the call.
When it's open
07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a weekFrom their Google listing
Funded hours
Not published, so ask them
Google rating
3.7 out of 5From 13 Google reviews. NurseryWise has none of its own.
How many children
63 placesLarge for England
How long open
23 yearsOpen for decades
Address
Penrice Hospital, Porthpean Road, St. Austell, PL26 6AA

Where it is

PL26 6AA
Ofsted URN EY279965On the register since 8 March 2004
Ofsted

What 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, 20 August 2025 · read the full report

What it is like to attend

Children thrive in this nurturing nursery. Staff focus on building positive relationships with children. They gather information from parents about children's likes, dislikes and care routines when children join. This helps staff to plan for children's needs from the start. Children are allocated a key person who offers oneto-one support as they get to know children and their families. They also provide bespoke transitions through the nursery to ensure children are settled and happy.

Staff are kind, caring and responsive to children. They provide them with attention, praise, cuddles and reassurance to support children's emotional development.

Children form close bonds with staff. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. Children leave their parents with ease on arrival and staff greet each child with a warm welcome. New children settle very quickly.

What Ofsted told them to improve

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:

- develop the organisation of lunchtimes to maximise children's independence n widen children's understanding and use of technology to help prepare them for the next stages of learning.

  • 20 August 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
  • 4 December 2019Good
  • 1 March 2016Outstanding

Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.

Still missing for Happy Days Penrice

  • 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.

Before you ring

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.
Compare

Day nurseries within a couple of miles

This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.

Minibugs St Austell

Day nursery · 17a Moorlands Road, St Austell, PL25 5BS

GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Babies from 3 months07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 2976 placesLong established

Brighteyes

Day nursery · 43 North Street, St. Austell, PL25 5QE

GoodBirth to 8+08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 1453 placesLong established
1.3 mi
3 min drive
01726 73259Their website

Baby Bugs Nursery

Day nursery · Baby Bugs Nursery, Tregonissey Close, St. Austell, PL25 4DN

GoodBirth to 8+07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 4.6 Google, 1030 placesOpen for decades
1.3 mi
3 min drive
01726 74233Their website

Pick two or three to compare.

Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports · How we put this together.

All childcare in St. Austell