Little Merlins Pre-school
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Helston for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 May 2025. Open since 1989, 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
TR13 8DJWhat 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 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children happily wave goodbye to their parents and run to play with their friends at the start of the day, showing curiosity and engagement. Toddlers are guided by staff to transfer water between containers, developing their hand strength. They take part in activities for long periods, demonstrating good levels of concentration.
Staff develop strong relationships with children, understanding the positive impact this has on children's learning and development. All children make good progress and feel safe and secure.
Staff have developed a broad curriculum that supports children in being ready for the next stage of learning. There is a strong focus on outdoor play and developing social skills. Children enjoy playing in mixed-age groups in the outdoor area. Babies smile as they watch older children play with toy cars. Pre-school children help babies new to the nursery settle by joining staff in playing games with them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support and encourage children to explore their ideas and interests even further to benefit their conversational skills n strengthen the planning of activities for older and most-able children to ensure that they receive further challenge.
- 7 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 16 October 2019Good
- 22 September 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Merlins 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.