Little Otters Children's Centre
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Camelford for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 1997, with 29 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
PL32 9YNWhat 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, 26 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff give each child a warm welcome and help them to settle quickly into playing.
They create a calm and gentle environment where children are well cared for.
Children take part in a range of sensory experiences and develop curiosity about the world around them. They play happily alongside their friends and readily share toys. Children experiment with water play and care for toy babies in the home corner.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to use effective questioning in order to give children more opportunities to develop their communication and language skills n allow children access to a greater range of books to support their learning.
- 26 January 2023Good
- 9 May 2017Good
- 29 June 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Otters Children's Centre
- 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.