Mawnan Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Falmouth for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2025. Open since 1975, with 24 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
TR11 5JDWhat 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, 3 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive confidently and happily. They enjoy their time at the setting and develop the skills and knowledge to prepare them well for the next stage of learning, including school. Children eagerly recall what they know and can do. For example, pre-school children talk knowledgeably about the insects they have seen and learned about. They discuss a moth that looks like a twig and that they are watching caterpillars grow into butterflies. Staff have high expectations for children's learning and have created an ambitious curriculum. All children are curious, engage well and make good progress in their learning and development.
Staff understand the positive impact that developing warm relationships with children has on their ability to progress. They help children feel safe, secure and welcome at the setting. Children develop good social skills and behave well. In the outdoor area, toddlers happily push toy babies in prams. Pre-school children politely say 'excuse me' to their peers as they build an obstacle course using wooden planks and tyres. Children willingly share their toys and understand how to take turns. For example, as older children wait patiently, they explain that only five children can play in the playhouse at a time.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance staff professional development to ensure all areas of practice continue to improve over time n extend opportunities for children to develop independence skills.
- 3 June 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 30 October 2019Good
- 21 July 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Mawnan 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.