Smiling Faces Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Falmouth 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 February 2022. Open since 2003, 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 4SUWhat 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, 9 February 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the pre-school happy, confident and ready to learn. There are effective, gradual, settling-in sessions, tailored to meet the child's individual needs.
Children show that they feel safe and secure. They form close bonds with staff and each other. Staff praise and encourage children consistently as they play. Children learn to take turns and enjoy assisting in tasks, such as tidying up. They follow the routines of the nursery well. For example, they know to take out their packed lunches and put their lunchboxes away so they have space to eat.
The manager has changed the arrangements for children's arrival and collection to help keep them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children readily leave their parents at the pre-school gate. Once inside, younger children settle quickly into their play, where there is a variety of activities on offer. Older children eagerly find their own coat hook to put their things away. Children enjoy sharing their play with adults. For instance, staff join the children as they play with balls, tubes and magnetic holders on a board. Staff use these opportunities to support children's critical thinking as they work out where to place the holders and tubes to get the balls into a bag.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to recognise how to extend and challenge children's learning more consistently n strengthen partnership working with parents and other settings, in order to help children make the best possible progress.
- 9 February 2022Good
- 18 March 2015Good
- 5 December 2011Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Smiling Faces 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.