The Children's Ark
GoodBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Penzance for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 17:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2022. Open since 2012, with 28 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
TR19 7SEWhat 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 June 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children really enjoy coming to this nursery. They are greeted warmly by knowledgeable and caring adults. Children happily find their friends and settle quickly. This is because activities are carefully planned to meet their interests and to motivate them to learn. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress as adults want them to succeed. There is a well-planned and sequenced curriculum in place to ensure all children access activities that support their learning in a meaningful way. For example, pre-school children explore water in the garden to develop their smallmuscle skills to help their emergent writing skills. They use pipettes to move water into cylinders. They use language to describe volume and space. Toddlers learn to share toys as they play in the sandpit together.
Children feel very safe and secure as adults skilfully meet their needs and interests.
All children develop excellent self-help skills and have a confident can-do attitude in all they do. For example, pre-school children help to prepare their own snack. They spread butter on crackers using a knife and help chop fruit. Toddlers willingly have a go at putting on wellington boots to go outside.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop staff's teaching skills further so that they provide greater challenge for older children.
- 20 June 2022Good
- 5 October 2016Outstanding
- 8 August 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Children's Ark
- 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.