The Garden Pre-School
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Falmouth for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2024. Open since 1998, 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
TR11 4QJWhat 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, 15 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders have made good improvements since the last inspection. There is an ambitious and well-designed curriculum. Staff build on what children know and need to learn next. They ensure all children make good progress in the prime areas of learning. For example, pre-school-age children make vegetable soup for their snack. They choose carrots, potatoes and onions. Staff model how to cut and peel safely using safety knives. Pre-school-age children copy and develop their finger dexterity. They engage in back-and-forth conversations with staff and improve their speaking skills. Pre-school-age children talk about where the vegetables come from. Afterwards, they write and draw recipe cards. Staff display their recipes on the wall. These children are proud of their efforts and show high levels of selfesteem.
All children have a strong sense of belonging. Pre-school-age children find their names and self-register on arrival. Staff teach these children about democracy. Preschool-age children place their names underneath a picture of a storybook they would like to read before lunch. Later, staff count the names and read the book with the most votes. All children feel included. Staff have positive relationships with children and make them feel safe. For example, they help toddlers to make choices. They ask them if they want their name written on their artwork. Toddlers know their voice is important and they feel secure.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop how staff support pre-school-age children to understand the rules of the setting and help them follow instructions n manage distractions to ensure pre-school-age children remain engaged and focused on their learning.
- 15 May 2024Good
- 14 July 2023Needs improvement
- 30 January 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for The Garden 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.