Chuckles Day Nursery

A converted Methodist Chapel gives Chuckles Day Nursery its village setting; Spanish through story characters and a walking bus to Perranarworthal CP School give it a character beyond the building. Based in Perranwell Station, it cares for children aged three months to five years and has 50 places in total. Its appeal combines early communication, practical independence and attendance options that stretch beyond a standard nursery day.

At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with close staff relationships, individualised developmental support and an emphasis on children's independence and emotional wellbeing. There was also a clear improvement point: children needed greater freedom to pursue their own ideas. That balance matters. Adult guidance was a strength, but it should leave room for children to experiment.

Full days, mornings and afternoons are offered, with separately charged early and late extensions. School-age children can also attend breakfast and after-school care during term time.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS shapes learning across communication, physical development, relationships, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. For parents, that means education reaches beyond learning letters: talking, moving, playing with others and expressing ideas all belong in the nursery day. Development Matters Framework 2021 also informs the learning experiences.

In June 2025, younger children joined familiar rhymes with props, while older children took part in stories by repeating phrases. These were practical ways to connect listening, speech and books. Babies received attentive responses to their babbling, and older children discussed favourite books, giving different ages opportunities to contribute rather than simply listen.

Adult-led small groups covered saying and writing alphabet letters in June 2025. Children concentrated and wanted to continue. The counterweight was independent play: staff sometimes gave children insufficient encouragement to follow their own ideas, limiting opportunities to work things out for themselves. The distinction is useful for families weighing structured preparation against exploratory play.

Spanish classes for three-to-five-year-olds use the La Jolie Ronde language method, introducing vocabulary and phrases through puppets, rhymes, songs and stories. Milo and Mapi, a cat and mouse, provide recurring characters whose adventures connect the language to familiar childhood experiences. This gives the additional language work a concrete format, rather than leaving Spanish as a label on an activity list.

Sports 4 Tots is offered on Wednesday mornings for children aged two and above. Tuesday-morning yoga starts from two-and-a-half years, with 30-minute classes combining poses, singing and props. Both sit alongside the everyday learning programme; families choosing attendance days may want to consider which activities fit their child's interests.

Outdoor and Community Life

Physical activity was part of the June 2025 nursery day, including daily time outdoors. Younger children also climbed into and out of large cardboard boxes indoors, using simple materials to practise movement. The example is small but telling: active learning did not depend entirely on a formal sports session.

The village connection extends to school-age care. A walking bus links the setting with Perranarworthal CP School, while club activities include Lego, craft, board games and table-top football. Children can choose activities or relax after their school day, giving that provision a different rhythm from preschool learning.

Relationships and Communication

Free introductory sessions help children and parents settle into the nursery. There is also a route for discussing development with a child's key worker, through individual meetings or parents' evenings. This makes settling and ongoing communication separate parts of the relationship, rather than treating the first few sessions as the whole adjustment process.

Chat Wheel and Sharing Sheet are completed with parents to support discussion about their child. Activities at Home sheets explain forthcoming topics and give families ideas for activities together. These named tools give parent involvement a practical shape: information can move between home and nursery, and a topic can continue beyond the session.

In June 2025, staff gave families updates about achievements and ideas for extending learning at home. Children also helped prepare snacks and received encouragement for helping others. Independence was being practised through ordinary responsibilities, alongside conversation and group learning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In June 2025, staff monitored development, planned activities around individual needs and worked with other professionals. The nursery also completes the two-year assessment with the health visitor. These mechanisms matter more than a broad promise of support: they connect observation with a child's next steps and with people outside the setting.

Meals and snacks follow Healthy Under 5’s principles, with a chef cooking food freshly each day and provision for vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy/soya-free diets. Full-day children receive a cooked lunch unless parents choose to send a packed lunch, and snacks are provided during sessions.

School preparation includes contact with Reception teachers. In June 2025, staff sought feedback from local schools and invited teachers to meet children at nursery. That supports familiarity with the next stage; it is transition work rather than a promise of school admission.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Station Road, Perranwell Station, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 7PT. Opening hours run from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year, with bank holidays and one Christmas week excluded.

A full-day booking runs from 8.30am to 5.30pm. Morning sessions finish at 12.30pm after an 8.30am start; afternoons run from 1.30pm to 5.30pm. An early start from 8am to 8.30am and a late session from 5.30pm to 6pm cost extra. The opening window therefore includes extensions beyond the standard full day.

Term-time breakfast care runs from 8am to 8.50am, and after-school care from 3pm to 5.45pm, for children aged four to 11. The walking bus serves Perranarworthal CP School. Enquiries can be made by telephone, email or the contact form, and enrolment involves accepting the terms and completing an enrolment form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education includes 15 hours per week during term time for three- and four-year-olds, starting in the term after their third birthday, with a 30-hour entitlement also offered subject to eligibility. Some two-year-olds qualify for 15 hours across 38 weeks. Funded sessions operate between 8.30am and 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, for eligible children.

Parents supply babies' nappies and bring sun cream. Lunch and snacks are provided as described above, with the packed-lunch alternative for full-day children. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the terms and conditions explain payment and leaving arrangements.

Fees are payable two weeks ahead unless another arrangement is agreed. At least four weeks' written notice is required to leave. The advance-booking deposit is credited against the final month's fees after outstanding arrears, but is not refunded if the pre-booked place is not taken up. These conditions make the financial commitment extend beyond the attendance timetable alone.

• Space for children's own ideas. The June 2025 improvement point concerned time to explore and experiment. On a visit, ask how staff now balance guided small groups with play led by children.
• Your actual collection time. The standard full day ends at 5.30pm, while the separately charged late session ends at 6pm. Match the booking to the collection time your household can sustain.
• Activities and dietary arrangements. Yoga, Sports 4 Tots and Spanish have different age thresholds. Ask about charges for these activities and, where allergies affect your child, confirm current food-handling practice before joining.

Chuckles suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with extensions for earlier starts and later collections. Its school-age clubs and walking bus may also help households with children at different stages.

The strongest evidence concerns relationships, communication and everyday independence, alongside concrete additions such as La Jolie Ronde Spanish. The June 2025 improvement point remains the useful test: adult guidance should help children develop their ideas as well as acquire skills.