Lowen Harts Day Nursery

A miniature road for riding, a mud kitchen for mixing and a sensory room with bubble tubes give Lowen Harts Day Nursery a recognisable character. This Redruth setting combines energetic outdoor play with a quieter space for exploring sound, light and texture. Children have different ways to get involved, whether they want to move, make something or pause away from busier activities.

At its August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, while identifying two improvements: richer conversations with children and more consistent explanations of rules. Those findings give parents a useful balance between the overall judgement and the detail beneath it.

Lowen Harts has capacity for 47 children, with a whole-setting age range from birth to eight years. Its nursery provision centres on Baby Room, Toddler Room and Preschool Room, alongside shared gardens and sensory space. Full-day and half-day attendance are both offered, with funded childcare and additional paid hours.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room covers the birth-to-two stage, with soft blankets and toys for exploring sensations and cause and effect; its dedicated baby provision welcomes children from nine months. Toddler Room, for children aged two to three, combines a spacious indoor room with messy play, craft and small-world activities that give children choices as their independence develops. Preschool Room serves children aged three to five, bringing storytelling, creative exploration and early maths into preparation for school.

The rooms share outdoor areas rather than relying on indoor activities alone. Preschool children also have access to gardens and practise everyday self-care, including dressing themselves. These are practical parts of becoming more independent: learning involves managing a coat as well as taking part in an activity.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for learning, development and care: children learn through play across areas such as communication, physical development and early mathematics. At Lowen Harts, observations and assessment feed into monthly planning, with children's interests shaping much of the activity and adults introducing some experiences too. That gives practitioners a way to connect a child's curiosity with the next thing they are ready to learn.

Basic sign language accompanies spoken words, adding another way for children to communicate. In preschool, phonics, mark-making and problem-solving sit alongside creative play and outdoor exploration. The emphasis is on practising skills through activities, with individual plans supporting preparation for primary school.

In August 2022, the day included singing, shared books and opportunities to handle fresh vegetables during play. Making play dough brought in counting, comparisons and language about position.

Outdoor and Community Life

The adventure garden contains a mud kitchen, digging area and obstacle course, giving children space for role play, exploration and coordination. In the toy garden, a miniature road supports vehicle play, while boats travel along guttering; a large sandpit and bug hunting area add opportunities to investigate materials and living things. Daily outdoor access makes movement and hands-on discovery part of the routine.

A sheltered garden has artificial turf, chalkboards and a music board, with provision for children who are not yet walking. This matters for younger children: outdoor experience here includes a protected space for exploration, rather than depending on being able to join the most active games.

On-site animals are part of children's learning about care and responsibility. In August 2022, fish and garden chickens featured in that experience. A separate February 2025 Fire Service visit brought a fire engine, age-appropriate demonstrations and discussions about fire safety into the nursery.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who learns their interests, follows their development and acts as the family's main contact. Settling begins with a session usually lasting a couple of hours before the first full day, giving the child time to become familiar with the team. The combination provides both a named role for parents to turn to and an introduction before a longer separation.

A parent app shares day-to-day highlights. In August 2022, communication also included daily feedback and parents' evenings, while staff helped children settle through affectionate, responsive care.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The lead SENCO role links families and practitioners with external professionals, including occupational therapists, health visitors and speech and language therapists. This is a practical support mechanism: families can discuss a child's needs with a designated coordinator rather than relying only on general room updates.

Sensory Room is used across age groups, with bubble tubes, lights and textured walls providing different things to explore. Babies can experience soft textures and calming lights; older children use the space for movement, stories, music and quieter reading. Its value is the choice it adds to the day, including somewhere to take a quieter break.

At the August 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that work with local schools supported transition, especially for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Current preschool preparation also includes personalised plans and work alongside local teachers. The emphasis is on preparing children for the change of setting through skills and coordinated support.

Staff complete safeguarding and paediatric first aid training when joining, with safeguarding refreshed regularly. Recruitment includes DBS checks, the update service and references, while continuing professional development takes place through the year. These are concrete arrangements, separate from the dated safeguarding judgement.

An in-house cook prepares meals, and the nursery works with families on dietary requirements and allergies. Children also practise cutlery skills and table manners, connecting food with everyday independence.

Sessions and Attendance

Full-day and half-day sessions are offered across the year, including paid hours beyond a funded entitlement. Families can choose full-day or half-day attendance.

Opening hours are 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery closes at weekends, on bank holidays and for a short Christmas break, so year-round attendance still needs to accommodate those closures. Applications can be made online or by telephone, and the team aims to respond within one working day.

Getting There

The address is Gweal an Top, School Lane, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 2ER. Families can contact the nursery on 01209 211757 or at info@lowenharts.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Lowen Harts accepts the universal 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, 30-hour funding for eligible working parents, eligible two-year-old funding and the working-parent entitlement from nine months. Eligibility depends on the entitlement; accepting a scheme does not establish an individual family's qualification.

The 15-hour and 30-hour arrangements can be used over 38 term-time weeks or stretched across 51 weeks. Under the stretched pattern, the nursery gives approximately 11 hours a week for the former and 22 for the latter. Spreading the entitlement can support attendance during school holidays, with fewer funded hours in each week.

Additional private hours are priced through a tailored quotation that takes account of the child's age, funded hours and chosen sessions. The fees and funding page explains the arrangements.

• Conversation and boundaries. The August 2022 improvement points concerned extending children's language through conversation and explaining rules consistently. During a tour, ask how practitioners develop discussion with older children and make expectations understandable.
• The youngest child's routine. Settling starts with a short introductory session, and babies have both their own room and access to sensory experiences. Ask how key-person contact, sleep and the progression into longer days would work for your child.
• The complete quotation. Funded hours and paid sessions can be combined. Ask for the written quotation to distinguish meals, non-food consumables and any other charges for the exact attendance pattern you intend to use.
• Dietary needs. Meals are prepared by an in-house cook, and the nursery works with families on allergies and dietary requirements. Families affected by allergies should confirm current food preparation and meal arrangements before joining.

Lowen Harts suits families choosing either full-day attendance or shorter half-day sessions who value outdoor activity, sensory exploration and a key-person relationship. The adventure garden, toy garden and Sensory Room give that offer concrete substance. There is plenty for children to do, and different ways to participate.

The Good judgement from August 2022 provides a dated quality reference, with conversation and consistency around rules the important follow-up points. For parents, the decision rests on how those priorities translate into their child's room, alongside a suitable session pattern and a clear written quotation.