Have a question about life at Little Explorers? You’re in the right place.
At Little Explorers Cornwall, we know that choosing the right early years setting comes with lots of important questions. Our families want to feel confident, informed, and supported — and we’re here to help.
This FAQ page brings together the answers to our most common queries, from daily routines and settling-in to meals, funding, and everything in between.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please get in touch — our team is always happy to help.
Funding
Under the working families support scheme, families may be eligible for up to 30 hours per week (term time only) of government funded childcare. To check you eligibility please visit -
You may also be entitled to funded childcare from the age of two if you qualify for extra support, for more information please see
Childcare when you receive extra support
All children aged 3 are eligible for 15 hours of government funded childcare from the term after their 3rd birthday. No code is needed to access this.
The government funding covers up to 30 hours per week on a term time only basis, 38 weeks of the year. Alternatively you can opt to 'stretch' your funding, which means you can access up to 22 hours per week all year around.
Alternatively if you are eligible for 15 hours per week on a term time only basis, 38 weeks of the year, you can again opt to 'stretch' your funding, which means you can access up to 11 hours per week all year around.
The government also offer a Tax Free Childcare scheme, using the government portal you can get support to pay 20% of your childcare costs. For more information please see -
General Information
We welcome children from 0 to 5 years, with age-appropriate rooms and activities designed to support each stage of development.
All staff complete allergen training as provided by the food standards agency. All meals are prepared with allergies in mind, with alternatives provided where needed.
We have dedicated sleep spaces for all children, staff will discuss your child's routine with you during their settling in sessions.
Yes!
At Grampound Road, children in our care benefit from music sessions with Little Wing music and communication and language sessions with Bilinguasing.
At Newquay, children engage in outdoor learning sessions with Imagine outdoors and communication and language sessions with Bilinguasing.
Our extra-curricular activities support a child's holistic development, these experiences help build confidence, encourage independence, and promote positive interactions with others. Extra-curricular activities also support early learning by strengthening concentration, listening, and problem-solving skills, while giving children the opportunity to explore their interests and talents. Most importantly, they contribute to children’s emotional wellbeing, helping them feel happy, secure, and motivated to learn.
We offer 3 short settling in sessions, at first with a familiar adult joining us in order to familiarise your child with the setting and staff members too.
If you feel like your child would need more than this we can arrange a more gradual process, please discuss this with the nursery manager.
We support children’s learning and development by providing a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment where learning takes place through play and exploration. Our experienced staff plan age-appropriate activities that reflect each child’s individual interests and developmental needs, following the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. We encourage curiosity, creativity, communication, and independence through a balance of structured activities and free play, both indoors and outdoors. Children’s progress is regularly observed and assessed, allowing us to support their next steps in learning, while working closely with parents to ensure consistency between home and nursery.
We pride ourselves on our inclusive provision, We support children with Special Educational Needs by creating an inclusive, nurturing environment where every child is valued and supported to reach their full potential. We work closely with parents and carers to understand each child’s individual needs and use this information to plan tailored support strategies.
We work in partnership with external professionals such as speech and language therapists, health visitors, and SEN specialists to ensure children receive consistent and effective support. Staff receive ongoing training in SEN and inclusive practice to ensure they have the knowledge and confidence to support a wide range of needs.
Fees and funding support your family
We understand that choosing the right early years setting includes understanding how fees and funding support your family.
Here you’ll find general information about how our nursery fees are structured. For full breakdowns tailored to each of our Little Explorers settings, please visit the Newquay or Grampound Road pages below.
Our aspirations
Our Ethos embeds learning in childhood memories that can foster a passion for learning in later stages. This early exposure helps children associate learning with positive experiences, encouraging them to explore new topics and develop a thirst for knowledge.
Encouraging a child's self-confidence ethos involves fostering a positive environment. celebrating their efforts and strengths regularly to boost their self-esteem. Encourage them to try new things and embrace challenges. Teaching resilience and the importance of self-belief will help them navigate obstacles with confidence. Building a strong foundation of self-worth empowers children to embrace their uniqueness and face the world with courage.
Real Stories, Real Success
-
Our daughter joined Little Explorers in January and settled in quickly. Her confidence has come on leaps and bounds, as well as her language skills and singing! We've often had trouble getting her to eat real food at home and that's another thing Litle Explorers have worked with us on, she is now happier trying new food and sitting down to eat. Highly recommend!
-
I am over the moon after hearing how my daughter Lilly has settled in so well after a few weeks at Little Explorers. She always looks forward to going in & I have no worries at all about leaving her, especially when the staff are all so lovely & welcoming!
-
My little girl has been here for almost 2 years and loves going. It's a fantastic nursery, amazing staff and a great environment for children to learn, play, develop and grow, I would highly recommend this nursery. A really welcoming environment with a wonderful outside area for the children.
-
Happy to recommend Little Explorers. My daughter has only been there a few months, but has settled in really quickly and is extremely happy to be there. All the staff are really friendly and welcoming and whilst I had the usual parental anxiety at leaving my child initially, I need not have worried.
-
Lovely little nursery, I have total confidence that my little girl is cared for in every way whilst there.
-
This nursery has recently undergone major renovations and provides a great service for babies through to pre-school. The children have a wide variety of play areas, although the 'mud kitchen' appears to be a favourite. Well worth a view if you need child care for your child .