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Minibugs St Austell

Ofsted: Good
(Jun 2025)
·
5.0(27 parent reviews) ·17a Moorlands Road, St Austell, PL25 5BS · Cornwall
Number of places
76 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jun 2025
Local authority
Cornwall

About this day nursery

Minibugs St Austell offers a nurturing environment for children aged three months to five years, housed in a modern building with stimulating facilities. The nursery prioritises an child-centric approach, tailoring activities to individual interests and encouraging imagination through natural play resources.

Children have daily access to outdoor play areas, promoting creativity and adventure. Strong parent partnerships are fostered, with daily updates and observations shared to support each child's learning journey.

The staff are carefully selected for their alignment with the nursery's childcare philosophy and dedication to supporting children's development. Each child is assigned a key person responsible for their care and development, and all staff are advanced paediatric first aid trained, with ongoing safeguarding and early years child development training.

The nursery also provides healthy, balanced, and nutritious meals prepared on-site by a dedicated cook, with menus that change seasonally and accommodate various dietary needs. They also promote cultural food experiences.

Our ethos

Minibugs St Austell focuses on a child-centric approach, tailoring activities to individual interests and encouraging imagination through natural play resources and daily outdoor access. They value strong parent partnerships, sharing daily updates and observations to support each child's learning journey. Their philosophy is supported by carefully selected staff dedicated to children's development.

What it's like

Staff greet children warmly, and children excitedly share their experiences and settle quickly. Children have formed close bonds with staff and feel secure in their presence. The curriculum is designed and implemented well, with staff understanding children's developmental stages and how to progress their learning.

Child-centric approachModern facilitiesOutdoor learning and playStrong parent partnershipsOn-site meals

Pricing & funding

Fees are structured around session types with different rates depending on whether they are All Year Round (AYR) or Term Time Only (TTO). Standard rates include meals, whereas funded-only bookings exclude meals, which are charged separately. A standard registration fee applies to non-funded places.

Good to know

  • Registration fee is waived for funded-only places.
  • Meals are included in standard fees but charged separately for funded-only sessions.
  • Discounts available: 5% full-time, 5% sibling, and 10% multiples of same age (Minibugs+ only, non-cumulative).
  • Discounts do not apply to meal charges.

Key facts

Food

All meals and snacks are prepared fresh on-site by an on-site cook. Menus change each term and cater to cultural and dietary requirements.

Opening hours

Monday – Friday: 7:30 – 18:00 (Closed Bank Holidays and over the Christmas Holidays)

Session types

Full Day Session, Morning Session, Afternoon Session

Age range

3 months to 5 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Minibugs St Austell

Last inspected 27 June 2025 · Joanne Steward

Overall effectiveness
Good

What it's like to attend

Staff greet children warmly, and children excitedly share their experiences and settle quickly. Children have formed close bonds with staff and feel secure in their presence. The curriculum is designed and implemented well, with staff understanding children's developmental stages and how to progress their learning.

Inspector highlights

  • Children are highly independent and feed themselves competently during lunch, developing hand-eye coordination.
  • Children benefit from professional development programmes staff attend, learning to understand their emotions through stories and visual aids.
  • Children enjoy participating in local community events, such as visiting a nearby care home.
  • All families are welcome at this inclusive nursery, and staff gather essential information about families and celebrate diversity.
  • Staff morale is high, and leaders support them effectively, with staff well-being being a strong priority.

Areas to develop

  • 1support staff to better understand their roles, particularly those working with older children, to enable them to be deployed effectively so they can provide consistent interactions with children.
Inspection #10398557 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Outdoor space

The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

Parent Reviews of Minibugs St Austell

5.0
(27)
Princess Gail Paradowski
3 months ago

I would love to extend my sincere appreciation to Minibugs Nursery St. Austell. My little one has been so good this past few weeks. He is more interactive when it comes to playing toys and pretend plays. He doesnt get easily bored. Sleeping wise, they follow our sleep pattern so it is not disrupted during nursery days. He enjoys alot when he said he is going to the big room. He even knows all the staff names. Telling me his day in nursery which is very good to a mom who wants to know what happen.

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Dan Gronwalt
3 months ago

Our son has been attending Mini Bugs for 6 months and my partner and I are very impressed with how much the children do each day. So many fun and creative activities as well as a varied food plan each day. The staff are very friendly and welcoming each morning which helps with the drop off! Great nursery!

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Stacie Tregonning
3 months ago

My son has been attending since he was 11 months old. He will be 4 this year and leaving for school. Each room has supported his development and we have felt at ease leaving him. He loves being in the pre school room and is thriving. We like the app for updates and pictures Any queries have been dealt with promptly and professionally

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emily tuck
a year ago

My child has attended Minibugs from being 8 months old, they have always enjoyed themselves. The staff made the transitioning period feel so natural and comfortable for both me and my child. They’ve thrived and have made such strong bonds with their peers and staff. Their confidence has come on leaps and bounds and has had some fun experiences with the nursery.

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Samantha Armstrong
a year ago

My daughter absolutely loves Minibugs. She has made so many friends, including the carers as she speaks about them like they are her friends too! She comes home so excited to tell us about her day, playing outside, reading books, drawing and making, imaginary play and songs they have sung! She comes home and imitates things like "bucket time" that they do there. Any issues we may have had are always dealt with quickly and professionally. We really get the sense the staff genuinely care about our little girls well-being and the huge presence that she has there. Handovers are always detailed and positive. I cannot wait for my baby to start there later this year!

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Minibugs St Austell. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: October 2019

  • June 2025Good
  • October 2019Outstanding

Frequently asked about Minibugs St Austell

About the setting

Minibugs St Austell registered in 2017. It is situated close to the centre of St Austell, Cornwall. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round. There are 27 members of staff, two of whom hold qualifications at level 6. The manager holds a level 4 qualification, and 12 staff members are qualified at level 3. Two staff are level 2 qualified, and 10 staff are unqualified. The nursery offers government-funded places for childcare and receives specific funding for disadvantaged children.

URN
EY546035
Registered person
Minibugs Nurseries Limited
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises

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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more