Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)

Penrice Hospital, Porthpean Road, St Austell PL26 6AA
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9.3 68 Reviews
  • Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell), St Austell
Happy Days Penrice is a long-established setting that always provides a warm and nurturing environment for early years children. With a newly refurbished outdoor area, children are provided with a safe and secure environment, with free flow access to indoor rooms that are decorated with natural and calming interior.
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Funding & Fees

Full Day Care Fees
0–2 Years: £77.27 per day (08:00–18:00)
2–3 Years: £77.22 per day (08:00–18:00)
Over 3 Years: £76.41 per day (08:00–18:00)

Government funding is available and can be used to reduce daily fees. Further information is available on our website, or you can call and speak with our knowledgeable nursery team. We’re here to ensure you receive all the support and funding you’re entitled to.

Please note, fee information is correct as of Dec 2025.

For fee information, contact the Nursery directly.

Contact Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell) to get a personalised quote.

Contact Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell) to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Jen Philips (Acting Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 24

Total Places for Children

  • 80

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Parking

  • The nursery provides parent parking and level access to the nursery/pre-school.

Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell) Reviews (68)

9.3

Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell) has a Review Score of 9.3 (9.337) out of 10, based on 23 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell) has 68 reviews.

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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)
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Total of 68, showing 21-40
Review from B T (Father of Child) published on 25 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Penrice Happy Days is fantastic, the staff are outstanding, four members of staff in particular are so friendly and approachable which is great as first-time parents! The rooms are well decorated, there are plenty of toys for our child to play with (and new toys come through too which is great for variety!).
There is a well-structured curriculum and we always appreciate the regular updates on the app!
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Review from Katie O (Mother of Child) published on 25 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter currently attends Happy Days Nursery and has for almost 3 years.
My son attended previously.
I have nothing but positive things to say about the nursery. The staff are welcoming and friendly.
Both my children have really bonded with the team and my son till now, returning on drop off
and pick ups with his little sister.
The staff are supportive of new milestones e.g. potty training and work with you to continue what you have done at home.
The online platform is regularly updated so I can see what my child has done throughout the day.
She takes part in a wide variety of activities every day including plenty of time outside!
I would highly recommend the nursery to anyone.
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Review from Katie D (Mother of Child) published on 25 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We adore the whole setup of Happy Days Penrice. Our daughter is always so happy to talk about her day and what she has been up to. We love hearing about the activities she does throughout the day, and how much fun she has had. Her confidence has blossomed and she is coming home teaching us all the new
things she has learnt. A big thank you to six members of staff in particular.
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Review from Shelley T (Mother of Child) published on 6 September 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been going to Happy Days at Penrice since he was 13 months old (now 2 and a half years); I have so much appreciation and praise for the staff. My little boy loves nursery, he has learned so much and developed new skills through play and exploring in a safe and caring environment.
I couldn't
have chosen a better nursery and have always felt safe and settled knowing my son is in very good hands.
Reply from Kelly Russell, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you for leaving such a wonderful review! It is really appreciated and we are so thrilled to hear your son has settled in so well!
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Review from H A (Mother of Child) published on 17 August 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son had recently started at Happy Days, I was so nervous and anxious about leaving him for the first time ever however, the staff at Penrice were so lovely they made me feel reassured and cared for my son beautifully. The staff are very kind and approachable and have great systems and processes in
place to ensure the safety of the children. My son always comes home happy and content after a fun day. We are very happy with our experience, thank you.
Reply from Kelly Russell, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you so much for your kind words - it is greatly appreciated!
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Review from I K (Father of Child) published on 7 August 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Great staff and rigorous systems reassure me that my child is safe and thoroughly entertained. The app is great for regular, entertaining updates on my son's daily routine. I like the way that you can reply/engage with the individualised updates, creating a memory chain.
Reply from Kelly Russell, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you so much for your review - your feedback means so much to us, and we are so glad to hear about our communication!
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Review from Kapri M (Mother of Child) published on 4 August 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Lovely staff, couldn’t fault them. My boy has thrived since being here! And he loves it. Highly recommend this nursery.
One member of staff, in particular, is amazing! But they’re all understanding and super supportive,e and thanks to them, my son is now more verbal and more confident and thriving.
Reply from Kelly Russell, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you so much for your review, Kapri! It is wonderful to hear how brilliantly your son has settled with us.
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Review from Josh D (Father of Child) published on 31 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Penrice Happy Days are extremely accommodating to parents navigating the challenging world of parenting for the first time. Although one of the larger childcare providers locally, it always feels like there is such thought in the education given to the children. Also extremely reliable and rarely ever
an issue with staff levels.
Reply from Kelly Russell, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you Josh for leaving such a positive review. It is greatly appreciated.
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Review from W S (Mother of Child) published on 27 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started in September and has done nothing but grow in confidence. All of the preschool practitioners are fantastic and go above and beyond to ensure the child thrives in a safe and nurturing environment. My little girl has gone from not saying a word to anyone to being a complete chatterbox,
I'm so pleased we chose Happy Days Nursery & Preschool Penrice.
Reply from Kelly Russell, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you so much for leaving such a lovely review! We are thrilled to hear about your daughter's progress.
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Review from Ben S (Father of Child) published on 27 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child started in September and comes home every day with the biggest smile on their face eager to tell me all the exciting things they have done. Feedback from the practitioners is second to none, very informative and you never feel like you are being rushed out the door. The new app they have introduced
is amazing and makes me feel so involved with her learning and nursery experience even when I'm not with them. I wouldn't want them to go anywhere else.
Reply from Kelly Russell, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you for leaving such a positive review Ben - it is lovely to hear about your child's progress!
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Review from T A (Mother of Child) published on 27 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing experience for us! My daughter started off at 8 months and is now 2 years old and I don’t have any complaints really. The nursery staff are truly caring and my daughter is excited every morning to leave for nursery. The new manager is so great and you can tell she loves the children. I would
recommend this nursery for any parent looking for a good childcare setting for their little one.
Reply from Kelly Russell, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you for such a positive review. It is greatly appreciated.
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Review from Lucy T (Mother of Child) published on 20 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little boy absolutely loves it here in the 0-2’s room. The girls are very friendly too. The resources and outside space are fabulous for him too. He has come on leaps and bounds since joining this setting.
Reply from Kelly Russell, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you Lucy for such a wonderful review and we agree - the outdoor space is marvellous!
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Review from Tamsin K (Mother of Child) published on 2 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both of my children have been to Happy days. My eldest has just left and gone onto school and still talks about his time there- especially the yummy potatoes!
My 11 month old son really enjoys his mornings. The staff and his key worker are so lovely and make you feel right at ease when dropping off.
He goes straight to them with no tears!
We love that on pick up you get a run through of their day and what they have eaten. Always smiles and happy faces when they come home which is all you can ask for!
All members of the Happy Days team quote clearly really care for your babies. Thank you!
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Review from M B (Mother of Child) published on 3 October 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 2.0 out of 5
Sadly not for us. Our son joined at the beginning of the year and the nursery were great at comforting him then. Although the staff were friendly, our son became understimulated when he got older. There was limited outdoor time, no ride-on toys and he never seemed to have suncream on when we picked
him up. We tried to stay because he liked his key workers but wasn't enough. He became unsettled, rarely napped, and would cry on arrival at the car park. Since moving to a new provider it has only taken 2 weeks to settle. No tears, drastic changes in independence and development; our son is so much happier and we are relieved. We don't want to do a disservice to the nursery but wanted to provide an honest account. No photos in 8 months and 1 paragraph written for the 6-month review noting very little in terms of progress and development. Claimed to offer a lot but delivered a lot less. We believe this is an organisational issue rather than those who tried to do well by our son.
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Review from S B (Father of Child) published on 1 March 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Great nursery! Friendly staff ad always collect a very happy child!
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Review from S H (Mother of Child) published on 10 September 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Children have gained confidence, enjoy the food and the outside areas. The staff are friendly and caring.
Reply from Rebekah Fice-Thomson, Marketing Manager at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you for leaving us a review - it means a lot to the team, including the chef!
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Review from E V (Mother of Child) published on 10 September 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Brilliant! Both children have attended now and they worked really well with my first who was really shy. My second is really confident and loves coming!
Reply from Rebekah Fice-Thomson, Marketing Manager at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you for leaving us a review - it means a lot to the team!
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Review from Emma J (Mother of Child) published on 10 September 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My son has attended since 11-months-old, he loves the nursery and staff and has progressed in so many areas.
Reply from Rebekah Fice-Thomson, Marketing Manager at Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell)Thank you for the review - we're glad your son loves the nursery and the team!
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Review from M P (Grandmother of Child) published on 10 September 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Well organised, friendly, caring and good fun. The children are well fed too.
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Review from Kylie R (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has attended Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell) since September 2020. In that time his speech and vocabulary have improved and he has become much more sociable. He genuinely enjoys nursery and doesn't appear to have separation anxiety. Previously he used to cry when left with
other people. He always has a fabulous time and talks about his day. I go to work knowing he is safe, happy and well cared for.
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Current Review Score: 9.3 (9.337)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.3 (9.337) out of 10 for Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell) is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.3 out of 5 from 23 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 20 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.337 for Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell) is calculated as follows: ( (199 Excellents x 5) + (39 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) + (4 Poors x 2) + (32 Very Poors x 1) ) ÷ 276 Ratings = 4.337
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Happy Days Nursery & Preschool - Penrice (St Austell) is based on 20 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 80 number of registered child places is 16, which has been reached with 20 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (7)

Meet the Team (1)

Jen

Jen Philips

Job Title: Acting Nursery Manager Joined: 2025

My name is Jen, and I’ve been working in childcare for 15 years. I finished college, completing my level 3 in childcare and went straight into a job in childcare, working with children aged 2-4 years and also helping out at lunchtime within the school. I then moved to a larger nursery, caring for babies and children aged 0-5 years. I was there for 10 years, where I moved up to the preschool room leader. In 2023, I joined Happy Days Penrice as a nursery nurse and then continued on to become a room leader in the Adventurers room. From September 2025, I became deputy manager and helped with supporting the children, families and staff and then from January 2026, I stepped up as manager covering Toni’s maternity cover. I am passionate about helping every child individually shine and supporting them through nursery, ready for school.

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