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Acorn Childcare Nursery

Ofsted: Good
(Jun 2023)
·
5.0(11 parent reviews)
·Off Greenbank Lane, Hartford, CW8 1JJ · Cheshire West and Chester
Number of places
65 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jun 2023
Local authority
Cheshire West and Chester

About this day nursery

Acorn Childcare Nursery offers flexible, high-quality childcare for children aged 0-11 years old. They prioritise outdoor play, boasting an orchard, climbing frame, and outdoor classroom.

Children are encouraged to move freely between indoor and outdoor spaces, fostering learning through exploration in all weather conditions. The nursery provides freshly prepared, healthy, homemade meals that adhere to government nutritional guidelines and a 5-star food hygiene rating.

Each child is assigned a key worker who supports their development and acts as a primary contact for parents. Communication is enhanced through the ParentZone app, allowing parents to track their child's daily activities and development, request extra sessions, and manage their account.

Acorn Childcare also facilitates a smooth transition for children entering the nursery and progressing to new rooms, offering free settling-in sessions. The nursery is closed on Bank Holidays and between Christmas and New Year, with no charges applied for these periods.

Our ethos

Acorn Childcare Nursery emphasises outdoor play, enabling children to learn through exploration in all weather conditions by moving freely between indoor and outdoor spaces. They facilitate holistic development through a key worker system and a play-based approach that encourages children to explore their environment.

What it's like

Children are happy in this safe nursery which celebrates what makes each child unique. Babies develop close bonds with key staff and are settled and calm, while children of all ages develop a love of books and make rapid progress in communication and language; the extensive outdoor areas support physical development and managed risk-taking.

Outdoor Play AreaFreshly Prepared MealsKey Worker SystemParentZone App

Pricing & funding

Fees are fully inclusive of meals, formula milk, nappies, wipes, creams, sun cream, and Calpol. The nursery is closed on bank holidays and for one week between Christmas and New Year, for which no fees are charged.

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare
  • Half Day (0-2 year olds)£48.30 / session
  • School Day (0-2 year olds)£63.00 / session
  • Full Day (0-2 year olds)£77.70 / session
  • Full Week (0-2 year olds)£352.00 / week
  • Half Day (3-5 year olds)£45.15 / session

Good to know

  • Fees are fully inclusive of meals, nappies, wipes, creams, specific formula milks, sun cream, and Calpol.
  • No charges apply for bank holidays or the closure week between Christmas and New Year.

Key facts

Opening hours

08:00 - 18:00, Monday - Friday

Age range

0-11 years old

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2004

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Acorn Childcare Nursery

Last inspected 27 June 2023 · Richard Sutcliffe

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children are happy in this safe nursery which celebrates what makes each child unique. Babies develop close bonds with key staff and are settled and calm, while children of all ages develop a love of books and make rapid progress in communication and language; the extensive outdoor areas support physical development and managed risk-taking.

Inspector highlights

  • Children are happy in a safe nursery that celebrates individuality
  • Babies form close bonds with key staff and settle well
  • Staff and children regularly talk, sing and read together, supporting communication and language
  • Extensive outdoor areas enable children to take managed risks and develop physical skills
  • Leaders took prompt action after the previous inspection and improved staff training and the curriculum

Areas to develop

  • 1strengthen existing supervision arrangements to provide more precise evaluations of staff teaching practice.
Inspection #10282121 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

been given the best start in life

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Parents praise the prompt action the nursery takes to implement additional support for children's progress and their joint working with other agencies.

Outdoor space

In the extensive outdoor areas, children learn to take managed risks in their play as they climb and jump with confidence. Staff teach children about the natural world and give them first-hand experience of growing a variety of crops that are used in some of the meals they eat in nursery.

EAL / language support

The setting celebrates children's own heritage because staff work closely with parents to provide familiar and meaningful experiences for children.

Parent Reviews of Acorn Childcare Nursery

5.0
(11)
Michael Holden
3 years ago

Our daughter has been attending here for almost 4 years and now our 9 month old son has started too. We could not wish for a better nursery. Our children have enjoyed wonderful care and nurturing. The staff are amazing and so committed. Our daughter leaves Acorn nursery this year and we will be sad that her time here will come to an end. She has loved it! Apart from the fantastic staff and the excellent care, the nursery has a fabulous and large outdoor area surrounded by trees and away from traffic. For anyone wanting their child to have access to the best local outdoor space, Acorn nursery is for you. If you are looking for a very high standard of childcare in a wonderful setting, at least arrange a visit. I am sure you will not be disappointed!

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Ali Cockburn
3 years ago

Both of our children have come here since they were 9m old. They absolutely love it and have made brilliant and secure friendships and lovely bonds with many staff members. The outdoor space is not like any other nursery in the area. They have been really flexible with hours and days when we have needed it most. Our children both eat so well at nursery and enjoy the food they are given. They look forward to going and seeing the staff which says a lot. Our daughter moves to school in September and we are so glad our Acorn journey doesn’t end there as our little one still has a few years to go. Helen and Ali

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Alicia Purdue
3 years ago

Brilliant nursery- I can’t recommend it enough! I have 2 children at the nursery, my eldest is in pre-school; she’ll be the youngest in her school year, however I’m not worried at all, Acorns have thoroughly prepared her for school- she’s a very independent young lady who knows her numbers, shapes, phonics- all thanks to Acorns! My youngest is in the little learners room, he loves it! Lots of messy play and outdoor adventures. The team are brilliant and there’s always a new fun activity set up each morning for when the little ones come into nursery and a warm friendly cuddle- he loves toddling in to see everyone! I wouldn’t leave my children anywhere else, the team are all brilliant and they have a genuine interest in the children; they’re all so caring and kind - it’s a lovely friendly setting and I’d highly recommend it!

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Emma Harnett
3 years ago

My daughters both love attending nursery at Acorn. The staff are nurturing, the outside area fantastic and activities focused around development and cultural themes. Great setting to look after our children and highly recommend.

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A I
7 years ago

We tried a number of nurseries in the local area, and all had shortcomings. Most were very cramped and had minimal outdoor space (our son is very outdoorsy). Acorn were completely different. It is much more spacious and the nursery staff are much more friendly and genuinely enjoy what they do.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Acorn Childcare Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history
Improved from Inadequate → Good in 2023

Date: January 2014

  • June 2023Good
  • February 2023Inadequate
  • August 2017Good
  • January 2014Good

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