Opening hours
8am - 6pm, 52 weeks a year (closed bank holidays and 2 annual staff training days)
Acorn Nursery in Brighton
Ofsted: Outstanding
(Dec 2023)
Number of places
60 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Dec 2023
Local authority
Brighton and Hove
About this day nursery
Acorn Nursery in Portslade, Brighton, provides outstanding childcare for children aged 0-4 years. Open 8am to 6pm, 51 weeks a year, the day nursery is known for children blossoming and thriving in its exemplary environment.
Passionate staff warmly greet children and thoughtfully plan a rich array of experiences, skilfully intertwined with each child's unique curiosities, allowing them to quickly immerse themselves in play. Communication skills are highly valued and nurtured through plentiful, high-quality interactions, from babies enjoying familiar songs to older children engaging in back-and-forth conversations.
Staff are dedicated to delivering tailored care and learning, considering individual personalities, life experiences, and home routines, fostering self-esteem, self-confidence, determination, and resilience. They maintain consistently high expectations for behaviour, acting as fantastic role models who promote turn-taking, kindness, and inclusivity.
The dedicated management team has created a highly effective and ambitious curriculum, expertly delivered by staff, ensuring children are motivated, concentrated, and make excellent progress. Families are at the heart of the day nursery, with staff providing tailored support, guidance, and advice, making parents feel staff are like "superheroes".
Children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) receive superb, personalised support, thriving alongside their peers.
Our ethos
Here at Acorn Nursery, we offer a blended approach to learning. For all of these, the child is at the heart of guiding their own development and our well-planned opportunities and rich learning environment underpin this.
What it's like
Children blossom and thrive at this exemplary nursery. Passionate staff individually greet children as they arrive. Staff thoughtfully plan an array of rich experiences, which they skilfully intertwine with children's individual curiosities and fascinations, allowing children to quickly immerse themselves in play, confidently seeking out friends to share experiences with.
Teacher-led nurseryOutstanding Ofsted ratingWoodland settingFree-flow indoor/outdoor learningChild-centred approach
Pricing & funding
Funding accepted
15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Key facts
Food
Meals provided, seasonal menu, caters to dietary requirements, healthy choice award scheme
Age range
1 year + (for funded spaces)
Term time / All Year
All Year
Session types
Full day, Morning only, Afternoon only
Waitlist
Full until September 2027
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Acorn Nursery
Last inspected 18 December 2023 · Natalie Moir
Overall effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
What it's like to attend
Children blossom and thrive at this exemplary nursery. Passionate staff individually greet children as they arrive. Staff thoughtfully plan an array of rich experiences, which they skilfully intertwine with children's individual curiosities and fascinations, allowing children to quickly immerse themselves in play, confidently seeking out friends to share experiences with.
Inspector highlights
- Children blossom and thrive at this exemplary nursery.
- The dedicated management team create a highly effective and ambitious curriculum, resulting in children making excellent progress in their learning.
- Families and their uniqueness are at the heart of this nursery, with staff providing tailored support, guidance, and advice to parents and carers.
- Children with SEND receive superb support, with personalised strategies in place to ensure they get the specific support they need.
- Management places an exceptional focus on staff's well-being, ensuring they are supported, mentored, and feel valued.
Inspection #10320485 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
What parents say
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
staff are like superheroes, always there when you need them
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Children independently recognise when friends, some who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), need support or some extra time to learn something new. Children with SEND receive superb support. With the support of the special educational needs coordinators, staff are particularly effective at identifying and supporting children with SEND. They expertly use their knowledge of each child to put personalised strategies in place. This ensures children get the specific support they need. In addition, staff work in collaboration with a wide range of other professionals. Children with SEND, as well as those from families in challenging situations, blossom and succeed alongside their friends.
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.
Google Reviews of Acorn Nursery
4.2
(5 Google reviews)
Liz Manuell
8 months ago
Our child has been attending since he was 2, starting in Starlight room. He's almost 4 now. The staff here are fab and very welcoming. Managment are exceptional and go above and beyond! My little boy struggles with transitions and changes and they've been great at supporting him and keeping us updated. I've always worked in childcare as a Nanny, TA and within nursery settings and I feel safe and confident sending my lo to this nursery!
Read on Google
Kelly Dean
9 years ago
A wonderful nursery with amazing staff and children. Couldn't have asked for better people or a more lovely environment to leave my son. He loved going and I felt content leaving him there ! Thank you to all staff
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Darcy Rose
2 years ago
As a neighbour, the staff have no respect , I have heard them encouraging kids to scream at 8am , Considering the nursery is surrounded by houses I would of thought they'd at least try be respectful as some people work night shifts
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Lois Gantley
2 years ago
My little girl absolutely adores this nursery and the staff are all so warm and welcoming.
Read on Google
Victoria Fitzgerald
2 years ago
Hard working and passionate workforce. My daughter has flourished here!
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for Acorn Nursery. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Improved from Good → Outstanding in 2023
Date: June 2009
- December 2023Outstanding
- May 2018Good
- October 2015Good
- June 2009Outstanding
Frequently asked about Acorn Nursery
About the setting
Acorn Nursery registered in 2006 and is part of the local authority Family Hub in Portslade, East Sussex. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery employs 23 members of staff, 18 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at Level 3 or above, including a member of staff who holds qualified teacher status. The nursery is in receipt of funding to provide early education to children aged two, three and four years.
- URN
- EY318095
- Registered person
- Brighton & Hove City Council
- Day care type
- Full day care
- Register
- Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
- Establishment type
- Childcare on non-domestic premises
- Previous rating
- Good
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