Acorn Centre
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Homleigh Road, Tuffley for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2024. Open since 2006, with 24 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Gloucestershire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Gloucestershire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
GL4 0RNWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
- 15 February 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 25 November 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children happily enter the pre-school and are warmly greeted by staff. They show they are eager to begin their day as they rush to hang up their coats and place their lunch boxes in their allotted space. Staff demonstrate this task to children who need extra support, offer encouragement and praise their efforts. This helps to build children's self-esteem. Children settle quickly and develop strong relationships with their key person. Staff know all the children well and use their knowledge of children's abilities and interests to plan an environment that supports their learning.
For example, they provide a play dough activity on a large tuff tray to encourage children who struggle to play alongside their peers to join in.
Children behave well and are eager to take advantage of the wide range of learning opportunities, taking turns with their peers. They know the pre-school expectations and follow instructions well. For example, following group times, all children know to return their chairs back under the tables. The layout of the learning environment enables children to access equipment and resources freely, supporting their independence.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- extend staff interactions so that children have more opportunities to share their thoughts and improve their thinking skills n increase the information gathered when children first start to gain a good understanding of what they already know and can do.
- 25 November 2024Good
- 28 February 2019Good
- 17 April 2018Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Acorn Centre
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.