Acorn Community Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Runcorn for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2023. Open since 2000, with 70 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 Halton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Halton 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
WA7 2JEWhat 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.
Ofsted inspector, 17 May 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and leave their parents with confidence. Children settle quickly and are eager to start their day. They display good manners, and behaviour is good. Staff are nurturing and provide children with plenty of comfort and reassurance, which helps them to feel safe and secure around new visitors. Staff skilfully provide opportunities for children to talk about their feelings. For example, children recall reading 'The Colour Monster', and they comment on how they are feeling through colours, such as 'blue' for 'sad'. Staff know the children very well, which is reflected in the strong attachments children have with staff. This supports children's emotional well-being.
Staff develop a challenging and sequenced curriculum, which is based around children's unique interests and development. They plan a wide range of activities based on themes, and they build on what children already know and can do. Staff support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to be confident learners. They provide plenty of encouragement and praise during their play. Babies excitedly explore carefully placed objects to help develop their core strength and to sit up independently. Older children confidently recall how to stay safe while riding the rocking horse. Therefore, children of all ages make good progress.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to consistently recognise children's emerging interests during group sessions.
- 17 May 2023Good
- 27 October 2017Good
- 13 May 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Acorn Community Nursery
- 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.