Acorn Family Centre
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in York for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2024. Open since 2022, with 11 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 York
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in York 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
YO23 3FTWhat 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 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and settled at this friendly nursery. They are greeted by warm and caring staff. Activities that children enjoy are provided, which helps children to settle quickly. For example, children enjoy listening to stories and staff sing songs.
Children's behaviour is good. Staff kindly remind children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. This helps children to learn good manners from a young age.
Young children enthusiastically explore stimulating activities. For instance, staff prepare a tray with animals and interesting materials. Children eagerly stomp the animals through crackers and cereals, listening to the crunching sounds. Staff help to expand children's language skills as they do this. For example, staff repeat words such as 'crunch'. Children are inquisitive to feel a selection of textures and smell the scents of herb plants. They learn to use their senses to understand and explore their activities and environment.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- plan and implement the curriculum more effectively, particularly when children choose to learn outdoors n strengthen opportunities offered to help to develop children's understanding of the importance of oral health.
- 17 September 2024Good
Still missing for Acorn Family 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.