Acorns Day Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 3.7 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Sale for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2023. Open since 2010, with 56 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Free 2,3 & 4 year old Government childcare/early education hours; WPE/Universal Funding is applied 38 weeks a year.
Worth knowing. We do not charge a care package for children under 3 year olds in receipt of WPE. WPE/Universal Funding is applied 38 weeks a year. Families who opt out of the contribution for accessing the WPE care package should speak to our manager.
What childcare usually costs in Trafford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Trafford 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
M33 3RAWhat 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, 7 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children settle well. Staff create a warm and caring atmosphere. Young children engage through gestures while staff talk to them enthusiastically. Older children express their confidence as they speak to staff. This demonstrates that children feel secure. Children show care and concern towards others. They are happy to help and share well. Staff have clear expectations for children. They create clear routines, which help children understand what is happening now and what comes next. This helps children understand about managing their own behaviour.
Staff provide a range of activities to support children's development. Babies develop their fine motor skills as they build towers and knock them down with excitement. Toddlers splash in water as staff count with them how many ducks they can see. Pre-school children practise their cutting skills as they create
Valentine's Day crafts for their families. Children positively engage in their learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to build on children's ability to think more deeply n strengthen professional development of some staff to further develop their knowledge of how children learn, so next steps for children are more precise.
- 7 February 2023Good
- 20 June 2017Good
- 15 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Acorns Day Nursery
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.