Acorns Nursery
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Basingstoke for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2024. Open since 2007, 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 Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire 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
RG23 7DXWhat 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, 18 June 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The dedicated, friendly staff team successfully creates a nurturing space where children's individuality is fostered to a high level. Children enjoy coming to nursery and benefit greatly from the individual attention they receive. Staff ignite children's curiosity and provide a range of motivating activities that engage children's initial interest well. Children show great determination in everything they do and strive to do their very best.
Staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour. They act as good role models and support children to share, use good manners and follow the daily routine.
Children have established strong relationships with each other. They take personal responsibility for looking after their friends. For example, when a child noticed that a staff member missed snack time, they thoughtfully created a snack bowl to make sure they were not left out. This gesture of kindness reflects the way staff teach children to behave towards each other in the nursery.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- focus staff's professional development on helping them identify and plan for the most important aspect of a child's learning n expand staff's confidence in implementing the curriculum for children, so they make clearer connections between the intent of activities and the level of challenge for children.
- 18 June 2024Good
- 11 February 2020Good
- 1 April 2014Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Acorns 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.