Acorns Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Torquay for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2022. Open since 2003, with 68 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 Torbay
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Torbay 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
TQ2 6APWhat 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, 31 March 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children make good progress from when they first start in this friendly and nurturing pre-school. Staff know children extremely well and they ensure activities meet their interests to keep them engaged. Children show high levels of confidence when using large outdoor equipment. They stack plastic milk crates and add wooden planks to create a small obstacle course. Children learn how to manage age-appropriate risks and show excellent physical skills as they climb and balance.
Children behave exceptionally well. They are highly respectful of adults and peers alike, always showing care and empathy. For instance, children quickly seek out an adult when one of their peers falls over, to ensure their well-being. When children arrive or leave the pre-school, their peers always greet them warmly or say goodbye.
Children and staff have formed excellent relationships. Staff know the strategies that help individual children settle quickly and use these effectively. Consequently, children are quick to be actively involved in the wide range of activities upon arrival. Staff have high expectations for children. As a result, children are consistently motivated, curious and willing to try new things.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- ensure staff build on children's existing mathematical skills to help them make even more progress in this area n further develop partnerships with the on-site school to ensure a consistent twoway flow of information in order to meet children's needs so that they settle more quickly when starting school.
- 31 March 2022Good
- 19 June 2013Outstanding
- 12 February 2013Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Acorns Pre-School
- 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.