The Acorn Nursery School

A church-ground garden, piano-led singing and nature sessions in Holland Park give The Acorn Nursery School a recognisable Notting Hill character. Children move through three named stages, from their first nursery relationships to preparation for Reception, with outdoor play and music threaded through the day. The setting welcomes children aged two to five and has 112 places in total.

At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good and safeguarding effective, finding that children made good progress, including those needing additional developmental support. There was a clear improvement point: staff needed greater confidence in teaching early mathematics, including helping children count accurately.

Attendance is term-time, with morning patterns for younger children and a progression towards full days for Mighty Oaks. That progression matters as much as the activities: this is a nursery with a planned increase in attendance as children grow.

Rooms and Ages

The Seedlings, for children aged two to two-and-a-half, occupies the ground floor, combining a familiar key adult, an emphasis on early relationships and play, and free-flow garden access so outdoor exploration can sit alongside time indoors.

The Little Acorns, for ages two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half, uses a bright first-floor classroom, with interest-led activities, opportunities to make choices and express ideas, garden play and Outdoor Learning in the church grounds across the road.

The Mighty Oaks, for ages three-and-a-half to five, is based across the road in The Arc within the church grounds, where literacy, mathematics and general knowledge receive focused attention alongside play, with Forest School nature sessions taking place in Holland Park.

These stages bring a change of surroundings as well as learning emphasis. The younger rooms place particular weight on familiar relationships and developing independence; the final stage gives children more say in topics and introduces more focused learning time. The move across the road is therefore part of the nursery experience, rather than simply a change of room name.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the shared framework for learning and development: here, children encounter its areas through creative play, conversation, physical activity, early number work and literacy. The Acorn Curriculum and Daily Routine adds topic work and music, including singing and movement accompanied by an in-house pianist. Circle time gives children opportunities to discuss feelings and hear other children's views.

Outdoor Learning introduces Little Acorns to exploring nature before the Forest School stage. For older children, nature study extends beyond the classroom into Holland Park. Building dens, noticing wildlife and learning about trees make environmental ideas concrete rather than leaving them as an indoor topic.

Full-day activities depend on the attendance day. Spanish, dance, drama, karate and sports sit alongside cooking, garden activities and STEM work. Families choosing additional afternoons are therefore choosing a different part of the nursery day, with activities linked to the days attended.

In May 2023, children used dough and art materials to explore their ideas, while adults developed conversation through questions about their play. Early writing received attention too. Mathematics was less consistent: recognising numbers and beginning to count did not always come with sufficiently accurate counting support. The current curriculum gives number work a place across activities, but the dated concern remains a useful point for parents to explore.

Outdoor and Community Life

Garden time happens daily, including in wet weather. Children also explore the neighbourhood through walks, with Holland Park among the destinations. Further outings depend on the topic, with Kew Gardens and the Wetland Centre among the examples. Those experiences extend learning into places children can revisit with their families.

Eco-School with Distinction is the nursery's environmental scheme, expressed through practical jobs: children sort recycling, compost snack leftovers and take part in litter picking. Herbs and vegetables grow in the garden. In May 2023, children also investigated minibeasts and assembled small habitats from natural materials, connecting imaginative play with care for living things.

Regular visitors include Miller’s Ark Farm and the emergency services, bringing topics into contact with animals and people doing real jobs. Children give a concert or play at the close of both the autumn and summer terms; Sports Day comes at the end of the summer term. For Mighty Oaks, Register is a weekly gathering involving The Acorn Songs and Show and Tell, with parents invited to participate. It gives families a recurring opportunity to share nursery life.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key adult, called a key teacher here, who builds a relationship with the child and family and serves as the main contact. Observations inform progress updates, with regular parent meetings and a report at the end of the summer term. That combination gives parents both conversation during the year and a written account of development.

Settling sessions are discussed before a child starts, and children can accompany their parents on a tour. Pastoral care includes working with carers towards consistency between home and nursery routines. For a child experiencing their first regular separation from family, familiar adults and a planned introduction are concrete parts of the arrangement.

In May 2023, adults kept parents informed about children's next learning steps and ways to continue activities at home. They also helped children express their needs, take turns and manage feelings. Independence involved ordinary tasks, including putting on coats and washing hands, rather than being treated solely as preparation for formal learning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff monitored development, worked with parents on referrals for additional professional help and supported children learning English as an additional language. These are dated findings about how support operated, rather than a promise that every child's needs can be met in the same way.

The current registration process invites families to explain learning support requirements and medical conditions so special arrangements can be considered. Accident communication includes a phone call for any head injury, with an online accident form sent through the parent app. Sickness and diarrhoea require a 48-hour absence after the last episode; following a temperature, children remain home for 24 hours after it drops.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery operates Monday to Friday, with opening hours of 9am to 4pm, during 38 term-time weeks each year. Morning attendance runs from 9am until noon under the attendance schedule effective from September 2026. Full-day attendance begins at 9am, with collection between 3.45pm and 4pm.

Seedlings and Little Acorns begin with four mornings each week during their first term, rising to five in the second. Additional full days can be added for these younger stages. Mighty Oaks starts with three full days and two mornings, progressing towards five full days during the summer term. Adding sessions requires at least half a term's notice, so changes to family working arrangements need planning.

An additional afternoon runs from noon to 3.30pm and is offered only to a child already attending that morning. A separate lunch extension runs from noon to 1pm. Early attendance from 8.30am is an extra and starts only once the child has settled.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email at admin@theacornnursery.co.uk or by telephone on 020 7727 2122. Registration involves an online form and a non-refundable charge; allocation follows registration date, and paying that charge does not secure a place.

Getting There

The setting's address is St. Johns Church, Lansdowne Crescent, London W11 2NN; its contact address is 2 Lansdowne Crescent, London W11 2NH. Mighty Oaks uses The Arc in the church grounds across the road. Families will therefore need to organise their routine around the premises used by their child's stage.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered over the term-time year: 15 hours for eligible under-threes, 15 hours for all three- and four-year-olds, and 30 hours for eligible working families with three- and four-year-olds. Funding starts in the term after eligibility begins; the working-family entitlement requires a valid eligibility code. Hours beyond the entitlement are charged privately.

During funded hours, meals, snacks, nappies and other consumables sit outside the funded childcare provision and are covered by the separately charged Extras and Essentials package. That package is voluntary: families declining it discuss the arrangements with admissions. Funded Entitlement Only places follow a fixed attendance pattern and a needs-based allocation policy.

Parents supply fruit or vegetables for shared snacks and nappies when needed. V&Me prepares catered lunches from scratch in its Battersea kitchen, with two courses; the nursery's food policy provides for most allergies and dietary requirements.

Fees are paid termly in advance, with annual review; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation and its fees and funding information. The deposit is refundable subject to a term's written withdrawal notice. Standard withdrawal notice must arrive by the first day of term, while fully funded places have a four-week notice period; cancelling optional extras requires at least half a term's notice.

For moving on, the nursery describes a partnership with Notting Hill Prep and work with local schools to support transition. Attendance does not guarantee a school place: families must follow the independent school's own admissions process.

• Increasing attendance. Younger children start with mornings, while Mighty Oaks progresses towards five full days. On a visit, discuss how that increase will fit your child's stamina and your family routine.
• Early mathematics. The May 2023 improvement point concerned age-appropriate number teaching and accurate counting. Ask to see how adults now develop these skills through play.
• Funding and everyday extras. Funded hours exclude the items covered by the voluntary Extras and Essentials package, while parents also bring snack produce and nappies. Agree the package arrangements and confirm current allergy practice before committing.
• Withdrawal commitments. A full term's notice normally applies, with different terms for fully funded places and optional extras. These conditions matter if a school start or family move changes your plans.

The Acorn suits families seeking morning attendance in the younger stages and a gradual move towards full days before Reception. Music, church-ground outdoor space, Holland Park nature sessions and regular parent participation give that progression substance. Its May 2023 Good judgement provides a positive dated assessment, with mathematics teaching the specific area requiring attention.

The practical trade-off is a structured attendance pathway and term-time operation. Families comfortable with those commitments have a nursery experience that combines familiar key adults, creative activities and increasing independence, rather than treating every age as the same stage.