Acorn Nursery

A garden of its own, access to school gardens and a day built around children's interests give Acorn Nursery a clear character. Based on the Wimbledon Chase Primary School site, it takes children aged two to five. Play has several forms here, from construction and pretend play to books, music and exploring outdoors.

At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Acorn Good and found effective safeguarding, secure relationships with key people and helpful support for children's speech and language, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Two improvement points qualify that judgement: greater independence at mealtimes and group activities paced appropriately for children's ages.

Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance are offered during term time, with flexibility over the number of days children attend. That makes this a sessional option as well as a nursery-day arrangement.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, planning starts with observations of children, with staff contributing ideas for their key children and using these to shape the next steps. The practical implication is a day organised around what children are ready to explore, rather than activities chosen in isolation from their interests.

There are spaces for construction, mathematics, music and pretend play, alongside a book corner and opportunities to work with malleable materials. Sand and water trays add hands-on exploration. These give children different ways to investigate the same interests: building something, talking about it, making marks or developing an imagined story.

In October 2022, adults extended conversation during play, including discussions about what babies need while children played with dolls and pushchairs. Story sessions involved predictions, repeated phrases and lifting flaps. A small library by the front gate also let children borrow books to share at home, connecting nursery reading with family time.

Mark making was woven through the setting in October 2022. One activity used leaves gathered outdoors to make collages with brushes and glue. It linked an outdoor experience with creative work and the hand movements children later need for writing. Photo books of celebrations also helped children revisit different festivals and traditions.

Outdoor and Community Life

Acorn has its own garden and access to the gardens at Wimbledon Chase Primary School. Outdoor space therefore extends beyond the nursery's immediate garden, giving physical activity a place within the day alongside the indoor activity areas.

In October 2022, children collected leaves on a nature walk, talked about seasonal changes and used their discoveries in artwork. They also tended a vegetable patch and explored the produce through smell, touch and taste. These were concrete encounters with plants and food, rather than learning about them only through pictures.

Relationships and Communication

Staff plan for their key children, linking the relationship with an adult to the activities offered. In October 2022, daily conversations with parents included children's learning targets and ideas for continuing learning at home. This gave families something specific to work with, rather than a general account of how the day had gone.

The current staff arrangements include background and reference checks, induction and training in first aid and safeguarding. Induction also covers fire procedures, risk assessments and food hygiene.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that targeted work supported language and social and emotional development, while visual routines helped children follow the day; it also identified a need to make group-session pacing more suitable for different ages. For parents, the useful distinction is between support for an individual child's development and making a shared activity accessible to everyone taking part.

In October 2022, staff sat alongside children during meals, making eating a social occasion, and children brushed their teeth after lunch. However, adults needed to give children more chances to manage drinks and prepare or serve fruit themselves. A pleasant mealtime and an opportunity to practise independence are separate things.

Acorn received the Healthy Early Years London BRONZE AWARD in August 2020. This is a dated award, alongside the practical health-related activities described above.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Wimbledon Chase Middle School, Merton Hall Road, London, SW19 3QB; the nursery operates within the primary school's grounds. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, excluding bank and statutory holidays.

Families can book morning, afternoon or all-day sessions and choose a flexible number of attendance days each week. Children can start after their second birthday. The distinction matters: flexibility concerns the days booked within a term-time service, so this arrangement needs to fit the family's school-holiday plans as well as its weekly timetable.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email. Appointments to visit are arranged directly with the nursery.

Funding and Paid Extras

Acorn offers 15 and 30 hours of funding for eligible children aged two, three and four, within its term-time provision. Funded attendance carries additional charges for consumables, extra services and additional hours. Entitlement and the cost of a chosen attendance pattern therefore need to be considered separately.

Children staying for lunch bring a packed lunch from home, including during funded attendance. Morning and afternoon snacks are supplied by the nursery and include fruit, vegetables, milk and water.

For funded attendance, non-food consumables carry separate charges.

An administration charge is non-refundable. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to consider the attendance pattern and any additional charges together.

Moving on to School

Sharing the grounds of Wimbledon Chase Primary School does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Group activities and independence. The October 2022 improvement points concerned the pace of shared activities and children's opportunities to serve themselves at meals. At a visit, ask how both now work for younger and older children.
• Term-time attendance. Morning, afternoon and all-day patterns offer different ways to use Acorn, but the nursery closes for school holidays. Match the booked days and holiday arrangements to your working week.
• The funded-hours bill. Funding sits alongside charges for consumables, extra services and additional hours, while parents supply lunch. Assess the written quotation for the exact pattern you intend to book.
• A shared site, a separate application. Acorn's setting within Wimbledon Chase Primary School grounds may appeal to families considering that school. Nursery attendance does not guarantee Reception admission, so keep the school application separate.

Acorn suits families seeking morning or afternoon attendance, as well as those wanting an all-day nursery pattern during term time. Its strongest practical features are the flexibility over attendance days, indoor activity areas and access to both nursery and school gardens.

The October 2022 Good judgement gives a dated quality assessment, with useful detail about relationships, language support and everyday learning. It also leaves clear questions about group pacing and mealtime independence. For a family whose timetable fits the term-time model, those are the points that deserve closest attention at a visit.