URN 2743593 · Inspected 2026-07-03 · Published 2026-08-18 · Inspector: Lisa Gadsby
Acorn Wood Day Nursery Unique reference number (URN): 2743593 Address: Acorn Wood Day Nursery, Bretts Hall Farm, Ansley Common, Nuneaton, CV10 0QJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 05/10/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Acorn Wood Nursery Limited Inspection report: 3 July 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Strong standard Expected standard Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard Leaders have clear oversight of how firmly-embedded routines contribute to children's wellbeing. They ensure that adjustments are made for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to their learning to enable everyone to benefit from clear expectations and guidance. Positive partnership working helps leaders to support parents in understanding the positive impact of regular attendance. Leaders ensure that thoughtful time management makes the best use of opportunities for children to develop the skills they need for the next stage of their learning. For example, older children are well supported in lining up and moving between learning spaces with their peers in readiness for a lively and engaging phonics session. Staff members develop and maintain warm, respectful relationships with children through the implementation of a carefully considered key-person system. This helps all children develop a sense of belonging and connection, which positively impacts their eagerness to get involved in the interesting experiences on offer. Babies choose familiar adults as reassuring play partners and actively invite peers into their play. For example, they take turns feeding and cuddling the dolls during their favourite role play. Children benefit from prolonged, uninterrupted periods of play, which help them become fully engaged and involved in learning. Staff typically ensure they have the time to explore their ideas, which helps to deepen their learning. Children have the opportunity to come back to learning and extend their projects, such as when they are exploring rainbow painting and making rainbow wands. Achievement Expected standard All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make sound progress from their starting points. They receive support to build their confidence and become self-assured, interested learners. Babies and children develop their hand-eye coordination and manipulation skills as they focus on puzzles and interesting shape sorters. Children explore the learning environment, including the outside play space. They develop strength, stamina, and gross motor skills as they engage in mark-making, crawling, throwing, and catching. Children develop an early love of reading as they explore books and share stories. They delight in pointing to pictures and joining in with familiar words and phrases. Children confidently select favourite books to share with their peers and gather other children together to 'lead' phonics sessions based on their own experiences. Children typically develop as confident communicators and are keen to ask questions about topics that interest them. For example, some children are keen to explore the concept of invisibility. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Children are successfully supported to develop self-care skills. For example, babies learn to feed themselves with spoons, developing their confidence and coordination. Older children learn to use the toilet independently and to wash and wipe their hands. Leaders understand the importance of developing these handwashing routines, using soap and water, for the youngest children in the setting. Overall, practice supports children's independence and understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. Staff prioritise children's understanding of oral health. Staff access funding to supply all children with their own toothbrushes, supporting their knowledge and understanding. Parents comment on the positive impact this has had on children's oral care routines at home. Leaders have developed their approach to teaching children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Children benefit from a nutritional menu that promotes healthy eating. Staff talk with children about the food they are eating and encourage them to share information about their favourite foods during sociable mealtimes. Children develop their independence as they pour drinks and older children hand out lunch to their peers. Children benefit from spending significant time outdoors. They delight in exploring the interesting play space and develop an awareness of their own health and safety as they assess risk, for example, while collecting apples from the ground to feed to the nursery pigs. Children build the strength in their large muscles as they engage in running, climbing, crawling and navigating obstacles. Staff support children to go up and down the steps safely so they can access all areas of the outdoor learning environment. Relationships between staff and children are warm and responsive. This supports children's emotional wellbeing and, as a result, helps them manage their own emotions. They are confident to ask for support from trusted staff. Routines are embedded and children learn to keep themselves healthy and safe. For example, children follow a careful hygiene routine when it is their turn to feed the nursery pigs. They confidently share this information with others. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders are positive role models for implementing a well-designed, thoughtful curriculum. They support staff in paying attention to children's interests and fascinations and in weaving in appropriate experiences that will extend their learning. Leaders have high aspirations for children. They work closely with staff members to develop a sound knowledge of child development across the setting. Leaders closely monitor practice regarding teaching and learning. They support staff to develop their interactions with children to help children build on what they already know and can do. Staff respond positively to the support offered by leaders. This is helping raise the level of teaching across the provision. Children develop their fine and gross motor skills through a variety of experiences. Babies delight in transporting sand from one place to another and spend time focused on transferring sand between a variety of containers. While staff provide a range of resources, they do not all yet fully extend children's vocabulary by consistently naming their actions as they play. Children benefit from access to high-quality reading materials which helps them develop an early love of literacy. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities delight in sharing familiar picture books with their key person. Staff share books with children in both smaller and larger groups. Children learn how to turn the pages and how to care for books by putting them back on the shelves. Older children gather their friends together and show high levels of confidence in 'leading group time' by mirroring experiences they are involved in with staff. For example, they turn the books around so that others can see and point to familiar words and pictures. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders have clear oversight of the children in their care. They organise the key-person system to ensure children receive the most appropriate support to help them become familiar with staff and peers. Staff typically respond in ways that support children to build on what they already know and can do, however on occasions, not all staff promptly identify children's fascinations in ways that extend their learning to the highest level. Leaders and the special educational needs coordinator work closely with staff members, external support agencies, parents and carers. They align aspirations, agree targets, and plan interventions to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities thrive. Identification and ongoing assessment typically help to effectively reduce barriers to learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those with other barriers to their learning, benefit from clear individual plans that identify their needs. Intervention activities and experiences are woven into teaching in ways that best support children in making progress from their starting points. Respectful conversations with parents and regular review meetings ensure that staff are using planning and intervention effectively to help children build on their existing skills, knowledge and understanding. Leaders work in effective partnership with other organisations and professionals. They proactively share appropriate information to support children's transition to school. Leaders actively encourage teachers to visit the setting and meet with parents and children's key people to support an individualised transition process fully. This helps ensure consistency and supports children with SEND and their parents in feeling well prepared for the next stage of the learning journey. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have acted since the previous inspection to extend their oversight and monitoring activity across the provision. Leaders conduct effective peer observations that support staff in developing their practice and drive improvement consistently across the setting. Staff report high levels of wellbeing and say they feel highly valued and fully supported in their roles. Leaders and staff build robust, positive relationships with parents. They share information regularly about children's learning and development. Parents and carers report feeling fully included in their children's learning. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities report high levels of involvement in target setting and review meetings. Leaders work well with special educational needs coordinators to build positive professional relationships with external agencies. Close partnership working and clear communication ensure that children receive the support they need promptly, enabling them to achieve the best outcomes in readiness for the next stage of their education. Leaders plan strategic training and professional development opportunities to support staff in extending their knowledge and understanding. Staff report that regular meetings ensure they have a clear vision for the development of the setting and allow them to contribute to the provision for children and families. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children thrive as they experience a range of exciting learning opportunities in this welcoming setting. Both leaders and staff members support children right from the start to develop a robust sense of connection and belonging. Warm, sensitive interactions with staff help children separate well from their parents and carers and settle comfortably into the rhythm of the day. Leaders support regular attendance as they talk with parents about the different aspects of learning that children can choose from on arrival. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to their learning, benefit from clear routines, coupled with the opportunity to make choices freely throughout the day. Children become highly involved in play and learning, accessing and organising resources to reflect their interests and motivations. For example, babies transport sand from one place to another using a range of scoops and containers. Children develop an appreciation for the world around them. For example, older children delight in feeding the nursery pigs. They learn how to care for animals and the importance of their own health, safety, and hygiene as they scoop the food, walk to the field, and throw food to the pigs. Children of all ages benefit from spending significant time outdoors. Leaders and staff fully recognise the importance of children experiencing large-scale play. This helps them engage in physical activities for prolonged periods, such as ball games, mark-making, and climbing. Children are also well supported to engage in risky play, for example, by observing and assessing their surroundings to make positive choices while climbing up the slide. A broad curriculum helps children access and experience varied, stimulating learning opportunities. Staff pay attention to individual interests and provide experiences that will encourage active learning. For example, children who enjoy playing with cars are eager to use them in the paint to make tracks. Carefully thought-out learning environments and Inspector: Lisa Gadsby About this setting Unique reference number (URN): 2743593 Address: Acorn Wood Day Nursery Bretts Hall Farm, Ansley Common Nuneaton CV10 0QJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 05/10/2023 Registered person: Acorn Wood Nursery Limited Register(s): EYR specific invitations to play help children to make sound progress and ensure they feel well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Next steps Leaders should support staff in consistently narrating children's play and introducing new words to help them make connections in their learning and further develop their vocabulary. Leaders should strengthen personal care routines for the youngest children to build firm foundations for best hygiene practices, particularly handwashing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs coordinator, parents, carers and children during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30 Local authority: Warwickshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 3 July 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 5 Total number of places 71 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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