Children 1st Acorns Nursery School

Draycott Road, Upper Tean, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 4JJ
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10 129 Reviews
  • Children 1st Acorns Nursery School, Stoke-on-Trent
Children 1st Acorns Nursery School is rated 'Outstanding in All Areas' by Ofsted (November 2019) and is situated within picturesque countryside and is easily accessible from the A50. The nursery has been refurbished to offer spacious, age-appropriate rooms for babies, toddlers and pre-school children. The outside space has been transformed to provide a range of outdoor learning environments for children to enjoy.

A friendly and enthusiastic team of staff are fully trained and experienced to provide a rich and stimulating learning environment for the children to learn, explore and play in. The ratio of staff to children is high to ensure each child receives the maximum level of support and care.

The nursery features a large garden designed to maximise the potential for outdoor play in all weather conditions, with carefully chosen, age-specific equipment. The staff encourage the children to choose their own activities both indoors and outdoors to support independent learning.

The nursery operates an open door policy and welcomes parents to share information about their child on a daily basis.

An 'out of school' care facility is also available for children aged between five and twelve years. Funded places are available for eligible 2, 3 and 4-year-olds.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Dawn McCusker (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 34

Total Places for Children

  • 140

Age Range

  • from 0 years 2 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Children 1st Acorns Nursery School Reviews (129)

10

Children 1st Acorns Nursery School has a Review Score of 10 (9.960) out of 10, based on 31 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Children 1st Acorns Nursery School has 129 reviews.

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Review from Rebecca P (Mother of Child) published on 27 April 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been at the nursery for two and a half years and my daughter for one year and they both love it here. The staff are all warm, welcoming and approachable and my children have developed lovely bonds with them. The nursery rooms are bright, clean, lovely spaces and the early years barn particularly
is an amazing space that my son loves. I'd highly recommend Acorns Upper Tean.
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Review from Charlotte E (Mother of Child) published on 27 April 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I feel so confident every morning when I drop my son off at nursery. He loves it here. The staff are so caring and loving towards him. The facilities and resources are excellent and beneficial towards the children's development. Everywhere is clean and finished to a high standard. They are always happy
to support with every need and query that I may have. I continue to recommend this nursery to everyone.
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Review from Elena G (Mother of Child) published on 2 March 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son loves his time at nursery after a reluctant start staff supported hi to settle and he now looks forward to his nursery days. All the staff have been amazing keeping us updated on his progress.
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Review from Richard B (Father of Child) published on 3 January 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Very good nursery, both of my sons settled well from a young age.
They also enjoy the hot meals served!
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Review from Tiffani S (Mother of Child) published on 22 December 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since starting Acorns my daughter has come on leaps and bounds! She has become a confident little girl and is excited every day to attend nursery-even asking to attend on a weekend. I can't praise the staff enough for being so supportive and passionate in all that they do. I would definitely recommend
this setting.
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Review from H S (Mother of Child) published on 21 December 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have always felt comfortable leaving my children in the care of this nursery. They have been cared for, entertained, fed well and educated. This was a safe environment for my children. This was a safe environment for my children to develop new skills and friendships. Nursery has been a wonderful foundation
for my children to build on. It has helped prepare them for school and the rest of their lives and I am very grateful.
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Review from Steph B (Mother of Child) published on 21 December 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Lovely nursery for my boys who still attend. The staff take good care of the children and take good care of the children and make sure all needs are met. Staff are very polite and always welcome parents.
The food prep and delivery is very good as both my boys have enjoyed their meals. Well looked after
setting!
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Review from C M (Father of Child) published on 13 December 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing nursery, all staff are very friendly and know what our child needs. Both of our children have attended and they are both much better off and well-prepared for the start of school. The staff are very caring and look out for each individual child's needs and requirements. The facilities are excellent
and offer a wide range of activities to suit all types of children. Our daughter skips into nursery knowing she is going to have fun all day surrounded by people who care about her, it makes leaving our child all that much easier. Great staff, people and facilities, I can't praise Acorns enough.
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Review from Luke C (Father of Child) published on 25 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Children 1st @ Acorns Upper Tean is a fabulous nursery. Very attentive, supportive and flexible. My son has seen such a development recently and that's down to the fantastic team there. Can't thank all the staff enough for all they do day in and day out.
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Review from Rebecca C (Mother of Child) published on 24 October 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been attending Children 1st @ Acorns Upper Tean Day Nursery for over eighteen months. He has always been made to feel so welcome, with him attending full-time I wanted a nursery where he was not just well looked after but encouraged to grow and develop while, most importantly, having fun
- Acorns has always gone above and beyond my expectations. To name a few things that I enjoy about nursery:
The communication, not just from staff verbally, the amount of photos I receive of what he's been doing in addition to his diary. The amount of art he brings home.
He always comes home with new skills he has learnt. I would recommend Acorns to anybody who asked me which is the best nursery.
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Review from Faye W (Mother of Child) published on 1 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl attends Children 1st @ Acorns Upper Tean and loves it. The staff are incredible and the outdoor experiences they have are amazing. They just had a leaving graduation and the effort put into it was heartwarming and moving. I will be truly sad when it’s time to say goodbye.
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Review from Lisa B (Mother of Child) published on 6 May 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son is non-verbal and is awaiting his assessment for an autism diagnosis. He started nursery in March 2022.
The manager is very approachable and listened to us in order to help my son settle in as easy as possible. Nothing is too much trouble for them and it is obvious that the individual child's
needs come first.
His keyworker (chosen with thought and consideration) is kind, caring, very patient and understanding. She genuinely loves being at work.
All of the staff that I have met have been extremely approachable and lovely to talk to. Even other staff such as the groundskeeper man and the lovely cleaner/housekeeper.
I'm grateful that the staff have recognised my son's needs and thought of other ways to help him and to problem solve when he has struggled in certain areas.
It is clear why they have been granted oustanding by Ofsted but when you experience first-hand how much care and love they show your child, then in my eyes that is even more exceptional.
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Review from Rebecca M (Mother of Child) published on 17 December 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
When we first arrived we had our temperature taken and signed consent forms which was very organised. The show was brilliant and the staff have put a lot of time into preparing the children. Well done and thank you for the invite!
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Review from P T (Mother of Child) published on 17 December 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Cannot express enough how fantastic the staff are at Children 1st @ Acorns Upper Tean Day Nursery.
All staff are amazing with the children and really support in their development.
My child has thrived since attending the nursery.
Thank you for everything.
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Review from Katherine H (Mother of Child) published on 23 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent nursery. Facilities are second to none and they do a brilliant job of the outside area.
Their response to the pandemic has been excellent and I am kept informed of my child's progress weekly. Would highly recommend it.
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Review from Dawn F (Mother of Child) published on 20 October 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fabulous nursery. The facilities are amazing and so are the staff. I couldn’t wish for any more for my daughters. I just love how much time the girls are outside and how active they are. I also love that they are allowed to get muddy!
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Review from Emma C (Mother of Child) published on 12 October 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Parents were recently invited to an open evening to look at 'the barn' area of the nursery in early years. We were absolutely blown away by the setup; both inside and outside - absolutely fantastic! The area has been extremely well planned and we thought it was brilliant how the children are involved
in the building of areas too - including teepees and doing woodwork; making various things for the area. We also loved that the children eat the fruit and vegetables which they have had a hand in growing.
My son absolutely loves coming to nursery and now we can see why! I can't imagine him being anywhere else.
This area is an absolute credit to the nursery, and the devotion and dedication of the staff shines through when speaking to them!
Reply from Julie Wenn, Director of Quality Assurance at Children 1st Acorns Nursery School
Thank you for taking the time to leave such lovely feedback about our Acorns nursery.
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Review from Samantha O (Mother of Child) published on 7 October 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter is in her third year at Children 1st @ Acorns Upper Tean Day Nursery and in the early years room. She really enjoys nursery and in particular the wonderful outdoor space. We recently attended an open evening where we were able to see this for ourselves. The thought, care and effort that
goes into this space is incredible and the staff should be very proud of this. Our daughter is learning so much about many different topics and having great fun at the same time. We would highly recommend Acorns.
Reply from Julie Wenn, Director of Quality Assurance at Children 1st Acorns Nursery School
Many thanks for taking the time to give feedback on our Acorns Nursery.
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Review from Louise H (Mother of Child) published on 23 September 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has attended Children 1st @ Acorns Upper Tean Day Nursery since March 2019, all the staff and the facilities from the baby room right up to early years are truly exceptional - I found having a daily diary after every session very reassuring. Photos are regularly uploaded onto an app so you have
visibility of what activities your child has been involved in. They really go above and beyond, I would highly recommend for anyone looking for childcare.
Reply from Julie Wenn, Director of Quality Assurance at Children 1st Acorns Nursery School
Thank you for taking the time to review our Acorns Nursery
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Review from Katie J (Mother of Child) published on 23 September 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery manager and the team are extremely welcoming. You can tell they put a huge amount of effort and care into looking after the children with enjoyable and development-driven activities.
My little one loves attending here and I wouldn’t want her to attend anywhere else.
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Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.960)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.960) out of 10 for Children 1st Acorns Nursery School is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 31 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 31 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.960 for Children 1st Acorns Nursery School is calculated as follows: ( (356 Excellents x 5) + (15 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 371 Ratings = 4.96
  2. 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5'). The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Children 1st Acorns Nursery School is based on 31 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 140 number of registered child places is 28, which has been reached with 31 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (6)

Meet the Team (1)

Dawn

Dawn McCusker

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2006

Let me introduce myself, I am Dawn McCusker, Nursery Manager at Children 1st @ Upper Tean, Acorns. I started my career way back in 1993 after gaining my NNEB qualification at Stoke on Trent College. Over the years, I have gained a great deal of experience working within the Early Years sector. I also hold a NVQ Level 4 in Nursery Management and have successfully held my position as Nursery Manager since 2006.


Together, Children 1st and myself have a clear vision for the future in raising the standards for all children. I have high expectations in driving the Children 1st ethos forward, ‘Leading the way, shaping the future’ and our dedicated team are embracing the fantastic new journey that lies ahead. Here at Children 1st @ Upper Tean Acorn’s we have built good relationships with parents and the local community, where our friendly yet professional approach has always achieved success.


I consider that every child is important and that they should all receive the very best care and education available – providing fun and engaging activities for learning through play. I believe that I have the drive and vision to contribute to making a difference in this wonderful Early Years setting, providing the highest quality care, so children can reach their full potential. I feel that the dedicated, hardworking, team ethos at Children 1st would provide the perfect setting for your little one(s).

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