Acorns Pre-school

Looking for a place?

If you are interested in a place at Acorns Pre-school, please contact the main school office. They will provide the latest information about availability and the admissions process.

Our sessions

The Acorns unit can accommodate 26 children per session.

We offer:

• 15 hours per week – three hours per day, Monday to Friday
• 30 hours per week – Monday to Friday, all day, subject to availability

Our 15-hour places are usually offered as a combination of morning and afternoon sessions to make up the 15 hours.

Session times

Morning: 9.00am–12.00pm
Afternoon: 12.00pm–3.00pm

For children aged 3 and 4, sessions are offered as either:

• Five days per week, three hours per day:
  • 8.50am–11.50am, or
  • 12.00pm–3.00pm
• 30 hours per week, Monday to Friday, all day, subject to availability

Funding

Eligible children may be entitled to government-funded childcare hours. For information about eligibility and available support, please visit the GOV.UK childcare funding information.

When can my child start?

Our main intake is at the start of the academic year in September. We aim to reach capacity as quickly as possible.

Places may become available during the academic year if a child leaves or when changes in age-related staffing ratios allow additional places.

We generally admit 3- and 4-year-olds in the Autumn term in the first instance. Places in the Spring or Summer terms will only be offered where spaces are available.

Children who are already 3, or who will turn 3 before 31 December, will be prioritised in accordance with our oversubscription criteria.

If there is no place available for your child in the term you require, you are welcome to reapply for the next term or academic year.

Once your child is registered and a suitable place becomes available, the school will contact you to confirm the offer and arrangements.

Session charges

Funded hours are subject to the applicable government funding arrangements.

Where sessions are taken outside funded hours, the charge for children aged 3 and above, from the term in which they become entitled to 15 hours of funding, is:

£22 per three-hour session

Can I make a voluntary contribution?

Yes certainly (and most welcome). Many parents choose to make a small voluntary contribution to support our Pre-school. For ease, a 50p voluntary contribution is added to each three-hour session invoice.

The contribution is entirely voluntary and is not a condition of your child attending their three-hour session.

For clarity, at the billing stage you can easily identify the contribution and decide whether or not you wish to pay it.

Choosing not to make a contribution will not affect your child’s place or the care and education they receive at Pre-school.

Starting at Acorns – Stay and Play

Starting pre-school is an exciting step for children and families. To help make the transition as comfortable as possible, children joining Acorns for the first time are invited to attend an initial Stay and Play session with their parent or carer.

This gives children an opportunity to explore the setting, meet the staff and get to know the other children while having someone familiar nearby.

Every child is different, so our approach is flexible. Some children may need a little more time to settle, and this can be discussed with the Acorns team.

Drop-off and collection

For the safety of our children, cars are not permitted on the school site at any time.

Please park considerately outside the school grounds or, where possible, consider travelling to pre-school by an alternative means.

There are bicycle and scooter racks outside the school which pre-school families are welcome to use.

Find out more

For current availability or to enquire about a place for your child, please contact the main school office.