Our approach
Play is how children learn
We watch what children are curious about and set up days, rooms and gardens that let them explore it. No worksheets, no rush.
Play-based
Play is the work
Our teachers set out open-ended materials, from clay and loose parts to blocks and water, and then step back. Children choose, test, fail and try again. That is how they build language, number sense and friendships.
Nature-led
The outdoors is a classroom
Children spend time outside every day, in a garden of raised beds, a mud kitchen and an oak hollow. Rain gear is provided, so weather is never an excuse to stay in.
Relationships first
Known and cared for
Each child has a primary teacher who greets them each morning, writes their daily note and talks with the family. Secure relationships come first because they make learning possible.
Learning areas
What children explore
Every day touches six areas of development. Teachers plan around them without ever calling it a lesson.
Language and early reading
Songs, stories, conversation and mark-making.
Early maths
Counting, sorting, patterns, measuring and building.
Science and nature
Growing seeds, watching weather, caring for living things.
Art and music
Paint, clay, rhythm and movement, with no right answer.
Movement
Climbing, balancing, running and dancing every day.
Social and emotional
Naming feelings, sharing space and solving small problems.
Questions
About how we teach
Is Acornly academic?
How do teachers share progress?
What about screens?
Visit us
Come and see which room feels like home
Tours take about 30 minutes and run on weekday mornings and Saturdays. Pick a room on the right and we will show you the classroom, the garden and a typical day.
Which room is your child in?
Infants
Toddlers
Twos
Preschool
Pre-K
