Our Nursery
Our Nursery
Acorns Nursery, located on Alphington Road, Exeter, first opened its doors in 1996 and became part of the Devon Nurseries family in 2006. Since then, it has grown into a nurturing, welcoming space where children feel safe, valued, and truly at home.
Set across two floors, the nursery offers four thoughtfully designed rooms, a dedicated dining area, and three spacious gardens where children can explore, play, and connect with nature. Every part of Acorns Day Nursery has been created with comfort and care in mind, providing a calm and cosy environment where children can learn, grow, and thrive at their own pace.
We welcome children from 3 months to 5 years, Monday to Friday from 7:45am to 6pm. Over the years, Acorns has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality childcare and early education, always centred around the individual needs of each child.
Our Team & Community
Our passionate and dedicated team works together to give every child the very best start in life. Relationships are at the heart of everything we do, staff treat each child with kindness, respect, and genuine warmth, creating a consistent and reassuring experience across all rooms. Each space includes cosy corners for quiet moments, as well as easy access to drinks and resources that encourage independence as children grow and transition through the nursery.
We take pride in offering a wide range of meaningful experiences, tailored to children's interests and developmental needs. Our team goes above and beyond to support the children and their families, because we believe in nurturing the whole family, not just the individual child.
At Acorns, we see ourselves as one big family. We love welcoming parents, carers, and grandparents into nursery life through special events such as teddy bear picnics, Mother's Day celebrations, Grandparents' Day, and our much-loved Cosy Christmas Night. This magical evening brings everyone together in pyjamas for hot chocolate, festive stories, a visit from Santa, and making reindeer food, creating memories to treasure.
Acorns Nursery is more than just a place of learning, it's a place where children feel loved, supported, and truly at home.
Amanda Turner
Acorns Nursery Manager
Mandy has been a valued member of the Acorns team since 2017. Prior to joining Acorns, she worked at ABC and Discovery, gaining extensive experience with children of all ages, and progressed to the role of Department Leader for the toddler room and then Deputy Manager. She is passionate about creating a warm, nurturing, home-from-home environment where children can learn, explore, and thrive through fun and engaging experiences. One of her favourite activities is baking with the children, helping them discover where food comes from while encouraging curiosity, confidence, and creativity. Building strong relationships with children and their families is at the heart of Mandy’s approach. She believes that positive connections help children feel safe, secure, and confident to explore the world around them. Mandy enjoys providing a wide range of exciting activities tailored to each child’s individual interests and development. One of the most rewarding aspects of her role is watching children grow, flourish, and achieve their full potential within Acorns’ caring and homely environment.
Chloe Matthews
Deputy Manager
Chloe has been a dedicated member of the Acorns team since 2012. Beginning her career as a Level 2 Practitioner, she went on to achieve her Level 3 qualification, progress to Preschool Room Leader, and now proudly serves as Deputy Manager. Passionate about early years education, Chloe loves creating engaging opportunities that inspire children to explore, discover, and develop new skills every day. She is committed to giving every child the best possible start in life by helping to create a nurturing environment where they can build confidence, independence, and a lifelong love of learning. Seeing children grow, achieve, and thrive is one of the most rewarding parts of her role, and she takes great pride in supporting both their development and wellbeing throughout their early years journey.
Sam Bedwell
Department Lead
As a mother of two, Sam understands the importance of creating a warm, nurturing environment where children feel safe, valued, and supported to reach their full potential. Since joining Acorns, she has enjoyed working with children of all ages and embracing the many opportunities the nursery provides. Sam is particularly passionate about supporting children with additional needs, including speech and language development, ensuring that every child receives the individual care and encouragement they need to thrive. She loves engaging in imaginative role play and creating exciting learning environments inspired by the children's interests. Watching their ideas come to life and their confidence grow is one of the aspects of her role she enjoys most. One of the most rewarding parts of Sam’s work is seeing children develop new skills, build confidence, and flourish within Acorns’ caring and homely setting. Her warm and supportive approach helps every child feel encouraged, valued, and ready to learn.
Jade Nicholls
Department Lead
Jade has been a part of the Acorns team since 2018. She joined straight from school as an apprentice and has since achieved both her Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications. Today, she leads the Burrow, where she plays a key role in supporting our under twos during their earliest years of development. She is passionate about helping children grow, learn, and reach important milestones. She particularly enjoys building strong relationships with children and their families, creating a warm and supportive environment where everyone feels welcome. With a love of storytelling and books, Jade enjoys sharing stories with the children and fostering a love of reading from an early age. She also takes pride in creating engaging activities and experiences inspired by the children’s individual interests, helping them explore, discover, and thrive every day.
Ashleigh Richards
Department Lead
Ashleigh has been at Acorns since August 2016. During her time at Acorns, she has gained experience across a variety of age groups, working in rooms including the Burrow and Hive before discovering her passion for preschool education. In January 2025, she was proud to become the Preschool Room Leader. Ashleigh is passionate about helping children develop the skills and confidence they need for a smooth transition to school. She enjoys supporting early literacy and numeracy, encouraging independence in self-care, and creating opportunities for every child’s unique personality to shine. Watching children grow in confidence, embrace new challenges, and reach important milestones is one of the most rewarding aspects of her role.
Facilities & Outdoor Locations
Explore our facilities and outdoor spaces, and read our latest Ofsted ratings and reports — everything you need to feel confident in your choice.
Kitchen & Dining
Mealtimes at Acorns are a warm and sociable part of the day, with dedicated dining spaces across the nursery where children come together to eat, chat, and develop important life skills. All meals are freshly prepared on-site using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients.
Outdoor Play
Our three beautiful gardens offer children daily opportunities to explore, discover, and connect with the natural world through activities such as growing vegetables, construction play, and sensory exploration. We place great importance on outdoor play and fresh air as part of every child's day.
Ofsted
We are proud to have received a Good rating from Ofsted in our most recent inspection (June 2025), recognising the high-quality care, engaging curriculum, and nurturing environment we provide. Our full report is available here.