Acorns is a support group for families of young children who have a hearing loss.
About Acorns
Acorns is a specialist pre-school group that supports children with hearing loss aged 0 to 5 and their families. It's for those living in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset.
We offer our main Acorns group weekly in Westbury-on-Trym and Little Acorns groups once a month in Bath, Easton (Bristol) and Weston-Super-Mare.
The main Acorns group at Elmfield House includes a:
- children's creche for young children and babies with a hearing loss and their siblings, run by Specialist Teaching Assistants and Sign Language Communication Advisers, who organise a range of activities and play experiences
- parents discussion group with visiting speakers and coffee mornings
- buddy system, to welcome you to Acorns
Session times
Sessions start at 10:30am and finish at midday.
- 10:30am: arrive and settle
- 10:40am: circle time and welcome song, parents either stay with their child or go to the parents' discussion group
- 10:50am: free play, explore the different sensory activities
- 11:30am: snack time, we provide snacks or you can bring your own
- 11:50am: circle time and goodbye song, parents collect children from the creche
Session dates
- Wednesday 11 March 2026
- Wednesday 18 March 2026
- Wednesday 25 March 2026
Venue
Sensory Support Service
Elmfield House
Greystoke Avenue
Westbury-on-Trym
Bristol
BS10 6AY
Little Acorns
The Little Acorns groups are run as a Stay and Play session, to bring families together who have young children with hearing loss. The sessions run for an hour and a half. Parents can chat together or with a Teacher of the Deaf and snacks and toys are provided for the children.
Bath Acorns
- Address: First Steps, Woodhouse Road, Twerton, Bath, BA2 1SY
- Time: 10:15am to 11:45am
- Dates:
- Thursday 26 March 2026
- Thursday 30 April 2026
- Thursday 21 May 2026
- Thursday 18 June 2026
- Thursday 9 July 2026
For more information email julian.shepard@bristol.gov.uk
Easton Acorns
- Address: Bannerman Road Community Academy, All Hallows Road, BS5 0HR
- Time: 10:30am to midday
- Date: Monday 30 March 2026
For more information email lucy.blatchford@bristol.gov.uk
Weston-Super-Mare Acorns
- Address: Mendip Green Primary School, Greenwood Road, Worle, Weston-Super-Mare BS22 6EX
- Time: 10:15am to 11:45am
- Dates:
- Tuesday 10 March 2026
- Tuesday 5 May 2026
- Tuesday 2 June 2026
- Tuesday 7 July 2026
For more information email bethany.challis@bristol.gov.uk
Hartcliffe Acorns: coming soon!
Other useful things to know about Acorns groups
- Siblings are welcome.
- You do not need to book. Just let your Teacher of the Deaf know and turn up!
- Feel free to bring someone with you the first time you attend for support.
- Your Teacher of the Deaf may be able to come to your first session.
Contact us
If you have any questions:
- email sensorysupportservice@bristol.gov.uk
- call 0117 903 8441/2