Our Action Research Acorn Early Years is a learning organisation, and also aspires to be a thought leader in the early years sector. One way in which the organisation works towards this is through its action research group, which is focused on developing best practice and the organisation’s social impact. The group is made up of passionate graduate leaders, all of which have a keen interest in undertaking action research and promoting evidence-based practice. The action research group meets regularly and aims to conduct research that will help Acorn, and the wider sector, better understand the impact of different provision within early years care and education. Currently, Acorn's action research group is guided by two underlying themes: Acorn's charitable status and Social Impact Acorn's Relational Pedagogy and ethic of care Ethics in the Early Years Sector Acorn’s ethos is underpinned by an ethic of care, which shapes both its organisational culture and approach to practice. In 2023, doctoral research completed by Acorn’s CEO, Zoe, explored how care ethics can be applied within early years settings to embed ethical principles in everyday practice. This work has since informed the publication of ‘A Care Manifesto for the Early Years’, which argues for the centrality of care ethics in both policy and practice - across national and organisational systems, and in the daily interactions of individuals working within nurseries. Conceptualisation of Sustainability As Acorn’s sustainability journey has progressed, research has been undertaken to explore how environmental sustainability is understood and conceptualised across the organisation. This work sought to identify gaps in knowledge and practice by collating perspectives from staff, including the Central Support Office, Nursery Managers, Deputies, Eco-Leads and wider teams - as well as from children and their families. The findings were presented at the 2024 European Early Childhood Education Research Association annual conference and have informed the development of Acorn’s wider sustainability strategy. The research also highlighted the need for more accessible sustainability resources for early years educators, leading to the publication of ‘Sustainability in the Early Years’ in May 2026. Gender Balance in Parental Involvement This longitudinal study aims to explore whether over time, there are any changing gender patterns in parent/carer involvement relating to a child’s early years, through activities such as home-visits and parent/carer observations. The project has already gathered four years of data, with analysis planned following the completion of the fifth year. Impact of Volunteer Programme This project is taking place at Acorn’s nurseries who have recently welcomed new volunteers from the community. Through the use of tailored questionnaires and interviews (as well as observations of the children), this research project aims to explore the impact of Acorn’s volunteering programme on the volunteers, the children and the staff teams. The Impact of Forest School on children with SEND With a range of research already available highlighting the extensive positive benefits of forest school for children, Acorn has explored the impact of forest school specifically for children with additional needs, and their families. A sample of children (between the ages of 7-14) were observed during their holiday club forest school sessions, and this was supplemented by long-term observations by our Forest School leaders, who have known the children for a number of years. Questionnaires and follow-up interviews were completed, capturing the thoughts of the children’s families, and the children themselves. The findings are currently being analysed to identify key themes and areas of impact. Home Visits One of Acorn’s earliest action research projects, undertaken in 2019, explored the impact of home visits as part of a child’s transition into nursery. Drawing on the views of parents, practitioners and children, and informed by attachment theory and research on transitions, the study confirmed the significant benefits of home visits for all involved. The research was presented at the British Early Childhood Education Research Association (BECERA) conference in 2020; however, the Covid-19 pandemic shortly afterwards led to a temporary pause. Home visits are now being re-established as a key part of Acorn’s settling-in process. 'Researchful Practice' Projects Six projects are currently underway using the University of Bristol’s ‘Researchful Practice’ toolkit, which supports research engagement among early years practitioners. These projects involve managers and practitioners from Acorn’s Burton Latimer, Mulberry Bear, Stanwick, Rowans and New Bradwell nurseries, and explore topics including induction for baby room staff, SEND induction, supporting twins in nursery settings, reusable nappies and potty learning, and the use of communication boards. Examples: