Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill)

Wadhurst Lane, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes MK7 6JF
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10 171 Reviews
  • Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill), Milton Keynes
Acorn Early Years nursery at Kents Hill is ideally located for local families; close to the Kingston retail district and approximately four miles from Junction 13 of the M1 and four miles from Central Milton Keynes.

The nursery has been purpose-built in an innovative octagonal shape, offering lovely, spacious play rooms and a central atrium. Each room leads to extensive garden areas so that the children have access to a range of activities both indoors and outside. Acorn places a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and the children benefit from Acorn’s forest school sessions. They even help to grow vegetables and look after the nursery chickens in the extensive outdoor play area.

The key person system ensures children know there is always somebody there for them at Acorns. The team believe children benefit from meeting their key person in a familiar environment, before beginning their time at the nursery, and so home visits are offered to all new families to help establish those bonds.

All meals are freshly prepared on-site by the nursery chef and menus are carefully designed to offer nutritionally balanced and seasonal options, with something for every child's preferences and requirements.

The friendly staff team welcome visits from prospective parents, so please get in touch if you'd like to find out more.

Care Provided by Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill)

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Voluntary / Not for Profit Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Elena Martuccio (Senior Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 24
  • Registered Charity Number
  • 1145108
  • Total Places for Children
  • 60
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 4 months
    • to 4 years 11 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays, Staff Training Days & between Christmas & New Year

Funding & Fees Guide for Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill)

  • Full time place starting from £1,560
    Full day from £81.50
    Morning session from £44.00
    Afternoon session from £41.00


  • Fees are inclusive of all meals, snacks, drinks (including approved formula milk), nappies and activities.
    We do not charge registration fees, only a £100 deposit which is refunded against the first month’s fees. We don’t charge for settling in sessions, but we do expect payment for all nursery fees to be paid up front at the beginning of each month, which is standard practice for all childcare providers. We do not charge for bank holidays, our four training days each year, or for the three days closure between Christmas and New Year. We do, however, charge for days children don’t attend through illness or holidays, apart from exceptional circumstances.
    Please view the prospectus on our website for a full fees guide.


  • Parking
  • There is secure parking in the nursery grounds


Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill) Reviews (171)

Total of 171, showing 121-140
10

Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill) has a Review Score of 10 (9.961) out of 10, based on 39 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill) has 171 reviews.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We love Acorn. After looking around a few local nurseries, we knew instantly that Acorn is the place for us.
The active encouragement towards outdoor and active play is great and the staff make such an effort to make sure they come home clean and dry from their adventures. Forest School is also brilliant
and (I believe) unique to Acorn.
Our daughter really does learn something new every day and her development has made a visible leap in their care.
No hesitation in recommending Acorn.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Fantastic nursery, really lovely staff, who care so much about the children. My daughter loves her time there and is really engaged by all the activities.
Great varied menu by the on site chef, my daughter loves and eats all meals provided.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child has been at Acorn for just over a year and they have loved it. The staff are so friendly, take a real interest in our child and their development.
The management and admin are great and any queries or issues are resolved quickly and easily.
They have organised great stay and play days such
as Halloween, Christmas and parent's days. I'm looking forward to seeing the Oaks Christmas show this year! The visit to the care home sounded amazing as well.
The facilities are great, plenty of opportunities to play outside and at own pace. My child loves the chickens! Looking forward to hearing about the Forest Schools too.
Definitely highly recommended. My main criticism would be that they haven't been as good at updating the learning journeys on the app so well. It's not a huge problem as they clearly know a lot about the children as you get daily feedback and they complete regular "parents evenings".

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Since my daughter started at Acorns, Kents Hill, I have felt totally at ease leaving her. The staff communicate with me very well and are brilliant with her. She only attends one day a week which has proven to be difficult for her at times but everyone at Acorns has made her feel comfortable and enjoy
her time there. Would highly recommend!

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter loves it at Acorn Kents Hill. Obviously, at first, she used to get upset when we would drop her off but with the help of the brilliant staff she settled in well and now she does not even look back when she sees all her friends.


One of the other key reasons we picked Acorn is the quality

of the menu and it's brilliant. The chef is an artist, our little one eats wells and we're fairly convinced she eats better than us as parents.


The regular reviews with our key worker is great as we get to know a lot about her development and we really enjoy seeing the pics and videos of her playing.


We are really happy to be part of the Acorn family at Kents Hill, there are lots of nurseries around but having seen and spoken to friends who have their kids at different places, we can honestly say that Kents Hill is the place to be.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Acon Day Nursery (Kents Hill) is an amazing nursery my daughter has been there since the age of 2. She's now at school doing amazing. My son is still at the nursery and has been since October 2016. My son loves it there. The staff are so friendly, bubbly and happy as can be. I would recommend other
parents to take their kids there. The food there is the right potions as well healthy food. They work around you as well.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely nursery. The staff go above and beyond to make my daughter feel comfortable. Extremely pleased with the nursery. There is always service with a smile.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely nursery, very friendly.
My child really enjoys his time here especially the outdoor spaces. He loves the cook too!

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter loves going to Acorn Nursery at Kents Hill. The staff are always friendly, welcoming and provide fantastic learning opportunities. I would recommend the nursery to anyone.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son loves this nursery and has come very far in his development. The nursery staff are amazing and really go out of their way to make your child have the best experience possible and engage them in learning every step of the way.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Amazing nursery that gives so much personalised support to my children and has a fantastic ethos of natural play and nurturing. I am so happy I chose this nursery.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

I have nothing but good things to say about this nursery. 2 of my children have been at this nursery since they were 12 months old, one is now at school and the other is in her final months before she starts school.
Acorn staff are excellent, they always go the extra mile for your child and build
amazing relationships with the children which helps their development immensely. Cannot fault the current nursery manager and the changes implemented since she was appointed and always goes above and beyond for parents and their children. Highly recommended by myself and my children. Good job Acorn, keep up the good work.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We moved to Milton Keynes from Watford earlier this year and my son attended Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill) full time from April 2017 - Sep 2017 (he's in Reception now).
I believe opting for Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill) was one of the best decisions we made.


The staff are wonderful and caring.

They provide the utmost care and have children's best interests at heart. The focus on EYFS curriculum, combined with ample outdoor activities (Forest School was the highlight) and amazing food is what makes Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill) stand out.


We could observe so many improvements in our son's self-confidence, communication skills and creativity in last 6 months.
Big thanks to the manager and all the other staff for their invaluable contribution to our son's growth. You are being missed!


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been coming to Acorn Kents Hill for nearly a year. She attends the nursery one day a week. The staff are so friendly and always have the children's best interests at heart. My daughter has so much fun there.

Yesterday, my daughter had an upset tummy and was in a mess. Her key person
went the extra mile and gave my daughter a bath. This was so kind and thoughtful. Also, my daughter enjoyed the conker picking last week. The nursery has a family feel about the place and make the parents and children feel welcome. My daughter also enjoys the delicious dinners that are on offer.


Thank you to all the staff at Acorn Kents Hill for wonderful work you do.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been attending full time for just over 4 months and I am delighted with Acorns at Kents Hill.
From the very initial meetings to settling in sessions and day to day care, I cannot fault the staff at Acorns. They are, without fail, warm, friendly, caring and obviously take the time to
know each child's needs and personality. They are consistently helpful and go out of their way to go the extra mile. Feedback at the end of each day is exemplary and my daughter has a fantastic bond with all of the staff in her room, but especially with her key worker.
Whenever I am in the nursery, I am impressed by the activities and resources provided for all of the children, particularly the outside area and regular access to messy play.
My daughter has progressed so much since joining Acorns and most importantly, is so happy to be there.
All in all, thanks to the hard work of all the staff at Acorns, I go to work knowing that my little one is in incredibly safe hands and having fun!

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Acorn is one of the best nurseries I have ever visited. Staff are really very cooperative and helpful. My child is more confident and intelligent now after joining Acorn Nursery. I can see a big difference in my child. Love the environment. Highly recommended.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have two daughters that attend Acorn at Kents Hill. One in the oaks rooms and one recently joining acorns room and both myself and their dad couldn't be happier that they are both there. The staff are all friendly, with great feedback, updates and response to queries. My eldest always comes home explaining
to me what she has been doing, the games they have been playing, stories been read and just all the great fun that she has had. I'm happy to say that I would totally recommend the nursery.

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We couldn't be happier, Acorn and it's staff are simply the best.


Our son has been going to Acorn for just over 1 year and he loves every day.


The nursery provides excellent activities and fantastic daily meals.


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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Fantastic place for my daughter to spend her early years amongst great staff and in a fun and friendly atmosphere! Lots of activities and always varied, good healthy food and always great communication from the staff to us parents, keep up the great work!

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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

We Love all the activities done with the children's such as forest school, trips to the local library , and the best of all: trips to the elderly care home where the children can learn from our oldest.
Our son is learning to write and plenty of other things enjoying each minute there. We absolutely
love it!

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Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.961)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.961) out of 10 for Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill) is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 39 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 39 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.961 for Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill) is calculated as follows: ( (450 Excellents x 5) + (14 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 466 Ratings = 4.961

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Acorn Day Nursery (Kents Hill) is based on 39 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 60 number of registered child places is 12, which has been reached with 39 Positive reviews. Points = 1

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

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Awards / Recognitions (13)

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Meet the Team (3)

Elena

Elena Martuccio

Job Title: Senior Nursery Manager

Joined: 2011

Elena worked in the Early Years sector for many years and has been part of the Acorn team since 2011.


During her time at Acorn, she completed her Foundation Degree in her Early Years and progressed from Deputy Manager to Senior Manager. She is passionate about creating a nursery environment which allows all families, children and staff members to feel happy and welcome on a daily basis.


As a Senior Manager, Elena strives to share her knowledge with other practitioners, supporting them to achieve and reach their personal goals and qualifications.


She is also Kents Hill's Designated Safeguarding Lead, so if you ever have any concerns or would like to chat about anything safeguarding-related, please visit or call the nursery and ask to speak to Elena directly - alternatively, the setting can provide a direct email address for her.


Sophie

Sophie Rodwell

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Joined: 2007

Sophie - Deputy Manager has worked in Early Years for many years and joined Acorn in 2007. She is qualified to level 6 and has an Early Years Degree and Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). Sophie enjoys being outdoors and has completed her Forest School training.


Julie

Julie

Job Title: Senior Administrator

Joined: 2016

Julie - Senior Administrator