Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA
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9.9 33 Reviews
  • Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear), Milton Keynes
Acorn at Mulberry Bear, is located in the Open University Campus in Milton Keynes.

Staff at the setting are committed to providing high quality childcare and education for all its children through play in an enriched environment.

Children as young as three months to school age are cared for.

Each group has its own designated areas for play, sleeping, eating and quiet activities. In addition to indoor play space, the nursery has two beautiful spacious gardens as well as the local environment around the university's campus.

The nursery's friendly staff have relevant childcare qualifications and are experienced in delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage encouraging the children to become happy, confident individuals.

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Care Provided by Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

  • 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
  • Ravenne Richards-Holness (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 11
  • Registered Charity Number
  • 1145108
  • Total Places for Children
  • 52
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 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 & Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

  • Full time place starting from £1425
    Full day from £72.50
    Morning session from £42.50
    Afternoon session from £38.50

  • 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 are dedicated parking bays for dropping off and collecting children at the nursery.


Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear) Reviews (33)

Total of 33, showing 21-33
9.9

Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear) has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.944) out of 10, based on 27 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear) has 33 reviews.

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Review from Shamela M (Mother of Child) published on 27 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I’ve had both my boys attend this nursery. The staff are very friendly and supportive. They have accommodated my needs for extra hours even at very short notice. Both my children have great relationships with the staff and I always feel confident and happy leaving my children at nursery knowing they
will take great care. My children love the nursery and have had all their needs met.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Thank you for your nursery review. We are happy to accommodate extra hours where possible.


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Review from Vyvyan W (Grandmother of Child) published on 27 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely staff, good care of the children. My grandson has allergies to eggs and dairy and they take their responsibility very seriously. He loves his time in the nursery and loves any field trips. The communication from the staff is good also.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

It is lovely to have a nursery review from a grandparents perspective.


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Review from G N (Mother of Child) published on 26 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Accessible and communicative staff- very supportive and engaging environment for our three-year-old. Lots of books, arts and crafts- particularly love the outdoor area and forest school.
The use of the app has been lovely- with pictures and other information being communicated to us really well.
My
child comes home happy and healthy.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Thank you very much for your nursery review. We are thrilled your child goes home happy after a day at the nursery.


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Review from E M (Mother of Child) published on 26 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter entered the nursery about six months ago straight from abroad, without knowing a word of English and from the first day to this day she goes to nursery happily! The staff is warm, smart, responsible and above all attentive and amazing, we won! My daughter enjoys every single day and shares
wonderful stories about her day upon return, the fresh and varied food prepared on-site and the various activities she loves. There is a forest day once every two weeks which is an experience in itself. I totally recommend this wonderful nursery.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Thank you very much for this nursery review. The meals are prepared off-site at a central Hub and brought to the nursery. It has been a real pleasure to see your child flourish over the last six months.


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Review from C B (Mother of Child) published on 26 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son and I absolutely love Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear) and all of the staff here. He has settled into his new class so well and I am so pleased with the environment and how they are with all of the children. Couldn’t recommend enough.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Thank you for your nursery review. It has been a pleasure to see how well your child has settled after moving into their new room at nursery.


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Review from S R (Mother of Child) published on 26 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Such a brilliant nursery, our child is able to play, learn and explore with a huge range of activities laid out and a huge garden with play equipment and a mud garden to play in.
We are constantly kept up to date with his daily activity, the care he has been given and the food he has eaten.
Food options
are brilliant, varied and nutritionally balanced, I love knowing how well he eats in nursery days.
The staff are all brilliant, friendly and attentive and have formed a real bond with our child. He adores them. I could not recommend this nursery enough.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Thank you for your nursery review. The staff team are very proud of the bonds they build with all of the children at the nursery.


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Review from Anna Y (Mother of Child) published on 29 March 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My almost 3-year-old son is attending this nursery for the second month. He likes it very much, he says that now he has friends and it's funny to play in the nursery, he likes reading books and crafts lessons. The staff are kind and care for children. My son started to trust them very fast. The groups
are not so huge and there is enough staff per children. I like our new nursery, my son likes it too. He is happy and I see some progress in speech and new skills development. I recommend this nursery!

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

We are so pleased your son has settled into the nursery so well and is enjoying the craft lessons.


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Review from Z P (Mother of Child) published on 28 February 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son does not want to go home! It took a couple of weeks for him to settle, however, the staff were just amazing through this journey. It is amazing to see the progress he made, from crying every morning, to now enjoying his morning routine and breakfast with friends. He is happy and content. So
are his parents. We are very grateful for the care our son receives there.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

It is our pleasure to see your son so happy and content whilst at nursery.


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Review from A M (Father of Child) published on 18 January 2023
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter attends this nursery. My son also attended for 4 years. I have found this nursery to be everything that I would hope for in a preschool. The staff are kind, compassionate and caring and genuinely care for the children under their care. My son has special educational needs and I will be always
thankful to them for alerting us to these. They adapted their practices for my son and were very knowledgeable in this area. I would totally recommend this nursery.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Thank you for bringing both of your children to the nursery.


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Review from T P (Mother of Child) published on 30 November 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This has got to be the best place for our daughter. We have been with Mulberry Bear since before they got transferred to Acorn. During the 6-month temp closure, we had to send our daughter to another nursery and she was so miserable and cried every single day, however as soon as we returned to Mulberry
Bear, she returned to her happy self and looked forward to going to the nursery every morning. Even on the weekend, she asks to go. I have nothing but praise for all the ladies here. They genuinely care about the children. My daughter developed such a strong bond with all her key ladies.
They bake cakes, make bread, have Halloween parties, draw, read books, learn to count etc. every day is just vibrant. I highly recommend this place. Thank you ever so much.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Thank you for this wonderful review. We are so pleased that your daughter loves to come to nursery every day.


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Review from Frankie T (Mother of Child) published on 22 November 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We recently moved our daughter to Mulberry Bear from another nursery after the recommendation from the Acorn Nursery at Kents Hill. The numerous settle sessions that were offered were amazing and really helped my daughter (and myself!) with the transition from our original nursery. The outside space
is really my favourite area of the nursery. The children are encouraged to spend as much time outside as possible and the permanent slide is a winner with my daughter! The inside space is split into ages but the free flow play between areas is great. The reading/music room in Squirrels room is a great space - it's currently themed as The Gruffalo and the theme gets changed with different books. We have only been a part of the nursery for a short while - but I'm looking forward to seeing how my daughter flourishes.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Thank you for your review. Lovely to hear the transition period worked well for your family.


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Review from Johanna G (Mother of Child) published on 22 November 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I've been a parent at Mulberry Bear for a long time, my daughter, now 7 was a happy pre-schooler there, and now my son who's 3 years old goes there. The staff is like family, the feeling I get is that they really care about the children. They have a big outdoor space which is used throughout the year.
I have experience from a child with typical needs to a child with special needs, my son, who has Autistic traits, is currently being supported there. We recently changed from another seemingly 'prestigious' nursery locally where my son was so unhappy, and the staff was admittedly not skilled for SEND. In contrast, when changing to Acorn Mulberry Bear, we noticed a massive change in my son's behaviour, he's now a happy child who feels appreciated and cared for and his learning needs are being addressed in a way that is suited to his special needs.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

Thank you for your review. It is wonderful to hear your son feels happy with us.


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Review from Noemi O (Mother of Child) published on 10 October 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We had moved our daughter from another nursery and she has just joined last week. They had made her very welcome. The nursery has a very large outdoor area and the children seem to be encouraged (by both planned and spontaneous activities) to spend a lot of time outdoors. Yesterday when I went to pick
up my daughter she was playing in the garden and when she saw me instead of walking straight into my arms she had walked away to continue playing which was very positive feedback on how well she had settled in. The indoor areas have lots of large windows letting in natural light which gives the place a very welcoming appearance. The app (which is used to provide updates on the daily activities) is updated very regularly (almost instantly) so we know exactly how and what she is doing. Acorn nurseries had been recommended to us by several friends and we were excited to hear about the new Acorn nursery. So far, a very good experience and it has definitely met our expectations.

Reply from Sharon Rigby, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear)

We really appreciate this wonderful feedback. Many thanks.


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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.944)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.944) out of 10 for Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear) is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 27 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 27 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 4.944 for Acorn Day Nursery (Mulberry Bear) is calculated as follows: ( (304 Excellents x 5) + (18 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 322 Ratings = 4.944

  • 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 (Mulberry Bear) is based on 27 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 52 number of registered child places is 10.4, which has been reached with 27 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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Meet the Team (2)

Ravenne

Ravenne Richards-Holness

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2024

I have been working in Early Years for over 25 years. I am passionate about ensuring that children have the best possible outcomes in life. To achieve this, I focus on supporting and mentoring my team, helping them to become the best practitioners they can be, so they can positively impact the children within our care.


Katharine

Katharine Seaton

Job Title: Office Manager

Joined: 2014

Hospitality Management degree


I joined Mulberry Bear in 2014. Both my children attended the nursery prior to my joining as Office Manager. My role in the nursery is varied among other tasks I help the manager with booking children into the nursery, showing prospective parents around and monthly invoicing.


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