Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook)

Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, Bedford MK44 1LQ
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10 57 Reviews
  • Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook), Bedford
Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) is set in the beautiful grounds of Colworth Science Park, and offers a homely atmosphere in which your child can relax and have fun whilst learning and socialising with other children.

The team of qualified, experienced and dedicated staff provide the best possible care for your child within the context of a happy and secure environment.

The nursery is dedicated to providing high-quality care and education for children aged four months to four years, working in partnership with parents to help children learn and develop.

Children have use of a large indoor nursery space, as well as access to a secure and secluded private garden at the back of the nursery. The garden is a wonderful outdoor area with plenty of space to run around and play.

The children not only get to play outdoors in a safe environment, but gain access to a host of new experiences and education about nature and the world around them, the local wildlife, and how the environment changes through the seasons.

Through active playing and exploration, children are learning skills such as problem solving, spatial-awareness and mathematical language.

Their menus have been carefully planned to be both seasonal and nutritionally balanced and tasty ensuring clean plates every time! Their cook prepares all the nursery meals and snacks onsite each day providing nutritionally balanced meals which are both healthy and appetising. Acorn only use fresh, local, ethically sourced produce to create their delicious meal and can accommodate most dietary requirements and have won several awards for their food.

You are very welcome to visit the nursery to see the facilities and meet the staff.

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Care Provided by Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook)

  • 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
  • Aimee Bishop (Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 24
  • Registered Charity Number
  • 1145108
  • Total Places for Children
  • 62
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 4 months
    • to 4 years 11 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:15-18:15
    Tuesday 07:15-18:15
    Wednesday 07:15-18:15
    Thursday 07:15-18:15
    Friday 07:15-18:15
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays, Staff Training Days & between Christmas & New Year

Funding & Fees Guide for Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook)

  • Full time place starting from £1,360
    Full day from £71
    Morning session from £41
    Afternoon session from £37

  • 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

  • A large car park is located at the front of the nursery


Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) Reviews (57)

Total of 57, showing 1-20
10

Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) has a Review Score of 10 (9.966) out of 10, based on 22 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) has 57 reviews.

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Review from James O (Father of Child) published on 19 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff at Acorns Sharnbrook are so kind & helpful. Our daughter loves it here and is so excited to go to nursery everyday. She always comes home happy and can't wait to tell us everything she's done in the day.

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Review from H B (Mother of Child) published on 17 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Since starting the nursery in January our son has had such a wonderful experience. It took him a while to settle with drop off's, but staff have been amazing at helping our son settle in to the nursery whilst reassuring us daily. We love the forest schools element. Our son loves being outside and the
staff are great at making it an adventure, being outside in nature and participating in different activities. We couldn't be happier with our choice in the nursery, the kind, caring nature of the staff have helped us all with the transition into nursery. We can't thank Acorns Sharnbrook day nursery enough for all they have done and continue to do!

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Review from Demi O (Mother of Child) published on 26 November 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has attended this nursery since September and I honestly couldn't be happier with how well he has settled in, all the staff are fantastic so kind, caring and nurturing, my son is very fond of them all he is always speaking so highly of them. There are lots of different activities and fun things
for the children to do, they have great outdoor space which is full of lots of things for the children to do. The food is very healthy and nutritious even my fussy little boy enjoys the meals and majority of the time eats everything. The nursery setting is located in a lovely place very safe and secure. They have an app in which they do daily updates of what the children are getting up to, what they have eaten etc. Every parents wish is to know their child is in safe hands and being well taken care of and I don't have to think twice about this. Thank you so much to all the staff at Acorn Day Nursery for taking care of my little boy on a daily basis your all doing an amazing job.

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Review from N B (Mother of Child) published on 14 November 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Acorn Day Nursery at Sharnbrook. My son has been going to Acorn Day Nursery in Sharnbrook since he was 11 months old. His key worker and the team were brilliant at getting him to settle in quickly and were so lovely when he wasn't well. We've really noticed his development advance since he's been going
and he loves all the activities and the food.

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Review from Rebecca O (Mother of Child) published on 8 November 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I cannot thank all the staff at Acorn enough, specifically those in the Squirells room. They have been understanding and very kind during my daughter's transition into childcare. Nothing was too much trouble and they were fantastic with communication throughout the day. They didn't rush us to increase
our hours and made sure our timetable suited my daughter's progress above all. She is now absolutely thriving, no tears and cannot wait to go to nursery and have fun. 5-star experience, fantastic team!

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Review from A G (Mother of Child) published on 1 August 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been going to Acorn at Sharnbrook now since May and she's developed so much. The staff are lovely and I love the fact you can keep track of what she has been up to during the day, what has been eaten and just a general overview of her being happy. The staff always respond quickly to
any questions and I love the atmosphere there. They are able to get stuck in, mucky, explore, dance, exercise and have quiet time too. It's a fab place and my eldest went there before as well.

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Review from B S (Father of Child) published on 31 July 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has been at Acorn Nursery in Sharnbrook since April this year and absolutely thrives here.
The fact that he just walks in with no fuss when dropping him makes it a lot easier to go to work for the day.
All the activities indoor and out, it's not surprising.
The amount of updates and pictures
are great to see what he's been up to.
Highly recommend to any parent, especially those with an active child and wanting to be outdoors as much as they can.

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Review from Holley A (Mother of Child) published on 31 July 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter loves Acorns! She's been going since she was 10 months old and can't wait to get there each morning. The staff always have something exciting and intriguing for the children to do, and we've noticed our daughter's development really benefiting from their carefully curated activities. The
food is nutritious and sometimes they get the children to help prepare some of the snacks and meals. Our daughter's social and physical development has skyrocketed and we love the observations that staff make on the app, categorising which areas of development we're focused on. The communication with the nursery through the app is amazing, we love seeing what they're up to! I'd highly recommend Acorn Day Nursery in Sharnbrook to anyone thinking about enrolling their child. I can't fault the staff and their friendly, attentive attitude towards the children and parents.

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Review from T M (Mother of Child) published on 31 July 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been at Acorn Nursery in Sharnbrook for four months now. I was so nervous about starting her at nursery, but she has settled in so well, she loves the staff there and walks in with no problems at all. We have seen her confidence grow since she has been there. The way she plays with other
children now I have a lot to thank the staff at Acorn for. When I collect her I can see how much fun she has had, few occasions she hasn't wanted to leave. The staff have been fantastic with her and are continually helping her to develop. The setting and activities they do with the children are great, my daughter loves the outdoors and Acorn at Sharnbrook Forest School is brilliant!

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Review from H C (Mother of Child) published on 4 April 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both of my daughters (6 and 3 years old) have attended Acorn Sharnbrook since they were 6 months old. Both of them have loved their time here and have been so happy. As parents, we have been really impressed with the care they have received and the activities they have been able to engage in. Both of
our girls have really loved the Forest School sessions and I have loved seeing their journey through the app. We especially love the way they do so much cooking, often making their own snacks, and making their own playdoh daily. We really don’t have a bad word to say about Acorn at all. Thank you for all that you do for our girls!

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Review from Alicia M (Mother of Child) published on 8 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

As a first-time mum, I was so nervous to take my baby to a nursery but the team at Sharnbrook were and have continued to be an amazing support throughout a tricky transition!
My baby has loved every minute of being there and has developed far quicker than I thought he would - he loves all the activities
they do and the staff are fantastic with him, I could not recommend this nursery enough!

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Review from Sophie S (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Nothing but great things to be said about Acorn Nursery in Sharnbrook!
As the same as most mums I was worried when I had to go back to work to leave my daughter but Acorn Nursery has helped me from day one. My daughter loves going in every day with no problems. She loves the staff and all the activities
they get up to. Especially the forest school/ outside which is always her favourite!
Always recommend this nursery to friends and family!

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Review from K J (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter loves going to Acorns Nursery at Sharnbrook. She has settled in quickly, and all the staff have been great with her. Her confidence has grown in such a short space of time, and we feel that her attending Acorns has contributed hugely to this - interacting with other children, accessing
the outside space and the variety of activities that are put out for the children. The staff are always friendly and engaging, and we always love receiving updates about our daughter's day!

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Review from Charlotte J (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has attended Acorn Day Nursery in Sharnbrook for approximately two years now, and he absolutely loves it there. On weekends, he asks for his key workers and genuinely misses being there with them! The activities and variety he is exposed to are amazing. Our two older children went to a different
nursery back then due to location, and I 100% believe that Acorn is a much better setting - this child has settled much quicker, and some days, he doesn't seem to want to come home. He is learning quickly and growing up fast, becoming a very independent boy.

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Review from Diane L (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our twins joined Acorn Day Nursery eight months ago, and can honestly say, it’s been a fantastic eight months - I feel 100% happy leaving our twins here. The staff are very friendly, enthusiastic and always smiling.
The twins have been supported with their individual needs and us as a family also!
I
love the daily updates on the app seeing the care given, pictures and memories.
They both have such a good bond with their key person and regular messages/updates.
Highly recommend this setting to other parents.
Thank you, Acorn Nursery.

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Review from Abby H (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We chose Acorn Nursery in Sharnbrook due to its Forest school and environmental ethos. My husband and I feel it is important for children to be active, outside as much as possible and to learn about their environment. Acorn Sharnbrook has gone above and beyond our expectations in these respects, our
daughter thoroughly enjoys her time at nursery.
Staff are knowledgeable, caring, supportive, friendly and fun. I feel comfortable asking for advice on a wide range of topics and supported in decision-making.
I’m always impressed with the wide range of activities the children partake in. Activities are creatively organised with a clear focus on education, enjoyment and there is also more often than not a link to environmental awareness.
We are kept up to date efficiently throughout the day on our daughter’s movements. We are also kept in the loop about nursery and organisation objectives and feel that our thoughts and opinions are valued and respected.

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Review from R M (Mother of Child) published on 29 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Acorns Sharnbrook is a wonderful, nurturing, fun environment for children. The location is superb with lots of time outdoors exploring, not to mention the brilliant forest school sessions. The on-site chef is fabulous so the children eat very well with a varied menu. Its eco-school status and strong
ties to the community (regular visits to the local care home and village) add extra variety and substance to their activities.
Our second child suffered separation anxiety when starting nursery and took a long time to settle but the staff and her key workers in particular were simply wonderful. Their nurturing approach really helped her to feel more comfortable there, so much so that her recent transition to the Squirrels room went incredibly smoothly. She comes home full of chatter about the fun they’ve had which is a delight to hear! The regular videos and photos posted on the app are brilliant to receive whilst at work.
I cannot recommend Acorns Sharnbrook highly enough.

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Review from J T (Mother of Child) published on 29 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Acorn Nursery at Sharnbrook is an excellent provision, the whole ethos of the nursery is child-centred. The staff are kind and compassionate yet fun and engaging. They are passionate about what they do and developing the children in their care.
There are always different activities available to the
children and they spend lots of time outside. The nursery has a lovely garden/outdoor area and the children regularly attend a woodland experience on site which was just one of the things that initially attracted us to the nursery.
The staff were extremely accommodating with settling-in sessions and were child-led throughout working with us as parents to ensure that our child had the best possible start. Communication is brilliant throughout the day and at the start/end of each session and nothing is ever too much trouble.
I cannot recommend this nursery enough. It has a lovely atmosphere and the setting has really benefited my child.

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Review from Rhiannon G (Mother of Child) published on 29 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Absolutely love this nursery, we have both our girls here in different rooms and they always come home happy.
Our eldest loves the Oaks room, the staff always put on exciting activities for her to join in with and she loves the outdoor activities in the garden and forest school every week.
The Acorn
room has been incredible for our youngest, we weren’t sure how she would be going to nursery but the staff made the transition so easy for her. They were also the ones who picked up on her allergy when no one else did and catered for her so well, I’m so grateful for them caring for her like they do.
I can’t recommend the nursery or the people who work here enough. They do great things with the kids that I could never imagine doing, definitely easing that mum guilt a little bit!

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Review from R A (Mother of Child) published on 5 June 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We have been thrilled and delighted in equal measure by our experience in the Squirrels room at Acorn Nursery. Our daughter is given the most enriching of activities to take part in and is stimulated, stretched and, most importantly, cherished by the staff. The Squirrels leader and her team go above
and beyond to make each day for the children creative and memorable. We hugely appreciated the personalised feedback and the regular photo updates. It is no wonder that we have seen such a rise in our daughter's confidence and fascination with the outdoors since she started coming here. Thank you to all of you!

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Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.966)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.966) out of 10 for Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) 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 22 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 22 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 4.966 for Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) is calculated as follows: ( (255 Excellents x 5) + (9 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 264 Ratings = 4.966

  • 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 (Sharnbrook) is based on 22 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 62 number of registered child places is 12.4, which has been reached with 22 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.

Child Vacancies

Please Contact Us for Latest Vacancies

Awards / Recognitions (11)

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Meet the Team (2)

Aimee

Aimee

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2007

Aimee is a dedicated and experienced professional who takes great joy from overseeing the development of all the children within the nursery and most importantly seeing the smiles on their faces each day. She, along with Deputy Manager Julie Dix, take great pride in the nursery and the team who make it all happen.


Aimee is also Sharnbrook'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 on 01234 608899 and ask to speak to Aimee directly - alternatively, the setting can provide a direct email address for her.


Julie

Julie

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Joined: 2001

Julie - Deputy Manager


Frequently Asked Questions about Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook)

What is the Age Range of Children that Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) accepts?

Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) accepts Children aged from 0 years 4 months to 4 years 11 months.

What Days & Hours is Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) Open?

Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) is open: Monday 07:15-18:15, Tuesday 07:15-18:15, Wednesday 07:15-18:15, Thursday 07:15-18:15, Friday 07:15-18:15.

How many Children does Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) have capacity for?

Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) has capacity for a total of 62 Children.

How far is Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) to the centre of Bedford?

7.7 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) has a Platinum Service – more info.