Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford)

St Giles Mews, Vicarage Road, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11 1BN
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9.9 92 Reviews
Situated on the site of Elizabeth House, in Vicarage Road, Stony Stratford. This nursery provides high quality, affordable childcare and early years education for the local community, in a building which has been completely refurbished and extended, with two spacious play areas indoors, with direct access to three outdoor play areas.

Acorn places a strong emphasis on outdoor play and learning, and the children will have the opportunity to be outdoors at some point every day, whatever the weather. Included in their fees are regular Forest School sessions; these exciting educational experiences are suitable for pre-schoolers and are delivered by fully trained forest school leaders and offer an innovative approach to outdoor play.

All the nursery meals are freshly prepared and delivered each day by Acorn Catering, which operates from the hub kitchen at their Shenley Church End nursery. They use local ethically sourced produce to create delicious meals and all menus have been designed to be nutritionally balanced ensuring they offer a variety of foods.

A home visit from the manager and your child’s key person is offered to all new families as they believe children benefit from meeting their key person in a familiar environment, before attending the nursery for settling-in sessions. Children are encouraged to form close bonds using their key person system to ensure learning and development are encouraged on an individual basis.
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Care Provided by Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford)

  • 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
  • Georgia Willshire (Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 18
  • Registered Charity Number
  • 1145108
  • Total Places for Children
  • 40
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 4 months
    • to 4 years 11 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:30-18:15
    Tuesday 07:30-18:15
    Wednesday 07:30-18:15
    Thursday 07:30-18:15
    Friday 07:30-18:15
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays, Staff Training Days & between Christmas & New Year

Funding & Fees Guide for Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford)

  • Full time place starting from £1,560
    Full day from £81.50
    Morning session from £45.50
    Afternoon session from £41

  • Fees are inclusive of all meals, snacks, drinks (including approved formula milk), nappies and activities.
    We do not charge registration fees, but only a £50 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 which 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 a small car park for children to be dropped off/picked up.


Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) Reviews (92)

Total of 92, showing 1-20
9.9

Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.901) out of 10, based on 27 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) has 92 reviews.

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Review from Grace A (Mother of Child) published on 14 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We all love Acorn @ Stony Stratford! My eldest was in and now my 2 year old has had a place since she was 9 months old! Both my kids love the nursery and all the staff! As a parent we get great communication from the staff and lots of lovely updates and pictures! I couldn't recommend it enough!

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Review from Z M (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has attended the nursery for two years now and has loved it from the start. The activities are vast and her days are always different. The staff are so welcoming and lovely. Friendships have blossomed, my daughter's confidence has grown and she's thriving. I couldn't recommend Acorn more.
The communication both via the App and at pickup, can't be faulted.

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Review from Stacey T (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent nursery dedication to natural learning. Great outdoor facility with amazing practitioners. I have two children using the nursery and they both love to stay for the day. Never feel worried to leave my children for the day.

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Review from Courtney W (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My sons been coming to Acorn Nursery since September 24, I cannot recommend it enough. The staff are so lovely, caring. The communication through the nursery is really good, I never have to worry. My son absolutely loves going to nursery , he learns so much and always has so much fun!

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Review from David F (Father of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child has attended this nursery for a couple of days a week for about a year now - I have found the environment to be great - plenty for the children to do on both the baby room and the bigger room, lots of space for them to do their own thing but also the opportunities to get involved in activities
together.
The staff have always been great, I get a lot of feedback from various staff members when so see them and they're always enthusiastic about what they do. The in-app reports for the group and the individual are wonderful to have.
Food-wise the menu is excellent - a decent variety of meals cooked in-house (the vast majority seem to be received very well by our child) and they sometimes get the opportunity to make their own dishes (I.e banana muffins recently) that are then cooked by the staff.
If the rest of the Acorn group nurseries are anything like the one in Stony Stratford then I have no doubt they will be a wonderful place for your child to spend time.
Thanks to all!

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Review from Brittani B (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

All of the staff at Acorn Stony Stratford go above and beyond to care for our children. My child has been so happy since starting here and the love and care they have for each and every person in the nursery is plain to see. Could not recommend them enough!

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Review from A C (Father of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Great nursery with fantastic staff. Our child is always full of excitement when we mention going to nursery or his key workers name. Daily activities and food offered is great. Generally don't have a bad thing to say.

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Review from Poppy W (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff are so friendly & trustworthy, The level of care my children receive is phenomenal.
One of my eldest is autistic and he gets so much care and support from everyone within the nursery. The level of patience they give him is amazing. The staff do everything they can to make sure he is happy
and comfortable every single day and I couldn't ask for anything more. They are great.
Since starting at Acorn my children have come on leaps and bounds.
The handovers on pick up are brilliant, they let you know what your child has been up to in the day, new skills they have achieved and new connections they have made.
My children absolutely love it at Acorn and they are thriving.

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Review from B S (Father of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Acorn Nursery at Stony Stratford has been absolutely brilliant from every aspect in my experience. The site has excellent facilities and all of the staff are very caring and committed. I would highly recommended Acorn to anyone!

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Review from C B (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been attending Acorn Day Nursery since Sept 2024. From the very first day the staff have been warm, friendly and welcoming. They have hugely supported my son in his speech and socialisation. I absolutely love that they will be outside most of the time, take little trips in the local area
and are encouraged to use their imagination. I love the little updates of photos and information that gets posted to the app. It is always great to see my son is well cared for and clearly very happy at nursery.

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Review from Kay S (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

A fantastic nursery with attentive staff who genuinely care about my child's needs, personality, and development. Management and staff are responsive to any concerns or issues. I've found that they effectively manage illnesses across all age groups and keep us informed, without being too risk adverse
as long as it doesn't compromise safety.
The focus on outdoor play and quality food were key factors in our choice of nursery, and the secure facilities are great for this. While I'd love more frequent updates on my child's weekly activities, the occasional observation notes are appreciated and sent by the Acorn's team. Overall, we're very happy with our choice - it's a warm, supportive environment where our child thrives and develops independence in play/ a love for outdoors and seems to prefer nursery food to mine (I try not to take offence!!)

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Review from Dylan T (Father of Child) published on 2 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Excellent experience at Acorn Nursery Stony Stratford. Staff are all amazing and it is so incredible to see how my son is growing in confidence at Acorn nursery. His development has truly been amazing to watch.

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Review from Helene F (Mother of Child) published on 2 April 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely place to raise children. Lovely well-spoken staff, good food and great activities. Love the chicken and outdoor. My son is always happy to come to Acorn. He learns so many things and the staff really try to accommodate with his double nationality.

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Review from Cassie C (Mother of Child) published on 25 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My Child has been at the Nursery for the past 3 months and the experience my child and I have had has been exceptional. The lengths the staff go to, to ensure as smooth and easy transition for both child and parent is commendable. The staff are warm, approachable and trustworthy. They provide insights
at pick up as to what my child has gotten up to during the day, new connections they've made and any good/ challenging behaviours to be aware of.
On most days, I drop my child off and they run straight to their favourite staff member, friend or the breakfast table. (Not a backward glance to say good bye to Mum!) And on days when my child is needing extra support, the staff welcome them with open arms and message me as soon as they are settled and playing. This thoughtful act really puts your mind at ease.

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Review from Clare H (Mother of Child) published on 25 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We adore Acorns! The staff are amazing, friendly and supportive to the children. They take a genuine interest in their current interests and help them explore further by creating fun activities. They even send home 'learning bags' with ingredients and instructions for making playdough or banana bread.
our daughter has a blast here and has made some lovely friends, both with the children and practitioners. She happily shares her day with us and even tells us everyone's roles- like when we had a spider in the house and she promptly informed me to give one of the ladies a call because she knows what to do!

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Review from Jenna H (Mother of Child) published on 21 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Absolutely fantastic nursery. Have sent both boys to Acorn and am always so impressed with the genuinely caring staff, the amazing facilities and the creativity of the activities they provide. Well done Acorn!

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Review from L L (Father of Child) published on 21 November 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Since my daughter started at the nursery, we were made to feel really welcomed. The environments in her room look engaging and fun and she happily seems to explore everyday! Her development thrives and the nursery really does support in that. It feels very homely and cosy and you can tell the staff
know the children in and out. My daughter has certainly made some close bonds.

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Review from H M (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We love Acorns - my son is incredibly happy in the nursery setting. His development has come on leaps and bounds and his wellbeing is of the utmost importance to the nursery staff. His key worker is amazing (shout out to her) and the girls in the baby room are all fantastic. He always has a smile on
his face going in and coming home and that’s what you want as a parent. I love the activities they do with the children, especially the excursions and how inclusive and welcoming the ethos is with the parents' days. It’s a real community feel.

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Review from Eva L (Mother of Child) published on 22 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been attending Acorn Day Nursery in Stony Stratford since October 2023, having just moved to the UK from Germany. The team has been absolutely phenomenal at making her feel welcome and at ease. The fact that the children can move around and choose freely in which space they want to spend
their time, and which activities they want to engage in, suits our daughter very well. Staff is extremely helpful and attentive. Acorn uses an app to record daily engagement and activities and to share updates which is a great way for us parents and caters to feel involved.

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Review from K W (Mother of Child) published on 28 February 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Stony Acorns is a lovely nursery with lots of outside space and I don't know how they do it but it's always so clean and tidy even with children playing. They have lovely toys and books along with chickens. They provide great days out and events involving parents/carers.

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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.901)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.901) out of 10 for Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) 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 4.901 for Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) is calculated as follows: ( (293 Excellents x 5) + (28 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 323 Ratings = 4.901

  • 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 (Stony Stratford) 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 40 number of registered child places is 8, 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.

Child Vacancies

Please Contact Us for Latest Vacancies

Awards / Recognitions (11)

Top 20 Nursery Group 2024

Recipient: Acorn Early Years

Date: Monday 15 Apr 2024 More details

Top 20 Nursery Group 2024

Recipient: Acorn Early Years

Date: Monday 15 Apr 2024 More details

Top 20 Large Nursery Groups 2024

Recipient: Acorn Early Years

Date: Thursday 28 Mar 2024 More details

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Meet the Team (2)

Georgia

Georgia Willshire

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2018

Georgia - Manager
Georgia joined Acorn in 2011 and has worked across 2 Acorn sites progressing from a senior practitioner to a nursery manager. Georgia is very passionate when creating rich and inviting environments which capture children’s interests and support their individual learning and development. Georgia helps support all staff to provide the children with the best possible start, building stable foundations to watch the children learn, achieve and grow as individuals. Outside of work Georgia has 3 young children who have also attended Acorn nurseries.

Georgia is also Stony'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 Georgia directly - alternatively, the setting can provide a direct email address for her.

If you have any questions, or would like to book a visit please contact us.

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Julie

Julie

Job Title: Senior Administrator

Joined: 2016

Julie - Senior Administrator

Frequently Asked Questions about Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford)

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

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

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

Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) is open: Monday 07:30-18:15, Tuesday 07:30-18:15, Wednesday 07:30-18:15, Thursday 07:30-18:15, Friday 07:30-18:15.

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

Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) has capacity for a total of 40 Children.

How far is Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) to the centre of Milton Keynes?

4.7 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 (Stony Stratford) to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) has a Platinum Service – more info.