Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford)

St Giles Mews, Vicarage Road, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK11 1BN
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9.9 80 Reviews
  • Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford), Milton Keynes
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 (80)

Total of 80, showing 21-40
9.9

Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.892) out of 10, based on 14 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) has 80 reviews.

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  • 73
  • 6
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Review from Helene F (Mother of Child) published on 25 October 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff are wonderful, well spoken, caring, well trained and so understanding.
Good transparency with reports and discussions with staff. Great adaptability for food requirements and reusable nappies. It's a very safe, fun and educational place to leave your child to grow.

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Review from Claire P (Mother of Child) published on 25 October 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both of my children attend Acorn nursery in Stony Stratford and they really love it, it's never a trouble to get them out of the house when it's a nursery day. Days are full of fun activities and lots of fresh air. As a mum, I go to work content in the knowledge they are well looked after by the friendly
and caring staff and learning and exploring lots of new things. I always recommend to any expectant parents!

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Review from Emma C (Mother of Child) published on 21 July 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5

During the 8 months I persevered with Acorn the staff turnover and wider concerns about my daughter’s care were relentless. These concerns were exacerbated by the number of accident reports she had which simply didn’t happen at home. I did some research as a result and discovered that they’d had to
report an incident to Ofsted in 2020. In the end the worry about my daughter’s wellbeing at Acorn was too much and I removed her from the nursery in Nov 2021. All I wanted was peace of mind that my child’s needs were being addressed in a safe environment with a happy staff working culture who my daughter could get to know and bond with over time – this isn’t what Acorn delivered and I couldn’t in good faith recommend them based on such a poor experience.

Reply from Kate Ayres, Manager at Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford)

It’s very disappointing that you feel the need to write such a negative review, when you were offered the opportunity to escalate your concern last year, and you chose not to do so. We obviously can’t discuss confidential issues in a public forum, and are concerned that you’re basing part of your review on hearsay. We would still be happy to discuss your concerns with you in person or by phone, if you would like to contact us. We are very confident that we have a very safe and happy nursery and we would like to understand the reason for you feeling the need to send in a review eight months after leaving.


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Review from Fran P (Grandmother of Child) published on 28 April 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My grandson has attended since he was 1 year old. The nursery has provided excellent care and a wide variety of experiences at the nursery and locally around the town. I really like the fact that the nursery encourages a love of the outdoors and an eco-friendly ethos.

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Review from Kerry K (Mother of Child) published on 28 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter started at Acorns in August of last year, her first exposure to child care of any kind - and coming from a very isolated home environment due to the covid pandemic. The nursery staff were wonderfully kind in their care and patience towards settling both our daughter… and ourselves! We knew
instantly we’d found the right nursery fit for our family. Our daughter bonded with her key worker almost instantly, who always made every effort to go above and beyond for her. The same can be said for every staff member on the team - Acorns is an incredibly homely environment where the needs and interests of every child matter. Our daughter has since changed age groups, and we have found the same commitment from her new key worker and team. We are very impressed with the forest garden facility, a firm favourite. The amount of creative messy play with a focus on experience and process learning is spectacular, and local outings a special extra. The lunch menu is also great!

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Review from H C (Mother of Child) published on 16 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Acorn Nursery in Stony Stratford is just fab! Since my daughter started in September, they have met our every need and been incredibly supportive. The whole team are really welcoming and the range of activities they offer every day is ensuring that my daughter loves her time at the setting and is developing
well. The app tells me what is happening whilst my daughter is there so even at work I can check-in and see how she is getting on. The regular photos and observations are lovely to see and the daily feedback shows that the practitioners there really care about my daughter and know her well. She loves the meals and the fact that everything is included in the price makes life a lot easier. Communication across the setting is really clear and we are really happy with her provision. I wouldn’t want her to go anywhere else.

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Review from L W (Mother of Child) published on 9 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has thrived at Acorn and they have helped him so much with learning and communication, his key worker is amazing and he seems to really like her. She and everyone else has helped him develop his speech and interaction with others. They really seem to care about his well-being and anything he
can do at home to help as well. I haven’t had much dealing with management but things are communicated clearly via the app.

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Review from J C (Mother of Child) published on 7 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been attending this nursery for 6 months now and loves every day. The staff were fantastic getting her settled in and always take great care of her. She’s kept busy with lots of fun activities and spends lots of time in the garden which she loves. Am very pleased to have her at this
nursery and would recommend anyone looking for a fun and nurturing childcare setting!

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Review from A N (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both of my daughters have absolutely loved their time at Acorn Stony. We have never had any 'I don't want to go to nursery' mornings and I think the lovely staff, setting, and activities are to thank for this. There is always a warm welcome and informative pass over. I also love receiving the in-depth
observations on the app, they really confirm how happy, confident, and comfortable the children are.

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Review from Sabre J (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have 2 children attending Acorn (4 and 1) and both children are very happy at nursery. My eldest has been well supported with growing independence, there is plenty of outside space for him to run around and play and get lots of fresh air. My youngest has been going for 4 months and has settled in
really well. The staff are attentive to his needs and communicate well about how he is doing. The meals and snacks provided are healthy and varied, the activities are child-led and based on what they are showing an interest in. The older children take part in forest school and go for outings in the local community. The nursery uses an app to keep you up to date with what the children are eating/naps and post pictures of activities and assessments. Overall we are extremely happy with Acorn and would highly recommend them.

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Review from Cecile L (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son is going to Acorn full-time since 1 year and a half. He is getting more confident every day thanks to the extremely professional staff. Acorn is like an extension of our family to us! We are so grateful.

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Review from E H (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter loves going to nursery and we are so pleased we found Acorn in Stony Stratford. The staff are so kind and go above and beyond. The children have a lovely setting to play and learn in - both inside and outside. There always seems to be lots of fantastic activities on the go and the staff
are great at nurturing each child based on their personal needs and interests.

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Review from J P (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little one has been attending Acorn for 2.5 years and we have already reserved a place for our baby. The staff are fantastic and have a great bond with our son. The setting is beautiful, full of natural materials. I also love the time that is spent with the local community.

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Review from Chloe M (Mother of Child) published on 4 March 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We were recommended Acorn in Stony by a few people and from the first visit instantly knew it was the place for our son. He took a little while to settle in (mainly due to spending most of his life in lockdown) but the staff were so accommodating and gave him all the support and affection he needed.
His confidence has grown so much and he is so excited at drop-off and doesn’t want to come home! The regular updates on the app are great and I especially appreciate the detailed observations. There are so many things to do there, many activities set up daily, ample opportunity for messy play and so much time spent outdoors. The nursery manager has been particularly helpful and accommodating when there was a period of time I needed my son in a few extra days at short notice, I really appreciated this. I am really happy and look forward to my seeing my son continue to thrive at Acorn, thank you.

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Review from N A (Father of Child) published on 1 February 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I wanted to take the time to write a quick review on Acorn Nursery. We have both our sons registered at the nursery one of them has already started and we couldn’t be happier with how they treat our son each day that he goes there. The entire staff are so welcoming, warm, and engaging with my boy and
as well as parents. Thanks to a member of staff in particular, she went out of her way to help him settle into the nursery. The constant updates you get via the app also enable us to be part of their day. Massive thanks to the Acorn manager.

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Review from Rhian P (Mother of Child) published on 19 January 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has been attending Acorn since May last year and practically runs to our front door and to the car when he knows it's nursery time! He gets a fantastic range of play opportunities to support his development, meals that make me wish they'd save me a portion and spends time with fantastic staff
who clearly love their jobs. From my perspective, I feel at ease knowing he is in fantastic hands and is going to have a super day each time I drop him off and head to work. I'm always so grateful for the updates, both daily ones and sporadic picture/written development ones so I can see what he has been up to. It's a lovely setting that encourages independence, outdoor activities, imaginative play, and all-round development.

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Review from Samantha S (Mother of Child) published on 19 January 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Amazing nursery that both my children have been using since it opened. They have been amazing support for myself alongside excellent care and support for my children. They have also supported my child with the flow of speech therapy from her 1-1 sessions and continued the work within nursery. Amazing
flexibility and grateful my children have and are in an amazing setting.

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Review from Yvonne R (Mother of Child) published on 19 January 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has just started Nursery at Acorn Stony Stratford and I have to say that we have been very pleased with them, the team at Acorn helped my 6-month-old daughter settle into the nursery very quickly! She did struggle the first 3 days but since then she has really settled in and comes home very
happy! The carers are attentive, responsive, and caring and they are always willing to improve and make things better for the children they care for.

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Review from Asha A (Mother of Child) published on 27 September 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Very nice environment, friendly and professional practitioners and develop children in the right way. My child loves the stuff and has made good friends. My child has been supported in each of her development stages.

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Review from Kelly M (Mother of Child) published on 10 September 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The nursery has a great learning setting. Loads of activities and a nice indoor and outdoor area. I'm happy leaving my daughter here as she is happy and has a close group of friends. The staff communicate well after each session with details of her day. The app they use is very useful.

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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.892)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.892) 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 14 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 14 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 4.892 for Acorn Day Nursery (Stony Stratford) is calculated as follows: ( (151 Excellents x 5) + (14 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 167 Ratings = 4.892

  • 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 14 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 14 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

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Awards / Recognitions (11)

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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.


Julie

Julie

Job Title: Senior Administrator

Joined: 2016

Julie - Senior Administrator


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.