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Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Wesley House, 17 South Street, Castlethorpe, Milton Keynes MK19 7EL
Acorn Early Years Logo
Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe) logo
She feels happy, safe and comfortable and always enjoys a huge range of activitiesJessica P(Mother of Child)
Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe), Milton Keynes
Acorn in Castlethorpe feel like my extended family and I trust them completelyZoe S(Mother of Child)
Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe), Milton Keynes
Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe), Milton Keynes

Acorn Day Nursery in Castlethorpe is a lovely converted chapel situated in a quiet village a few miles north of Milton Keynes. The former chapel has been completely refurbished to create a homely but stimulating environment with an excellent range of high quality equipment and facilities. Castlethorpe is a 36 place day nursery for children aged between 4 months and 4 years.

Acorn places a strong emphasis on outdoor learning...  

Funding & Fees

Full time place from £1,690
Full day from £88.50
Morning session from £49.50

Afternoon session from £45.50

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.

Contact Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe) to get a personalised quote:

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery

Opening Schedule

Open all year

Full days available

Yes

Half day sessions offered

Yes

Group/Owner

Person in charge

  • Jo Davies (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 16

Registered Charity Number

  • 1145108

Total Places for Children

  • 36

Age Range

  • from 0 years 6 months
  • to 4 years 11 months

Meals Provided

No

Consumables provided

No

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

Parking

  • There are some parking bays available outside the nursery for drop off/pick up and parking is also available on the street.

Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe) Reviews (63)

9.7

Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe) has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.654) out of 10, based on 12 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe) has 63 reviews.

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Showing 63 reviews matching selected criteria
Review from Samantha B (Mother of Child) published on 30 January 2020 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

All the team are great! They demonstrate that they really care about what they do! The regular updates on the app are brilliant, from knowing what your little one has eaten to their skill progression, it’s really helpful!

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Review from Amy P (Mother of Child) published on 30 January 2020 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My 2 sons have both recently started at Acorn and are loving the freedom they have to express themselves. I have seen such a change in my 3yo, he is happy, making friends and enjoying exploring the great outdoors. The number of activities that staff carry out with children far outstrips any other childcare environment I have seen with frequent trips out, yoga and water play. I am so happy we choose Acorn and I would greatly recommend it to others looking for a wholesome environment for their children.

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Review from Tony B (Father of Child) published on 30 January 2020 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My daughter loves her time at nursery! The staff are great with her and she really looks forward to going.

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Review from Emma P (Mother of Child) published on 30 January 2020 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My daughter has been attending Acorn for just over a term. We are very happy with the care she has received and enjoy receiving verbal and app-based updates on her progress each day. She has become more confident since starting at Acorn and she is learning lots. I highly recommend this nursery.

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Review from Lauren (Mother of Child) published on 30 January 2020 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
Our daughter started at Acorn Castlethorpe in September last year and adores her time there. She is currently in the under 2s but is moving to the next phase in Feb. Staff have been amazing, our little one has grown up so much in the last few months. For a small nursery, they do so much in the way of activities and activities inclusive of parents.

Their admin lady is always on hand to clear up any payment or day organisation queries. Very happy with everything!

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Review from Tanya M (Mother of Child) published on 21 August 2019 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

I can't rate this nursery high enough! Acorn nursery and the staff there are truly wonderful! My daughter is absolutely thriving and is excited to attend every day, especially to see her favourite staff members! The staff are so friendly, they all truly care and are dedicated to ensuring all the children have a lovely day, every day. I'm excited to watch my daughter grow within Acorn and wouldn't have her go anywhere else! Thank you to all at Castlethorpe Acorn!

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Review from Corrina W (Mother of Child) published on 12 April 2019 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
My daughter has had a fantastic start to her time at nursery. All of the staff have been so welcoming and have really helped my daughter to settle well. She loves going in and has come home beaming, ready to tell us about everything she's been up to.

I also love the app the nursery uses to keep us up to date. As parents, we've never left our daughter with anyone but family. The app keeps us informed about our daughter's day, even down to what she's eaten. This is all really useful information and helps to build further discussion about our daughter's day when she's home too. Thank you to all of the staff!

Reply from Laura Wilson, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you for these very kind words, it means a lot to all of us!

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Review from Emily F (Father of Child) published on 6 March 2019 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

Acorn have provided both our children with a caring, fun, and safe environment. They were always extremely accommodating of our son's complex dietary needs due to allergies and intolerance. Our daughter has settled well during her first six months and we've seen her develop and grow under the expert care of the team.

Reply from Kirby Green, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you very much for your kind words. It has always been our pleasure to have the children at our nursery.

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Review from Jane A (Mother of Child) published on 30 January 2019 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My daughter started at Acorns Castlethorpe in 2016 at 6 months old. The nursery has done an excellent job in helping my daughter grow into a happy and healthy 3-year-old. A lot of thought, care and effort are put into all aspects of nursery life. Meals are homemade, nutritious and varied - perfect for hungry toddlers and are eaten in a homely environment. There are always plenty of new and interesting activities going on for children in each age group, with plenty of time spent outside learning about nature and inside with activities like Zumba and basic baking. The communication from the nursery is excellent, combining the family app, "parents evenings", stay and play events and daily discussions on drop off and pick up. One thing about toddlers (or at least my daughter) is that they say exactly what they think and my daughter says she loves this nursery. This is down to all the fantastic, caring, hardworking staff, can't thank you enough for looking after our daughter so well.

Reply from Kirby Green, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you so much for your kind words, they are appreciated by all the staff.

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Review from D B (Mother of Child) published on 28 January 2019 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience
My sons are really happy at Nursery. They love the wide arrange of activities staff provide and enjoy making the most of the outdoor space. Meals are excellent and communication with parents is impressive. Oaks have a fantastic time at Forest Schools in a real forest.

I can go to work feeling confident my children are in a safe and happy environment that is giving them the best start in life.

Reply from Kirby Green, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you for your review.

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Review from Trish A (Mother of Child) published on 23 January 2019 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
Our daughter started at nursery aged 10 months in April 2018.
We had visited a number of local nurseries and (as well as being convenient for us) we really liked the feel of this one. The size of the nursery is great in our opinion, small enough that staff and parents know each other and large enough that there are lots of activities going on to help with our daughter's growth and development.
There is a great focus on making sure the children spend time outside each day unless the weather is really terrible, which is great to see. There's also been a big focus on stay and play sessions, which has been a good way of meeting other parents and getting to see for yourself what your kids get up to all day.

There's no way my little one would have had anywhere near the stimulation she gets at nursery if she were just at home with me and she has been known to get her nursery bag and her coat and stand by the front door on weekends too. Definitely a glowing recommendation.

Reply from Kirby Green, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you for your review and kind words.

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Review from Matthew R (Father of Child) published on 23 January 2019 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
My daughter has been attending Acorns for a few months now. She's extremely happy there and always looks forward to nursery days.

The staff are very attentive and seem to have a genuine relationship and affection with my daughter.

The use of the Famly app is fantastic and we get daily updates as to what our child has been doing with the day and they're always up to something fun and interactive. My daughter is always coming home with new words, sentences and song-alongs so is clearly developing well.

Also, the food on offer is healthy, nutritious and looks and smells lovely!

We will definitely be staying with Acorns through to school years.

Reply from Kirby Green, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you for your review.

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Review from Zoe S (Mother of Child) published on 23 January 2019 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

When we moved to the area, I was apprehensive about moving my son from his previous nursery to Acorn in Castlethorpe but he settled so quickly and the staff truly made me feel at ease with my choice. When the time came for my youngest to start nursery, I was quite excited for her because I knew just what a fantastic learning and nurturing environment she would be in. I can honestly say that the staff at Acorn in Castlethorpe feel like my extended family and I trust them completely.

Reply from Kirby Green, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you for your lovely comments and review.

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Review from Sophie (Mother of Child) published on 26 April 2018 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

The nursery has a good balance of creating a homely and nurturing environment for children while giving them access and encouragement to develop their skills. They are very friendly and welcoming with enthusiastic and caring members of staff. The feedback provided on pick up is very detailed and clear.

It has very convenient, long opening hours and is accommodating to additional sessions. The use of the communication portal allows quick and easy transfer of information. Giving parent reassurance about their child throughout the day and any progression they have made/demonstrated while in nursery.

Reply from Laura Wilson, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you for your kind words, it means a lot!

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Review from J S (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2018 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My son joined Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe) for his last year before school. He’s loved it from the minute he started and has been begging me to let him stay for longer!

The staff are warm and affectionate, they quickly got to know him and have figure out his personality, strengths and areas to work on with him. My son talks about his keyworker at home and is keen to tell her all about the things he does outside of nursery.

The staff have a good understating of his development and next steps, they join in with play and support development in a very natural way.

The setting is quite small but this has never seemed to be an issue with forest school, yoga, Zumba and a good mixture of structured and unstructured activities throughout the day which stops the kids ‘getting on top of each other’ which was something I worried about when I first went to view it.

I can’t recommend the team at Acorns enough, I only wish I’d moved him there sooner!

Reply from Laura Wilson, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you for your kind words.

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Review from James E (Father of Child) published on 18 April 2018 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Very friendly nursery who stretch children to ensure they reach their full potential. Long opening hours and flexibility around additional sessions make the already competitive fees much better value. Range of staff ages help children to interact and relate more readily with life outside nursery. Excellent online management portal providing one-stop messaging, invoicing and updating facility.

Reply from Laura Wilson, at Acorn Day Nursery (Castlethorpe)

Thank you very much for your kind words.

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Review from L S (Mother of Child) published on 16 October 2017 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Acorn at Castlethorpe is a small, homely nursery with a warm and welcoming environment. Our daughters have settled in remarkably quickly thanks to the caring and kind staff. I have no doubts that the health and happiness of the children in their care is of the utmost importance to them and they are always on hand to offer cuddles and comfort to the nursery children.

The feedback is excellent from staff. They make a point at collection of going through the day's activities, how the children have eaten, slept and enjoyed the day. The Famly app has been a useful way of keeping in touch and we love receiving updates of how they are getting on.

As always when choosing a nursery it is down to the unquantifiable "feel" you get from a place and your gut instinct, with Acorn we are thrilled with the caring and family atmosphere that all the staff have worked hard to nurture.

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Review from Vicky C (Mother of Child) published on 4 September 2017 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Hi everyone, thank you so much for settling my son in today. It was a really emotional one for me, and when I got home at 6 pm my hubby couldn't quite believe how amazing you all were and how happy our son was (and how much he had eaten!). Thank you for making a tough first day back at work a lot easier and for being so kind to my son.

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Review from Michelle (Mother of Child) published on 19 June 2017 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Finding the right childcare for your child is a big decision for all parents, however, I know just three months after my daughter started at Acorns, Castlethorpe, it was the perfect decision for us and her. She settled in very quickly and this can only be attributed to the support she receives from the staff. All of the staff show such a genuine level of care for the children and approach every day with unlimited energy and enthusiasm. In such a short space of time, she has grown in independence as well as making strides in her development. Daily communication with her key worker and updates or observations sent to our phones mean we feel like we aren't missing out on a single thing. For me though, the best sign as to whether we made that right decision is how happy she is to go to nursery in a morning - the smile tells me everything!

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Review from Lindsey T (Mother of Child) published on 22 May 2017 Submitted via Postal Card
Overall Experience

My daughter loves Acorn Nursery it's just like home from home. There have been quite a few staff changes recently which I was worried about as all were close to my daughter. However, the staff dealt with it amazingly and my daughter has not been affected at all and has got to know the new members of staff really well. I love the family app on my phone as it's great to see the things they get up to and also a quick way to contact the nursery.

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Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (13)

  • Recipient: Acorn Early YearsDate: Tuesday 31 Mar 2026
  • Recipient: Acorn Early YearsDate: Monday 31 Mar 2025
  • Recipient: Acorn Early YearsDate: Monday 15 Apr 2024

Meet the Team (3)

Jo Davies Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2025
Jo Davies

Jo has over 25 years’ experience in childcare and early years education, as well as being a proud mum of four. She’s passionate about creating a nurturing, engaging environment where children feel safe, confident, and inspired to learn. Jo sees leading the nursery as a real privilege and is committed to working closely with families and her team to give every child the best possible start. Outside of work, she enjoys family time and keeping up with her children’s busy lives.

Gemma Brewer Job Title: Deputy Manager Joined: 2009
Gemma Brewer

Gemma first joined Acorn, doing work experience as a Tea Time Assistant and then went on to gain her Level 2 and 3 NVQ in Early Years Learning and Development. Since then, Gemma has gained her Level 5 in Leadership & Management

Gemma enjoys being able to watch all the children grow and develop through the nursery and working alongside a great team.

Linda Crawford Job Title: Administrator Joined: 2016
Linda Crawford

When Linda left school, she gained her NNEB qualification in Childcare. and since then has spent half her life working with children and the other half in business.

For Linda Acorn, it really is the best of both worlds as

Linda loves the opportunity to spend time with the children, watching them develop and grow as well as well as using the business skills she has gained by working for large corporate organisations, as well as running her own consultancy business.

Linda also ran a catering company and has a level 3 Safer Food qualification. Linda is passionate about healthy food and nutrition. You may see her sometimes in the kitchen, covering when our chef is away.

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