Little Acorns Childcare

Beacon Church, Oakes Road, Bury St Edmunds IP32 6PX
Review Us
9.7 28 Reviews
  • Little Acorns Childcare, Bury St Edmunds
Most parents who use Little Acorns Childcare will say they are more like a family, which sets them apart from bigger nurseries in the area.

They are based within a vibrant multicultural Christian Pentecostal Church, however they are fully inclusive and enjoy celebrating all cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities, which means they welcome every child irrespective of religion, background, language and ability.

The long-standing team of highly qualified and motivated staff work tirelessly to promote the wellbeing and development of every child in their care, based on individual needs and interests.

Their holistic approach means they support the child and their family by whatever means needed, including their well-used baby bank.

The nursery received the amazing rating of 'Outstanding' from Ofsted in August 2021 and this was given with extremely high praise, with no future recommendations identified by the inspector. The manager and her dedicated team were thrilled that they were able to celebrate just how amazing the nursery is and the acknowledgement from Ofsted was reassuring.

The staff are highly motivated and have a genuine passion for supporting all children to achieve the best outcomes during their early years and this is reflected in the working relationships formed between staff and families.

So, if you are looking for a setting which has a real sense of family, is nurturing and child-led, with an outstanding reputation, Little Acorns is the place to be. Spaces are very limited so get booked in quick to avoid disappointment. The team would love to show you round, so get in touch today!

Type of Service

  • Nursery School
  • Open term time
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Owner

  • Little Acorns Childcare Bury St Edmunds Ltd
  • Privately Owned

Person in Charge

  • Jo Bailey (Nursery Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 9

Total Places for Children

  • 28

Age Range

  • from 0 years 9 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • £24:00 per 3 hour session / £4 per lunch club / £8 per breakfast club / £8 per late pick up offer- option 1- £4:00- 3:30 and Option 2 £8:00- 4:00- Funding covers the cost of the sessions.

  • Fees are paid monthly in advance. A £5:00 per 3 hour session voluntary activity charge is in place for every child

Opening Times

  • Monday 08:30-16:00
    Tuesday 08:30-16:00
    Wednesday 08:30-16:00
    Thursday 08:30-16:00
    Friday 08:30-16:00

When Closed

  • School Holidays, Bank Holidays & Training Days

Parking

  • Ample off road parking available

9.7

Little Acorns Childcare has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.705) out of 10, based on 10 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Little Acorns Childcare has 28 reviews.

Overall Experience
  • 27
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  • 1
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Date Published
  • 28
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  • 10
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Reviewer Connection to Little Acorns Childcare
  • 26
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Total of 28, showing 21-28
Review from R S (Mother of Child) published on 7 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Right from the first day we felt at home at Little Acorns Childcare. My little one runs in without so much as a goodbye. I love seeing photos and videos on the app. The staff are all friendly and helpful. My son has additional needs and they have made so much effort with him from the second we started.
Highly recommend.
Reply from Katrina Rose, Administrator at Little Acorns Childcare
Thank you for such kind words. We are incredibly proud that we have been able to play such a big part in your little man's early years. He is an absolute star!
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Review from Cherish M (Mother of Child) published on 7 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
From 2021 to the present we’ve had nothing but a great experience with Little Acorns Childcare. All the staff are amazing, they genuinely care about every single child and this is reflected by how happy every child is. The nursery goes above and beyond to be child and family centred they even put on
family events for the family at the weekend! I couldn’t recommend the nursery enough to anybody that is looking for a caring and well led nursery that you can be confident in sending your child to. I’m genuinely sad that our time at Little Acorns Childcare is coming to an end.
Reply from Katrina Rose, Administrator at Little Acorns Childcare
Thank you so much for such kind words. We pride ourselves on our sense of family and have loved having you guys with us. Wishing little miss all the very best for her new adventure at big school.
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Review from B P (Mother of Child) published on 6 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Little Acorns Childcare is fantastic, my daughter has always enjoyed attending from day one and loves all of the staff. The variety of activities on offer are great and the communication via the app is just what a parent needs to ensure they are not missing out on their child’s development.
I would
definitely recommend Little Acorns!
Reply from Katrina Rose, Administrator at Little Acorns Childcare
Thank you for such a lovely review. It has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of your daughter's early years. We will all miss her when she goes to big school.
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Review from L D (Mother of Child) published on 6 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
So happy that I chose little Acorns Childcare for my son. The staff are all so lovely and my son has progressed so much since he’s been attending this nursery. He was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum last year and they go above and beyond to make sure that they are giving him the support that he needs
they have always been good at communicating with me and health professionals to ensure that we are all doing to the same thing to benefit my son. I would 100% recommend it.
Reply from Katrina Rose, Administrator at Little Acorns Childcare
Thank you so much for such wonderful comments about our nursery. We strive to offer the best care and education to children and to receive such praise fills us with joy!
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Review from Ocean W (Mother of Child) published on 14 December 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been coming here for a year now and she absolutely loves it. The staff are absolutely amazing and I cannot fault any of them. Amazing group of people and an all round lovely nursery.


Unfortunately, my daughter is now leaving there to go to a more convenient nursery that's ajoined

to the school she will attend in a year and a half's time which I have other children at.
I am pregnant with baby number 4 and I will 100% be letting this beautiful 'family' look after this baby too.


We will miss you so much! Thank you for everything you have done for us both, we cannot be more grateful.
Happy Christmas and we will come see you in the new year to say an official goodbye.

Reply from Katrina Rose, Administrator at Little Acorns Childcare
Thank you so much for such a lovely review. We would like to wish your little girl lots of luck in her new setting and we look forward to welcoming another Little Acorn in the future.
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Review from Stuart S (Father of Child) published on 8 November 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has attended little acorns for two years and then my daughter started recently. It was a struggle for my son to want to go but with the amazing staff and perseverance and support they gave he is now happily settled and my daughter surprised us all by connecting straight away. They both really
love going and have strong connections with all the staff and always come home very happy and occasionally messy from all the activities at their disposal. It’s a very warm and friendly place for your little ones. Highly recommended. Thanks ladies for all your hard work and support 5*
Reply from Katrina Rose, Manager at Little Acorns Childcare
Thank you for such a lovely review of our childcare. The team work incredibly hard to help settle the children and this really showed the day your little one walked in happily waving goodbye, that is…read more
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Review from Jo B (Mother of Child) published on 28 July 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my little girls have attended over the years and absolutely thrived! The bonds they built with the staff were amazing, and all staff really took the time to get to know them and build up their confidence. Both my girls were shy when they started but left confident, independent and thrived on learning
new things! I love the learning through play approach and how although, they are following the interests of the children, they are being taught so much knowledge, language and new skills every single day! I would recommend Little Acorns Childcare to anyone, they really treat all the children and families like they are part of the Little Acorns family.
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Review from Katie P (Mother of Child) published on 28 July 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing nursery. The manager is kind and encouraging and goes over and above for both the children and their parents. It's a really bright colourful setting with lots of brilliant activities. Highly recommend this nursery.
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Current Review Score: 9.7 (9.705)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.7 (9.705) out of 10 for Little Acorns Childcare is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 10 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.9 out of 5 from 9 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:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.805 for Little Acorns Childcare is calculated as follows: ( (108 Excellents x 5) + (1 Goods x 4) + (5 Satisfactorys x 3) + (4 Poors x 2) ) ÷ 118 Ratings = 4.805
  2. 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 4.9 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Little Acorns Childcare is based on 9 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 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 = 3.9
    2. 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 28 number of registered child places is 5.6, which has been reached with 9 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. 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.

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Awards / Recognitions (1)

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Meet the Team (12)

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Joanne (JoJo) Bailey

Job Title: Manager Joined: 2008

Jo is our manager and safeguarding lead. She is highly motivated about providing a setting which is a home-from-home feel, where all staff and children are valued, respected and passionate about learning and teaching.


As a manager, Jo is always reflecting on what is working well and loves to spend time in the room with all the children, as well as get to know all the lovely families.

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Emma Foreman

Job Title: Deputy Manager and SENCO Joined: 2012

Emma started way back when as a lunch assistant and has worked her way up to deputy manager through her hard work and total dedication to children's early years education.


She is our designated SENCO with a wealth of knowledge in supporting children with their individual needs.

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Rachel Kenealy

Job Title: Room Leader and Deputy SENCO and deputy Safeguarding Joined: 2017

Rachel is our preschool room leader and deputy SENCO to Emma. Rachel loves to encourage the children to use their imaginations through a variety of fun activities including den-making and obstacle courses.


Rachel can often be found running around with the children outside and encouraging fun games such as 'What the time Mr Wolf?' and having fun with our colourful parachute.

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Susan Edwards

Job Title: Child Care Practitioner Joined: 2008

Sue has extensive knowledge in supporting children with additional needs.


She has been with us for many years and loves exploring the garden and construction areas with the children. You will often find Sue with a toolbox nearby fixing or constructing something exciting with the children, or planting and observing the wonderful wildlife in our lovely free-flow garden.

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Louise Scopes

Job Title: Child Care Practitioner Joined: 2023

Louise is level 3 qualified helps cover the lunches with the children, and spends the majority of her time with the toddlers.


Louise loves to play in the garden with the children, building sand castles, as well as cuddling up and reading a lovely story.

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Becky Bates

Job Title: Child Care Practitioner Joined: 2023

Becky covers lunches with the children and loves to have lots of fun and be silly. Becky loves to provide lots of activities, for the children to explore and have fun with.

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Dawn Clarke

Job Title: Level 2 Apprentice Joined: 2022

Dawn is currently studying her level 2 apprenticeship in childcare and spends her time between the two age groups.


Dawn's favourite thing to do with the children is to join in with all kinds of messy play, and put on funny voices and read stories together with the children.

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Caitlin Bartram

Job Title: Child Care Practioner Joined: 2025

Caitlin is currently covering maternity leave while completing her Level 3 childcare apprenticeship with us. As a mum of two, she brings warmth, creativity, and hands-on experience to her role. Caitlin loves getting creative with the children, especially through fun and engaging craft activities. She works across both the Squirrels and Hedgehogs rooms, supporting the children’s development with energy and enthusiasm.

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Millie Stone

Job Title: Early Years Educator Joined: 2024

Millie has been part of Little Acorns for a long time, and during that time, we’ve loved watching her confidence grow and shine. She has a natural gift for building strong bonds with the children and creating a warm, fun environment for them.


Whether she’s reading an engaging story or running around outside with endless energy, Millie is always at the heart of the fun. We’re so lucky to have her on our team!

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Catherine Brinkley

Job Title: Early Years Educator Level 3 apprentice Joined: 2025

We’re so excited to welcome Catherine as our new Early Years Educator Apprentice here at Little Acorns! She is currently studying towards her Level 3 qualification and brings with her a big passion for working with children.


Catherine’s soft, approachable, and friendly manner makes her a wonderful addition to our nursery team, and we know the children (and families!) will love getting to know her.

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Nikki Bridges

Job Title: Early Years Educator Joined: 2025

We are so excited to have Nikki back at Little Acorns after a few years away! She brings with her amazing creativity and the most infectious laugh, which always brightens up the nursery. ??


We couldn’t be happier to have her back on the team!

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Megan Foreman

Job Title: Early Years educator Joined: 2025

Megan is such a kind and gentle member of our Little Acorns team. She has experience working with all age groups and currently spends her time between our Bunnies and Hedgehogs rooms. ??


Her calm and caring approach will help the children feel safe, happy, and supported every day. We’re so lucky to have her!

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