Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook)

Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, Bedford MK44 1LQ
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Top 20 award
9.9 66 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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Funding & Fees

Full time place starting from £1,420360
Full day from £74
Morning session from £43
Afternoon session from £39

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 (Sharnbrook) to get a personalised quote.

Contact Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

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

Parking

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

Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) Reviews (66)

9.9

Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.940) out of 10, based on 19 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) has 66 reviews.

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Review from Ted P (Father of Child) published on 21 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter is very settled at Acorn Sharnbrook and always enjoys her time there. There are a great range of activities and the outdoor time and nature-based activities are especially valued. The staff are all kind and attentive and the food menu is healthy and varied. There is great communication
via the app and handovers at pick up. Highly recommend.
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Review from Sarah K (Mother of Child) published on 21 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We feel like Acorn Day Nursery in Sharnbrook is an extension of home for our baby boy. When choosing the nursery it was important to us to feel that the nursery and its staff shared our values. Here we found a safe, loving and happy environment.
We feel our son’s needs are always met and our routines
at home are followed as closely as possible, which meant even as a ‘lockdown baby’ he settled quickly into nursery without any issues. He is cared for by his key worker and all the carers as if a family member. He is genuinely excited to go to nursery. Our son is thriving at Acorn and we feel well supported with his development.
We love the closeness to nature with furniture and toys made from natural materials and the outdoor facilities are unrivalled, in our opinion. A key area for us was the food provided for the children. The seasonal menus offer home-cooked food which our son loves (and always has our mouths watering!).
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Review from Sophie W (Mother of Child) published on 20 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have had two children come through Acorns Day Nursery (Sharnbrook). Child number two is currently in their Oaks Room which is preschool. Having been in the setting since he was 8-months old. The nursery is a fantastic setting and provides the children with the opportunity to be outside in beautiful
surroundings on a daily basis. The activities the staff do and the themed play is so well organised. The app they use is updated regularly so you know what the children are up to throughout the day. I also get great feedback at pick up from his key worker and have done so throughout The menu for food is delicious and varied which is a joy. I cannot recommend Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) enough.
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Review from H J (Mother of Child) published on 20 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has attended Acorn Day Nursery in Sharnbrook since September 2020. The diligence, care and nurture offered by the staff is impressive. From joining as a baby to now moving into Oaks as a 3 year old, my son has had experiences, learning and fun that I could not offer him at home. The staff can't
do enough to support us as parents and are so encouraging with all major milestones. Potty training flowed seamlessly from home to nursery and that was a great comfort to a first-time parent! In short, an outstanding provision.
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Review from Sally R (Mother of Child) published on 19 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My son has been at Acorn Nursery Sharnbrook for eighteen months, first in the baby room and then in the toddler room.
The staff are amazing. They are well trained, responsible and affectionate. They teach the little ones to be happy, confident, kind and polite members of society right from day one.
My
son has complex allergies and leaving him anywhere is a worry, but I am 100% secure when I leave him at nursery every day that he will be safe. The chefs go above and beyond to ensure his food is both safe and nutritious. Generally, the menus are really good and well balanced with a diverse healthy mix of foods.
The ethos of the nursery is fantastic with lots of outdoor time and exploring and learning in all weathers. A distinct lack of plastic junk toys is refreshing as well as pro-active measures to protect the environment from minimal use of animal protein to re-usable nappy sacks.
Importantly they respond to feedback and initiate change where required.
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Review from H R (Mother of Child) published on 19 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The most wonderful team at Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) became part of our family for over three years. Our children have enjoyed the professional, as well as a very personal and caring team in all three rooms. Whenever our kids need it there is always a helping hand, a cuddle and a smile as well
as a listening ear available. Our children and their friends have a fantastic variety of activities throughout the year and as much as possible in their great outdoor play areas. Activities include a fruit and vegetable garden and forest school grounds. The dedication from all the individuals at Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook), as well as the focus on being outside and their delicious, on-site prepared food throughout the day, make this nursery outstanding for us!  


We cannot recommend this nursery highly enough! 5* from us

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Review from Rachel M (Mother of Child) published on 19 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has attended the nursery for the last two years. He loves his time at nursery and highlights include Forest School, cooking, doing yoga and dancing with his friends. The care is superb. The staff care deeply about each child and my son has thrived because of their dedication, enthusiasm and commitment.
He has grown in confidence because of the nurturing environment. He comes home chatting about the adventures of each day or singing the songs he has learnt. The staff are brilliant about following the interests of the children and celebrating their successes. We love getting detailed updates about our son's day through the app as well as being able to chat with his key worker at drop off and pick up.
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Review from Kay H (Mother of Child) published on 19 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My children have been attending Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) for the previous 3-years, my eldest has been in all three rooms and my youngest currently attends the acorn baby room. The nursery has been wonderful to us and our children are happy to go. They love all the activities laid out for them,
these vary each and every day. My eldest loves forestry school, baking and crafts and my youngest is confident in exploring, climbing and showing a keen interest in books. The nursery is a loving and supportive environment. They completed home visits to meet my little ones before they started and set up numerous settling in sessions that I could attend. The nursery app is also updated with daily photos but is also a place I can contact the staff in each room if and when I have wanted to. Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) and its staff are honestly amazing! We couldn't be happier with the nursery and would highly recommend it to all.
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Review from E H (Mother of Child) published on 19 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic setting and environment for our child. Our son started at only 9-months old and we couldn't fault it. During the lockdown period, it was so comforting how they treated our son and us both as new parents. The staff clearly care about the health and progress of our son. They have new activities
daily, woodland adventures, regular updates throughout the day and longer observations about progress. Just fantastic!
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Review from Jasmine S (Mother of Child) published on 16 November 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Acorn Nursery in Sharnbrook have been extremely supportive of my child and our family of all our needs from supporting toilet training through to behaviour management and supporting the development of our child. They are nurturing and prioritise safeguarding. We ended up at this nursery after difficult
experiences at two different previous nurseries and Acorn have removed all of our worries. Our child is the happiest they have ever been and we can't thank them enough. We would highly recommend to all!
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Review from Abi H (Mother of Child) published on 6 July 2021 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Acorn Day Nursery has been amazing for the past 2.5 years our son has attended. He has now been in each of the three rooms and we cannot fault them. Every day he comes home happy, chatting about all the fun activities they have done (mostly outside which is great) and it is clear he loves every second
of it. The staff are all great, it feels like one big family.
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Review from Georgios T (Father of Child) published on 3 March 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We were very pleased with Acorn Nursery. Our daughter was there for the last three years. The carers all were very happy and pleasant, our daughter enjoyed her time there a lot, loved the forest school and the various creative activities of the nursery. She made great friends with the other children
and learnt how to be well behaved in groups and be part of a social group. Overall, very happy with what this nursery provided to our daughter.
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Review from Claire V (Mother of Child) published on 28 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Acorn Day Nursery cannot be recommended by me highly enough. My child has learnt so much over the past year in this fantastic facility and adores all of the staff who work there. As a parent, it is one of the scariest things leaving your child in an environment without you for the majority of the day,
but this place makes it so easy. They teach all of the basic life skills as well as being the parent that children need in your absence with plenty of affection and cuddles galore! The quality of the food is outstanding and the outdoor facilities are excellent. Just be prepared for your child to come home VERY muddy - but happy.
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Review from Gemma C (Mother of Child) published on 24 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My two daughters have been coming to Acorn Nursery since September 2019. They have settled in really well. The staff are professional as well as approachable, caring and attentive to my children's needs. There is a wide range of activities that enable my child's emotional, physical and intellectual
needs to thrive. I would like to send my children for more sessions but unfortunately, they do not currently have capacity. I have seen a positive change in my children since they have started nursery.
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Review from Amy L (Mother of Child) published on 20 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have both my daughter's in day care at Acorn Sharnbrook. The staff are fantastic, they make a big effort to create a special bond with each child from the start. There's also a big effort around planning different themed activities every day ensuring the children are always interested and it teaches
them something new. I couldn't recommend Sharnbrook enough, they are brilliant my girls are doing great. learning lots and makiing friends.
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Review from E W (Mother of Child) published on 14 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter enjoys her days at nursery as there are lots to do. Singing with singing starlets lady, cooking, going in the big garden, being part of the purchasing committee, enjoying a hot chocolate by the fire at forest school! We really like the regular photos and updates shared on the famly app.
It feels like you're part of it. We find it easy to talk with the Squirrel team about our daughter and what she's been up to each day. The staff are enthusiastic, kind and do a great job making our daughter's time different and fun. We are also impressed with the food that they all seem to enjoy. There's always breakfast waiting when she arrives and lunch, tea and snacks are tasty and varied. Thank you for everything you do to give our daughter a brilliant nursery experience.
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Review from Sarah F (Mother of Child) published on 10 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have had an excellent experience with our daughter's time at nursery. She is clearly happy and excited to be there and seems to have formed strong bonds with her teachers and peers. She enjoys the food and we are thrilled it is homemade and healthy. Additionally, I love the focus weeks where we are
able to see how she is developing and where we can continue to help her learn.
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Review from Kirsty G (Mother of Child) published on 6 June 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent nursery. My son loves going in, in the mornings, and doesn't want to leave in the evenings. Food is very great, and staff are very welcoming and friendly.
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Review from Ryan Y (Father of Child) published on 5 June 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl gets really excited when I mention her nursery, she talks alot about her key person and her friends. The learning environment suits my little girls needs as she loves to be outdoors in all weathers. Her confidence has grown and she is happy to be dropped off at nursery and gets stuck
in with a book and a cuddle from her key worker. When I go to pick her up she has the biggest smile on her face and the staff tell me all about her day and we talk about it in the car journey home.
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Review from Geraldine (Mother of Child) published on 30 May 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
I have one child in the preschool room and one in the baby room. The staff here are friendly, caring and attentive, and the nursery is a wonderful facility. The range of activities on offer is excellent, with lots of opportunity for outdoor play and interaction with nature, as well as arts and crafts,
baking and singing - and a strong emphasis on reading. There is a very welcoming, community feel here. The nursery is also very good at communicating with parents, keeping us up to date with what the children have been doing and involving us in activities and special events. I would highly recommend it.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.940)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.940) out of 10 for Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 19 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 19 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 4.965 for Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) is calculated as follows: ( (220 Excellents x 5) + (8 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 228 Ratings = 4.965
  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 4.975 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook) is based on 19 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 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 3.975
    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 62 number of registered child places is 12.4, which has been reached with 19 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 (13)

Meet the Team (3)

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

Anna

Anna Wills

Job Title: Administrator Joined: 2025

Anna joined Acorn in March 2025, having spent the previous 10 years working both as a scheme manager, working with the elderly and vulnerable for the local authority and also some time working as part of social services in the community.


Whilst it was new to be working within a new sector, Anna was able to bring some of the skills and knowledge from her previous roles and apply them to the admin role within an early years setting.

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 an Enhanced Service - more info.