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Acorn at Mulberry Bear

Ofsted: Good
(Nov 2024)
·
5.0(2 parent reviews) ·Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA · Milton Keynes
Number of places
52 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2024
Local authority
Milton Keynes

About this day nursery

Acorn Early Years Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care and education for young children. Their core philosophy, "Putting children first," underpins all aspects of their operations, fostering an ethos of care and responsiveness with everyone they interact with.

The foundation prioritises the social and emotional well-being of children, aiming to cultivate a more compassionate and interconnected society. Their approach is marked by developing an ethical, innovative, and sustainable model of early years education, with a particular emphasis on outdoor play and learning, as well as continuous professional development for their staff.

They are committed to being a learning organisation, striving for excellence in childcare practices through ongoing training and action research. Acorn aims to be inclusive and sustainable, both environmentally and financially, consistently seeking honesty and integrity in their work.

Our ethos

The Acorn Ethos can be summarised as 'putting children first', prioritising an ethic of care and building responsive relationships. This approach focuses on nurturing the social and emotional well-being of children and contributing to a more caring and connected society. The foundation aims to lead the early childhood sector through an ethical, innovative, and sustainable model of care and education, particularly highlighting outdoor play and learning, and staff professional development. Their values are personal, professional, nurturing, outdoor-focused, and ethical, ensuring individualised care, continuous staff growth, holistic child development through first-hand experiences, and a commitment to green practices and inclusivity.

What it's like

Managers and staff create an engaging, welcoming environment where children arrive confidently and choose their play. Staff plan activities to build on children’s knowledge and skills, supporting communication, language and physical development through meaningful interactions.

Charity-runForest SchoolOutdoor LearningEmphasis on Staff DevelopmentEthical Practice

Pricing & funding

Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

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Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, 7:30 am until 6pm, all year round.

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

2022

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Acorn at Mulberry Bear

Last inspected 26 November 2024 · Lisa Robinson

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Managers and staff create an engaging, welcoming environment where children arrive confidently and choose their play. Staff plan activities to build on children’s knowledge and skills, supporting communication, language and physical development through meaningful interactions.

Inspector highlights

  • Engaging, welcoming environment
  • Children are curious, focused and eager to explore
  • Staff plan activities that build communication and thinking skills
  • Children develop physical skills through climbing, balancing and fine-motor activities
  • Staff share regular feedback with parents about children’s learning

Areas to develop

  • 1strengthen hygiene practices so that they are consistently embedded to promote children's understanding of good hygiene
  • 2strengthen the organisation of daily routines to minimise children's waiting times.
Inspection #10363681 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

Outdoor space

Children develop gross motor skills through climbing, balancing and exploring large apparatus. Staff take children on outings, including walks to their forest school, where they learn road safety and about the natural environment.

Parent Reviews of Acorn at Mulberry Bear

5.0
(2)
Sanna Ahsan
3 weeks ago

We recently moved from a different city where my child had been since she was 1 so understandably a big change (she was a couple of months shy of 3). After having bad experiences at two other nurseries in MK we visited a few Acorns and loved the feel of Mulberry Bear. From day one the whole team feels like a family, very reassuring and brilliant communication. The children seem well rounded, happy and secure with their keyworkers. A wonderful team including Alina, Katharine and Sharon. Abbie is an absolute gem and a true asset to the team, my daughter bonded with her pretty instantly and she's been amazing with her, you can see she genuinely cares and her approach is so genuinely kind and caring. There's a wealth of activities and they give the children a lot of autonomy in what they wish to do and play. I really love the free flow aspect and how much they involve and include parents. Thank you to the whole team for such a smooth transition and keep up the amazing work.

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Inspection history

Most recent inspection

26 November 2024

Good

Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.

View full Ofsted report

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