My child has been progressing very well in his learning journey and preparing for his next school stage of reception. The dedicated staff with focused and small class size provides the required attention to children which was missing in other generic public nurseries.

The Early Years Centre at St Joseph’s College is a fantastic facility and both of my children have been very happy there. My youngest joined in autumn 2019. He adores the teacher and the other members of staff and he is learning lots. I’m so impressed with the creative activities they do and it’s a very warm environment.

The facilities – both inside and outside – are very modern and varied. The children have the choice of a wide range of activities and are able to spend a lot of time outside. It is a more structured setting (e.g. with daily assembly, a fixed 8:20 start, a weekly theme and teacher-led sessions) which will suit some children more than others but if you are planning for your child to attend Reception and beyond at St Joseph’s, then the Early Years Centre is the best place to start as it will give them a gentle transition to full-time school.

A fantastic Early Years Centre, that really did provide my son with the best possible start to his school education. He has now moved into the Prep School and I would recommend the nursery to anyone. The Early Years Teachers are wonderful, taking great care of the children, and making learning so fun.

The facilities are excellent, with modern equipment including interactive whiteboards, as well as traditional learning resources. Children have access to a huge garden and play area with plenty of toys and a range of outdoor equipment to use. They have a warm lunch every day with lots of yummy and healthy options at break time also. The center is spotlessly clean, and really well managed by staff. I always felt that my son was being so well cared for, in a warm, welcoming and friendly environment. He made incredible progress with his learning and confidence whilst in Early Years which helped him transition seamlessly into Reception.

I would highly recommend the Early Years Centre at St Joseph’s College. Both my children have the attended the centre and they both absolutely loved it there.
The centre is a modern facility with an excellent range of indoor and outdoor activities. Children have access to a very wide range of activities which in my opinion would far exceed what you would normally expect a nursery to offer. The staff are highly attentive and know all the children extremely well; my children always excited to go and the staff made them feel very welcome and secure.

This is a great early years setting in which my two children absolutely thrived. They loved each day, and always spoke very highly of the team. When you see the facilities and meet the staff, you can understand why. Staff were always kind, approachable and attentive.

Absolutely amazing experience. The nursery staff are lovely, and the development of our child is a joy to watch. The grounds are a lovely, safe space, and the food is to die for! I would highly recommend St Joseph’s for any young mind.

The early years centre at this school is wonderful- a very nurturing and supportive environment. The outside space and school facilities are brilliant. I think it preps the children well for the move into primary school at age 4-5 and gets them used to timetables, sitting in groups and school work from an early age whilst allowing them to play freely and enjoy being little!
The staff are great – daily communication and updates are always available, and so many extracurricular opportunities for the little ones, like trips to animal parks.
Highly recommend St Joseph’s Prep school for anyone looking to start their 3-year-old at nursery/preschool – my child has thrived here.

We are very pleased with our experience at St Joseph’s College. Both our children are doing well and the school has exposed them to so much more than just academics – sports, arts, cooking, STEM just to call out a few. The school has also played an important role in teaching them to consider others and at the heart of it ‘being kind’ to everyone is taught throughout their daily experiences.

Our child is very happy going in and happy coming out which is a great sign. The variety of activities is great, we receive photos of what the children have been doing, and the energy and the atmosphere are very positive and nurturing. I think the children feel like they are a part of the whole school which is also very nice for them. The ratio of teachers and staff to children is excellent meaning that the children get the help and support they need.

I can’t express enough how delighted we are with our experience at The Acorn Centre at St Joseph’s. As parents, finding a nurturing and stimulating environment for our little ones was a top priority, and this exceptional nursery has surpassed all our expectations. One of the standout features of The Acorn Centre is its well-thought-out curriculum. The activities are not only engaging but also designed to encourage cognitive, social, and emotional development. The variety of educational games, creative arts and crafts, and outdoor play provide a holistic approach to learning that goes beyond mere babysitting.

Giving children a solid foundation to a life of curiosity and learning whilst developing them into caring, aware, supportive and inclusive people, isn’t an easy feat but The Acorn Centre at St Joseph’s does this very well. We carefully looked at other providers of pre-reception and reception learning in the Reading area, and The Acorn Centre is just in a league of its own. My son believes he is playing with friends all day but we observe his knowledge and abilities developing and growing week by week and are just astounded by what they can achieve with him. No overly oppressive obligations on parents or children, no children crying on sports day or being overly anxious during the school play performance, just a safe, friendly and happy environment of continuous child-led learning which confirms it’s truly a great choice.
Fantastic facilities with a wonderful outdoor space and caring, experienced, engaged, well-supported and motivated staff. Every child deserves such a start!

My child is flourishing at The Acorn Centre. He has grown in confidence, has learnt to read basic words, can do basic Maths and count as well as write his name. He loves his teachers and playing with his friends. He is happy and enjoys school and has fun. What more could you ask for.

The Acorn Centre Nursery have provided my daughter amazing support in regards to her development with speech and helping her with being more independent and staff are amazing. The area provided for children is very spacious and keep children busy with amazing activities.

We are incredibly grateful for the positive impact the Acorn Centre has had on our son. After a poor experience at a previous nursery, we were looking for a setting with skilled, caring staff who truly understand children development-and we found exactly that at Acorn. Since joining, our son has grown in confidence and begun to show his natural talent in numeracy. The team’s nurturing and personalised approach has made all the difference. They even supported him through challenges like joining in at lunch, where he now eats happily thanks to their gentle encouragement. He absolutely loves being there and feels safe and happy. We only wish we’d found Acorn sooner. Having explored many nurseries in Reading with our older child, we can confidently say Acorn stands out with an exceptionally skilled staff and competitive childcare costs. If we could turn back time, we would have sent our eldest here too. Thankfully, he’s recently joined the Prep School and is also thriving!