Abbeydale Cottage Nursery's 3 Star Reviews

Brilliant care, poor communication and management

The staff go above and beyond and seem to genuinely care about and love the children. They are amazing and I can't fault the care that my child received while they were at ACN.
However, every year they increased their fees by such high amounts resulting in ever increasing monthly costs that we could barely afford. But once a child is settled it's difficult and heartbreaking to change their setting. The prices were put up a significant amount in April 2026. I particularly found the communication around this really poor and the reasoning very confusing when other nurseries were managing to keep their prices much lower. The tactics by the directors to keep people paying the high consumables charges felt aggressive as they threatened a two-tier system for the children attending.
It is really a fantastic nursery, it's just such a shame that normal people are being priced out of it and the way the price rises are managed. I would recommend if you can afford it (and afford for the prices to rise significantly each year at short notice).

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• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Bragg on 22/09/2026

Response by ACN on 23/09/2026:

Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback and, in particular, for your kind words about our staff and the care your child received at ACN. Our team genuinely care about the children and families we support, and providing the highest standard of care and experiences for our children will always be at the heart of what we do.
We completely appreciate that increasing childcare costs are a concern for families. Unfortunately, like many businesses, we have faced significant increases in our operating costs, including inflation, rising staffing costs and employer National Insurance contributions. These pressures are compounded by government funding rates which do not fully reflect the true cost of delivering high-quality early years care.
We would, however, like to clarify the suggestion that our fee increases were introduced at short notice. All changes to fees and charges were communicated to families with eight weeks’ notice, in accordance with the terms of our parent contract. We always aim to provide as much information and explanation as possible when changes are necessary.
We are also disappointed that the communication surrounding our consumables charges was perceived as aggressive. Our intention was to be transparent with families about what these charges enable us to provide. ACN has always strived to offer much more than the basic EYFS provision. We invest in additional experiences, resources and opportunities that enrich the children’s time with us and that we believe contribute significantly to the quality of their early years experience.
Unfortunately, it is simply not sustainable for us to continue providing these additional opportunities without recovering the associated costs. Where families choose not to pay for optional additional services or consumables, we have to ensure that the provision offered reflects what is covered by the funded entitlement, while continuing to ensure that every child receives high-quality care and education in line with the EYFS.
We recognise that childcare represents a significant financial commitment for families, and decisions to increase fees are never taken lightly. Our priority remains maintaining the quality of our provision, retaining skilled and dedicated staff, and continuing to provide an environment in which children are happy, cared for and able to thrive.
We are very pleased to hear that you felt your child was genuinely loved and cared for during their time at ACN, and we wish your family all the very best for the future.

The facilities and practitioners are fantastic BUT

We have been very happy with the setting's facilities and practitioners over a period of time, and the nursery has become extremely popular as a result of these elements. However, the management team have decided to enforce a compulsory uniform policy in the preschool room (without consulting parents and with just 6 weeks notice) which has resulted in many unhappy parents who are already paying high fees and don't wish to buy expensive branded merchandise. A few parents are happy with this development but many are not and feel that parents should have some choice.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Parent on 24/07/2018