Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School

Longsands Community College, Longsands Road, St Neots PE19 1LQ
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9.8 112 Reviews
  • Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School, St Neots
Apricot Nursery and Pre-School are set across two sites, ensuring that they are able to give children a truly unique and special nursery experience

Children start their journey at Apricot Nursery, which consists of three base rooms; each benefit from having their own safe, enclosed and age-appropriate outside play area. This provides all of the children with free-flow access to explore the outside play area whenever they want. Each room has its own garden area which they enjoy in all weathers. The baby room garden has two levels, the one-year-olds have a lovely space which goes round to the side of the building and the toddlers' room has a spacious garden giving the children lots of room to run and play.

When the children are ready, they will transition to the Pre-School setting, which is just a few minutes away. The Pre-School children benefit from a separate site where they are fully prepared for ‘big’ school life.

The Pre-School is ideally located within the grounds of Priory Park Infant School allowing those children who progress on to this school the opportunity to become familiar with the setting; aiding transition to Reception. For those that go on to different schools, the opportunity to be in a school environment will help children develop confidence to start school; no matter which school they decide upon.

The nursery and the pre-school offer exceptional care, enriched by unique learning opportunities for your child. One such experience is child-friendly cooking classes, helping to equip children with valuable skills and deeper knowledge of the cooking process.
Show Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School on the Map

Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Lisa Payne & Louise Wright (Nursery & Pre-School Managers)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 28

Total Places for Children

  • 91

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Full Day Session £78.20


    We're making childcare more accessible to families:


    * No meal, consumable or enhancement charges
    * Part & fully funded places available

  • A £100.00 non-refundable registration fee is required to secure a place. Exact days of attendance should be confirmed no later than 6 weeks prior to the child’s start date. Any changes are subject to availability.

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:30
    Tuesday 07:30-18:30
    Wednesday 07:30-18:30
    Thursday 07:30-18:30
    Friday 07:30-18:30

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Parking

  • There are 10 parking spaces near to the nursery entrance and there is ample parking for all visitors at the Pre-school.

Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School Reviews (112)

9.8

Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.846) out of 10, based on 19 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School has 112 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Date Published
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Reviewer Connection to Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
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Total of 112, showing 1-20
Review from Janet C (Mother of Child) published on 4 November 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my children (16 months apart) attended the setting, and the team has been fantastic - a really pragmatic team that is supportive, willing to work with the parents, and clear subject matter experts when it came to early years. I could not recommend the team and the setting enough.
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
We are delighted to read that you have had such a positive experience with our team and that your children have thrived with us. Thank you so much for recommending our nursery!
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Review from N D (Mother of Child) published on 1 September 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child is fitting in more and more every week he is at nursery. The staff are very helpful and supportive. I can see my child's development.
Reply from Jo Bamforth, Marketing Manager at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your kind feedback. It's wonderful to hear how well your child is settling in and that you can see his development - we're so pleased our team's support is making a difference!
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Review from Holly S (Mother of Child) published on 1 September 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Apricots have been amazing with my daughter. She's been here since she was 9 months and that's really bonded with all the staff. They have such a diverse range of play and promote independence and autonomy for the children. They provide the perfect blend of messy play, learning, outback activities and
reading. The children eat a diet of home-cooked meals, which I'm often jealous of. Can't rate Apricots Enough!
Reply from Jo Bamforth, Marketing Manager at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We're so pleased your daughter has built such strong bonds with the team and is thriving with the variety of activities, from messy play to outdoor fun and…read more
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Review from J R (Mother of Child) published on 26 August 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves his time at nursery. His confidence has grown so much. Each of the girls in his room are so friendly and helpful, creating a warm, safe, caring environment.
Reply from Jo Bamforth, Marketing Manager at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. We're delighted to hear how much your son enjoys his time with us and that his confidence has grown so much. It's wonderful to know that our team has…read more
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Review from E T (Father of Child) published on 18 August 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Staff are very friendly and clearly take great care and pride in the children they are looking after. My daughter is always happy to go in and looks like she is having a great time! The updates via the app are very useful to see what she's eaten and what activities they are doing in the room.
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your lovely feedback. We're so pleased to read that your daughter enjoys her time with us and that our updates help you feel connected to her day.
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Review from S W (Mother of Child) published on 18 June 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We really appreciate all the time and effort put into my child's time at the nusery. Not only have they/you made her happy and settled, you have made us feel confident and relaxed, even with all her complex needs.
You provide such a wide range of activities that help stimulate her, keep her engaged
and active and the food/meals are second to none.
Thank you for all you've done and that I know you will continue to do. A special shout out to one of the staff for all her time and effort with my child, we have really seen the change in her progression and confidence.
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
It is incredibly rewarding to read how happy and settled your daughter is. Supporting each child as an individual, especially those with additional or complex needs, is something we are incredibly…read more
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Review from A C (Mother of Child) published on 2 May 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
OUr son has really deveoped with Apricot, becoming more talkative, trying new foods & making friends.
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
It is great to hear how much your son's speech and interests have developed during his time with us! Thank you for reviewing our nursery.
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Review from D T (Mother of Child) published on 27 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter started at Apricot preschool in Jan2025 and from the settling in days till now we've been so happy with the care. The team clearly love what they do and have a very good relationship with the kids. The space is lovely and we love how large an outdoors space the kids have, they go outside
multiple times a day. The other major point is the communication. The team proactively provides a lot of feedback on the activities and mood during the day, also the standard feedback on food, nappies etc and we get a photo (or sometimes more) per day which helps a lot with feeling comfortable that our kid is having a good day taken care of.
Thanks to the whole team and a special thanks to tow of the ladies for showing so much care to our daughter!
Reply from Hannah, Marketing Business Partner at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your lovely feedback. We're so glad your daughter has settled in well and that you appreciate the care, outdoor space, and regular updates. Your kind words mean a lot to our team-thank…read more
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Review from M Y (Father of Child) published on 24 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Apricot, both the nursery and Pre-school are excellent. Both our children have been through and we've seen all staff and rooms. Our youngest is currently in the pre school 1 room. The managers, and the whole team are so caring and supportive of the kids and of us as parents. I especially rate the diversity
of food, and the activities. Over the past year and a bit, the thought going into the early years education has come on a lot, and more external activities such as baby zumba and sports have been introduced.
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
We're so happy to read that both your children have had a positive experience with us. It's wonderful to know that the care, diversity of activities, and focus on early years education our team is…read more
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Review from Sarah M (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All the staff at Apricot nursery are fantastic. They are welcoming, take genuine care over my child, friendly, and create exciting play set-ups to allow him to explore. I never worry leaving him there!
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We are so pleased that you feel confident leaving your son in our care.
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Review from A B (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff at Apricot Nursery and Pre-school has always been great, lately they've really gone the extra mile to make my little one feel Included in the activities and they supported us parents in doing our bit
Reply from Jo Bamforth, Marketing Manager at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your positive feedback, we're so happy to hear about how our people have made a difference in yours and your little one's learning journey.
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Review from S E (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our little boy has been at Apricot Day Nursery for 9 months. I love hearing about all the activities he has done and things he has learned. They have changed their toys/equipment a few times so there is usually something new. The staff are also great when I have a concern about my child, and helping
with skills he needs to work on.
Reply from Hannah Nabil, Marketing Business Partner at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your lovely feedback, we're thrilled to hear about your son's progress and your appreciation of our staff. We look forward to continue caring for your little one throughout his learning…read more
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Review from Niomi P (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since my daughter joined in September 2024, she has really flourished in her personality and learning. She comes home saying new things that's she's learnt at nursery. All the staff are so lovely and friendly.
They always do special activities to mark various holidays and send my daughter home with
Cards she's made for Christmas or valentines. She has made some really good friends and it's so nice to see her growing in a safe and fun environment
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are so happy to hear that your daughter has blossomed and is enjoying her time at nursery. It's lovely to know she's making great friends and…read more
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Review from Elizabeth S (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Apricot have always been excellent for both my children. They know and understand their needs and personality and provide excellent care and activities. My children have always been happy there and I would thoroughly recommend them.
Reply from Hannah Nabil, Marketing Business Partner at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your recommendation, we truly appreciate your kind words and are so glad to hear about how happy your children are at our nursery.
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Review from Nikki D (Mother of Child) published on 10 February 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Absolutely brilliant! They clearly care about the children. The communication between staff and parents is first-rate. The higher-ups have a great hiring process in place because the staff they have chosen are wonderful.
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you so much for leaving a review of our setting. We are delighted to read that you are happy with the care we provide your little one and our communications while you are apart.
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Review from Jessica T (Mother of Child) published on 6 January 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been at Apricot Preschool since June and he absolutely loves it. All the staff are fantastic, so friendly and caring. The support I have received for my son has been second to none. They recently received a makeover with lots of new toys and resources so the setting itself is lovely and full
of loads of activities in which they do many different things every day. I love the outdoor area, it's the biggest garden I've seen after viewing various settings previously. They constantly update the portal so you know what's been going on including pictures and development updates. Would recommend it to anyone.
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you so much for your kind words and for recommending our setting; we are delighted to have you as part of our nursery family. We are really proud of the activities we provide and our outdoor…read more
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Review from J C (Mother of Child) published on 23 December 2024 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Excellent nursery. My baby has been going since 12 weeks old and she loves it. The staff are friendly, caring and support every development milestone. They don't overstep, we go at our own pace and my baby is thriving. I'm kept up to date every day and she does so many great activities. They made sure
there were age-appropriate toys for her when she was tiny.
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for sharing your experience of our nursery, we are so pleased to read how happy you are with the care we provide your little one.
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Review from James P (Father of Child) published on 31 October 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Lovely environment both indoors and outdoors and the team were great too. My 2-year-old attended for a week while we stayed locally and she was made to feel very at home straight away and she left chatting about all the people she'd met, had a great time and ate very well! It's a shame we don't live
closer otherwise would have no concerns with her being there permanently.
Reply from Angela Bailey, Head of Customer Experience at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
It is lovely to read how your daughter settled in the short time she was with us. Thank you for sharing your experience.
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Review from Cassie B (Mother of Child) published on 8 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Really impressed with this nursery. My son loved his time there, the staff are so lovely, kind, and dedicated. Thank you Apricot staff especially those in the Shooting Stars room.
Reply from Joanne Wright, Chief Marketing Officer at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Wow. Thank you so much for such a glowing review. We are delighted to hear this and we'll be sure to pass your comments on to the team.
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Review from Coralie B (Mother of Child) published on 23 July 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Manager and employees are very kind to children. They are very involved. They take very good care of the children. Children have healthy meals. I do recommend this pre-school.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your review, we really appreciate it!
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Current Review Score: 9.8 (9.846)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.8 (9.846) out of 10 for Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School 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 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 4.846 for Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School is calculated as follows: ( (194 Excellents x 5) + (31 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 227 Ratings = 4.846
  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 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School 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 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 + 0.1 = 4
    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 91 number of registered child places is 18.2, 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 (5)

Meet the Team (2)

Lisa

Lisa Payne

Job Title: Nursery Manager (Nursery) Joined: 2018

Qualifications: Level 5 Leadership for Children’s and Young People’s Workforce

Louise

Louise Wright

Job Title: Nursery Manager (Pre-school) Joined: 2021

Hi! I'm Louise and I'm the Manager here at Apricot Pre-School.


We look forward to welcoming you to our Pre-School!

Frequently Asked Questions about Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is the Age Range of Children that Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School accepts?

Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School accepts Children aged from 0 years 0 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School Open?

Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School is open: Monday 07:30-18:30, Tuesday 07:30-18:30, Wednesday 07:30-18:30, Thursday 07:30-18:30, Friday 07:30-18:30.

How many Children does Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School have capacity for?

Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School has capacity for a total of 91 Children.

How far is Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School to the centre of St Neots?

0.5 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School has an Enhanced Service - more info.