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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  • 13
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Date Published
  • 112
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Reviewer Connection to Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
  • 99
  • 10
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Total of 112, showing 21-40
Review from L P (Mother of Child) published on 22 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery. My son has just started, and the care and learning they give is above and beyond.
Staff are so welcoming, and the advice they give is so helpful.
Management is great - any issues, they are happy to help.
All staff have taken the time to get to know my son and his likes and dislikes.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you so much for your review, we really appreciate it!
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Review from J M (Mother of Child) published on 21 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves going there, his speech is delayed and the staff have been fantastic. They are so friendly and have helped so much in our situation. He's doing so well. Could not have picked a better place.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you so much for your review, we really appreciate it!
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Review from Geraldine K (Mother of Child) published on 19 July 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very happy with my son’s development in this nursery. They treat his egg allergy very seriously. They have great communication in letting me know about my son's day. I feel very comfortable leaving my son at this nursery.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you're happy with your son's development at our nursery.
The safety and well-being of all children, including his egg allergy, are top…read more
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Review from Rachel L (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at Apricots for one year now and really enjoys going. The staff are very friendly and obviously care a lot about the children.
My daughter loves the outside area and we love that they encourage outdoor play throughout the session.
The ladies are very welcoming when we drop off
in the morning and are happy to give us an update on the day when I pick my daughter up.
The only small issue is that sometimes the ladies are very busy and don’t always have time to update the app with nappy changes, meals or moments.
Other than that small issue, we are really happy with the nursery and hope to carry on into the preschool next year.
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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Review from Gail C (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started there in January and loves going, the staff there are so warm and caring towards the children and parents. My son went there previously and enjoyed his time there as well. Would recommend it to any parent looking for a nursery.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you so much for your review, we really appreciate it!
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Review from Jonathan G (Father of Child) published on 18 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter started at the Nursery a couple of months ago. Communication is excellent, we have updates on her daily play and routines. She loves her time at nursery school. The teachers are very kind.
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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Review from Jo B (Mother of Child) published on 11 November 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The staff at Apricots are very friendly and caring toward the children and have great relationships with the parents. My daughter has been attending since she was 9 months old and they also cared for my son when he was nursery age.
She absolutely loves going to nursery and I am very comfortable leaving
her in their care. My only concern is the cost of the nursery and the fact that they cannot accept her for school hours setting, but that is not an impact on how great the staff are.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for taking the time to write this review. We are delighted to hear how much your daughter enjoys coming to nursery!
As a group, we review our fees annually in order to take into…read more
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Review from Tina F (Mother of Child) published on 25 August 2022 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The whole team has been amazing from the settling session to when my baby started. I was so impressed with the care towards my baby and myself. They understood how worried I was about leaving him. Feedback at the end of the day about what he has been doing, food, and sleeps - outstanding. I know he
enjoys his days at nursery as he gets excited when coming in.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
We really appreciate you taking the time to write such a lovely review! Thank you!
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Review from Lauren B (Mother of Child) published on 26 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been attending Apricot Day Nursery for the last seven months, and I cannot fault them for anything at all. My son has a great time there - lots of garden play which he loves, the food served is prepared in-house and of a fantastic variety, and my son has come along leaps and bounds in his
speech, development and social skills.
The hours are also very friendly for working parents, and the staff are all very compassionate and caring towards the children.
Highly recommend.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your review; we really appreciate it! We are delighted to hear how well your son has settled into everyday life at nursery!
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Review from Natalie S (Mother of Child) published on 26 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I think the managers and staff are amazing. Really know my child for who he is, and he always comes out happy. Will be sending my youngest there once he is old enough. Thank you for all you have done for my boys.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for taking the time to write this review; we really appreciate your comments!
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Review from Hannah J (Mother of Child) published on 21 July 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little one has been at Apricot for nearly three months. We have been so impressed by how welcoming and friendly all the staff have been and how dedicated they are to making sure he has settled in well. He absolutely loves his time at nursery, and it’s clear that he’s developed some really special
bonds with the staff, which as a parent, is so reassuring to see. The staff are brilliant at keeping parents up to date with what the children get up to throughout the day and provide such useful feedback on our son’s development.
We’re so glad we decided to send our little one here - a brilliant team who creates a nurturing and stimulating environment!
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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Review from H H (Mother of Child) published on 26 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I could not be more delighted with Apricot. The entire team are fantastic and goes above and beyond to make my child’s day fun, engaging, educational and full of care. I love knowing I’m leaving my child in their kind and knowledgeable care. Everything from the staff to the quality of food and activities
is just excellent.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you so much for your kind review; we really appreciate it!
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Review from D H (Father of Child) published on 25 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff have been wonderful in settling our child into their nursery life.
All information from the nursery has been really clear, and any questions we have had, have been answered promptly.
All staff have made our family welcome.
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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Review from Jessica P (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my children have gone to Apricots Nursery and both loved it. The staff are brilliant, really engaging and welcoming to the children, and the activities they put together are really creative and fun. Food allergies are well catered for, and the menu is varied and must be delicious, as my son often
has multiple portions! The building looks a bit tired, but the kids don't see it, and the wonderful staff more than make up for it.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your review and for taking the time to write it; we really appreciate it!
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Review from Chelsea P (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter goes to the preschool and is very happy. She has made lots of new friends, and she loves all the staff. The staff are great and very welcoming. They are very approaching to talk to and very understanding.
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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Review from Caroline H (Mother of Child) published on 14 March 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My 3-year-old has been attending Apricot Nursery, and then preschool since he was 10-months-old. He is really happy there. All the staff know him, and he knows them. From a young age, he would talk excitedly about them by name, and we are happy that he is encouraged in his learning and well cared for.
When we have had to email about things he was struggling with, we've been encouraged by the response. Generally, we get good information about what he's been doing. We would recommend!
However, information is sometimes rather last-minute eg about when he is moving rooms, activities are happening, or when we need to complete funding forms.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for taking the time to write this review, and for your comments! We are happy to hear how happy your son is at his nursery! As a group, we are always trying to improve our communication with…read more
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Review from R A (Mother of Child) published on 14 February 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My experience with Apricot Nursery has been great. The staff have taken very good care of my child. She settled in fast and loves going to nursery. I have never had any issues with them since my child joined the nursery.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for your positive comments! We really appreciate it!
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Review from J F (Mother of Child) published on 14 February 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery is great. My child enjoys it so much, is really happy at drop off. All the staff are extremely friendly. We are kept well informed on their day through the parent hub, and I feel my child is being really well supported throughout their learning.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for your positive comments; we really appreciate it!
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Review from Nicole H (Mother of Child) published on 10 February 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Sunhill Apricot Nursery & Preschool staff are amazing; they are not just nursery practitioners, they are like family! They are fab with my nearly 3-year-old, from all the different activities they do with the children, to mealtimes and toilet training. Handovers are always really descriptive, and updates
on the app daily are fab too. I always feel at ease dropping my son off. They also looked after my older daughter too, and she loved it there.
Reply from Beth Lewendon, Marketing Coordinator at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for your positive feedback - we really appreciate it! We aim to create a real home-from-home feel in our nurseries, so we are delighted to hear…read more
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Review from N B (Mother of Child) published on 21 January 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5
The staff at the Nursery and the Preschool are both lovely. I have children at both the Nursery and the Preschool settings and they both adore going there. The food is good, the environments are great. Unfortunately, there has been a change in management recently and as a result, I am likely to remove
my second child when the oldest starts school as there is no longer any flexibility offered to work around parents' work schedules or older siblings. The timings are 8-1, 1- 6 or 8-6 with none of the flexibility (including school hours) offered when it was a smaller company. When I asked about this, I was told that 'most parents work all day and want 8 - 6', which having asked around other parents is not really the case. Previously children could bring in their own breakfasts and dinners and this option has been taken away this year - with it now costing about £1.60 for a bowl of cereal. The direction has changed to very much profit-orientated management and I think it's a real shame.
Reply from Jo Bamforth, Marketing Manager at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for taking the time to write a review for us; it really is much appreciated.
We offer our sessions in 5-hour blocks between 8-1 or 1-6, or a full day, to ensure that we are able to offer…read more
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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!

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.