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.
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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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Reviewer Connection to Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
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Total of 112, showing 61-80
Review from Catherine W (Mother of Child) published on 19 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been at Apricot nursery and pre-school for 4 years. She has moved through all 5 rooms, across both settings. Our son has been at the nursery site for almost a year. We have been extremely happy with the provision Apricot offers and the care our children have received over the years.
When issues/concerns have arisen, the staff have always been very approachable and keen to resolve any issues. The staff at Apricot are outstanding. All of the members of staff who have been in our children’s rooms have formed strong, positive relationships with them (and with the rest of the family). Apricot has lovely facilities and there are always lots of fun activities for the children to get involved with. We would highly recommend Apricot nursery and pre-school.
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Review from C N (Grandmother of Child) published on 4 August 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This setting provided great care and kindness to our grandaughter during her time there. The staff kept us informed and updated on her progress and day to day activities. The lovely staff were always happy to see the children on arrival and to settle them in if upset. Thank you Apricot!
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Review from D F (Mother of Child) published on 27 March 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We were quite anxious about our little boy starting pre-school as he'd previously not enjoyed larger settings and busy environments but the staff in PS1 were so kind and welcoming giving him the extra attention and time he needed to feel settled in his new environment. His key worker communicated closely
with us to make sure the length of his days were suited to and right for him which reassured us and gave him the best experience. He's now really settled and happy and loves playing with his friends and teachers.
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Review from Gemma W (Mother of Child) published on 6 March 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have fallen for Apricot Day Nursery, the staff are so caring and show great compassion with their work and the children in their care.
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Review from Hollie E (Mother of Child) published on 22 August 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Apricots is an outstanding nursery. Every single member of staff is kind, friendly and understanding. My son joined Apricots when he was 8 months but as he got older and he understood what was going on he would cry when I dropped him off. But the staff always looked after him and always knew what to
do to calm him down and reassured him. He now really enjoys going and even gets excited when we arrive in the carpark. Well what can I say about his key worker, she is absolutely incredible. He has been at Apricots for 2 years and she has been with him from the first day. She always makes time for him, comforts him when sad and generally the best key worker we could have wished for. She has definitely made a good impression on my son, as he said her name when we come into the carpark and one day when I asked him at home what his teddy was called he said her name. We will miss all the staff at the nursery when our son moves to Apricots Preschool in a few weeks. Overall a fantastic Nursery.
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Review from Jelena J (Mother of Child) published on 29 March 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
We feel that Apricot Day Nursery allows our child to experiment, explore and express their individuality very well.
Our child has attended Apricot Day Nursery since she was 13 months and its progression socially and intellectually could not be better. Apricot staff are warm, friendly and communicative
(very open) our child actually looks forward to going and has no problem being left there for the day.
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Review from L W (Mother of Child) published on 21 March 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son absolutely loves going to Apricot preschool. I feel he is safe, well cared for and happy in his environment. He has learnt so much in the 6 months he's been there already. It's lovely to see the staff extending his ideas and letting him have fun and learn through the activities. He has a packed
lunch for tea but absolutely loves the lunches that are cooked for him. He has also become a lot more independent which, as he starts school soon, will be a good skill to have.
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Review from S S (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Apricot Day Nursery provides an excellent learning environment. Our daughter only attends one day each week but we have noticed how well she is developing, learning new skills, words and interacting with other children.
We only have praise for the excellent staff. They are so friendly and welcoming.
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Review from Fiona K (Mother of Child) published on 19 February 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am very pleased with how my 2 little girls have settled into the pre-school.
They have learned so much and love going in for the 3 days. I was really happy with the good feedback we had on the parents evening.
The staff have been so great with the twins and I love the letter of the week idea an
everything that they have achieved so far.
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Review from Emma S (Mother of Child) published on 8 February 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Nice to see weekly comments about things our son has done.
Good to know areas of development and receive feedback.
Forgot to mention but would like more photos of our son doing activities like painting (in shooting stars room) if possible, please.
Reply from Donna Fraser at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your feedback, we will make sure that more photos are taken during activities, don't forget to check out our Facebook page as we regularly post updates of children engaged in exciting…read more
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Review from L S (Mother of Child) published on 8 February 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter was very unsure about nursery to start with but the staff have worked so hard to make her feel safe, secure and settled. She loves coming to nursery now.
Reply from Donna Fraser at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your feedback, it is so rewarding to see your daughter so happy and enjoying nursery life.
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Review from S H (Mother of Child) published on 7 February 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Since our daughter started preschool over 12 months ago, she has grown so much in confidence and a lot of this is all down to the staff at Apricot.
When she first moved from nursery to preschool, she regressed slightly and was slow to become settled in the new environment. Thanks to all the friendly
caring staff, she has settled in more than we could have imagined. I always find that they go the extra mile to help out, especially if you need to change dates/amend times at short notice which I believe puts them above other preschools. I would definitely recommend Apricot preschool to anyone.
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Review from M S (Mother of Child) published on 7 February 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic staff who are very engaged.
My son loves going and enjoys all the different activities the staff do with them.
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Review from R R (Mother of Child) published on 7 February 2019 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter loves Apricots. She goes 4 times a week and always has lots of fun. They do a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities which is great. The staff are extremely friendly and have good relationships with the children. They obviously like coming to work.
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Review from Katie B (Mother of Child) published on 10 August 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I think Apricot Day Nursery is great. I love how the outdoor space is so accessible to all children when they are here. I like how they accommodate any illnesses/food issues my child has.
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Review from Laura T (Mother of Child) published on 10 August 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The nursery meets all the needs of my child.
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Review from Charlotte R (Mother of Child) published on 10 August 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son settled in with ease thanks to the help of the staff and was made to feel very comfortable. The staff have really brought him out of his shell and he's now more confident and loves playing with children and staff. He looks forward to going to nursery because he loves it so much.
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Review from Simon F (Father of Child) published on 10 August 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Overall, very pleased with every aspect of the nursery. There are always engaging activities and organised play which has definitely helped our son progress. Staff are always incredibly helpful and friendly. Our son always eats the food and says it is very good.
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Review from Jema M (Mother of Child) published on 10 August 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Have been amazing with my son. They are so understanding and helpful in every way. I would highly recommend the nursery as they support our decision and work alongside us to help achieve our child's goals.
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Review from Suzy B (Mother of Child) published on 10 August 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son loves going to nursery. I know he is safe and happy there and does lots of different activities. The staff are very friendly, accessible and communicate well with the children and parents. We also get lots of info about the children's activities that week in an email newsletter which is great.
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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.