Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School

Longsands Community College, Longsands Road, St Neots PE19 1LQ
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9.8 103 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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Care Provided by Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • 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
  • 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

Funding & Fees Guide for Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School

  • AM/PM Session £46.90
    Full Day Session £78.20


    We're making childcare more accessible to families:


    * FREE nursery childcare for siblings of registered children!*
    * No meal, consumable or enhancement charges
    * Part & fully funded places available


    *Terms and conditions apply

  • 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.
  • 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 (103)

Total of 103, showing 1-20
9.8

Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.816) out of 10, based on 16 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School has 103 reviews.

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Review from Sarah M (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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  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  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 journey.


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Review from Niomi P (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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 developing her learning, and we're thrilled that you both enjoy the special activities.


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Review from Elizabeth S (Mother of Child) published on 13 March 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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  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  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 space, which, as you will know, we use as much as possible!


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Review from J C (Mother of Child) published on 23 December 2024
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  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  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  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  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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Review from L P (Mother of Child) published on 22 July 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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  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  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 priorities for us, and we take it very seriously. We understand the importance of communication and keeping you informed about his day. We're glad you feel comfortable leaving your son in our care, and we're grateful for your trust in us.
Thanks again for choosing us for your son's journey!


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Review from Rachel L (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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  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  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  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 consideration rising costs and staff wages linked to inflation. Our teams take a considerable amount of time reviewing our fees and we do benchmark our nursery fees closely with our local market to ensure that we remain good value for money.
Unfortunately, as with many sectors across the country, Early Years has been affected in the last 12 months by severe staff shortages. We are working hard to ensure that we have well-qualified and experienced staff at all of our sites but this does mean that we are not always able to have a variety of different session times.
Thank you once again for your feedback.


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Review from Tina F (Mother of Child) published on 25 August 2022
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  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  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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Current Review Score: 9.8 (9.816)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.8 (9.816) out of 10 for Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 16 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.9 out of 5 from 16 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:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.937 for Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School is calculated as follows: ( (178 Excellents x 5) + (12 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 190 Ratings = 4.937

  • b) 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 4.879 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School is based on 16 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 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

    • ii) 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. 16 Positive Reviews ÷ 18.2 = 0.879

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (1)

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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 a Platinum Service – more info.