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 21-40
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 Natalie S (Mother of Child) published on 26 July 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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  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  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  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  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  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  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 our families, so we thank you for your feedback.


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Review from R A (Mother of Child) published on 14 February 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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  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  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 that your child has settled well!


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Review from N B (Mother of Child) published on 21 January 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  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 funded sessions to the maximum number of families in a sustainable way. This model of offering in 10-hours blocks is given as an example for Early Years operational guidance for offering funded places from the Department for Education. We have given a bit more flexibility for parents by offering in 5-hour blocks between the times stated above, rather than just the set 10-hours. Offering a 9-3 session would sadly block available childcare for other families that need to access a full day, limiting the spaces that we have available.
In terms of food, removing packed lunches allowed us greater control of the foods that enter the setting, as we have a number of children that attend with allergies and dietary requirements, therefore providing a safer environment for them.
Thank you again for your review!


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Review from Sarah R (Mother of Child) published on 22 December 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I can’t rate Sunhill Apricot Nursery & Preschool any more highly. My little boy spent a short time at the nursery before moving up, and I was really worried he wouldn’t find a key person who he gelled with, but I was wrong. He settled quickly, and loves going every morning. He especially loves the garden
space, playing on the pirate ship and planting seeds.
All the staff are really helpful and always happy to answer any questions. I also love that no matter who the staff member is, they all enjoy getting involved in activities and caring for the children.

Reply from Jo Bamforth, Marketing Manager at Apricot Day Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you for taking the time to write this review and for your comments; we really appreciate it!


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Review from P M (Mother of Child) published on 18 June 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been at Apricot Nursery since February. While settling in, the staff did everything they could to keep me informed of her progress during each day. Now, she waves me off, excited to spend a day with her wonderful key worker and all the fantastic staff there that she’s built wonderful
bonds with.
I feel completely reassured that they do all they can to stimulate and encourage her progression at all opportunities.

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Review from Cheryl C (Mother of Child) published on 22 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Very happy with the experience the nursery provided for my son, he always came out beaming and it was clear he enjoyed his days. He was only there six months before moving up to preschool but he really progressed in those few months and made lovely relationships with the key workers. I loved the weekly
newsletter, so we were informed about what the children had been learning and doing that week. My only criticism that I have is it would have been nice to have more pictures on the app to view, as previously I was spoiled with many of my daughter at a different preschool.

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Review from Louise W (Mother of Child) published on 10 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This is a wonderful nursery. My son attends four days a week and loves going. All members of staff, whether they’re working in his room or not know him and know us too. He is challenged and well cared for by amazing staff. The app they use to document his care is always filled in fully with pictures
to show the day’s activities and the weekly newsletter provides more detail. I recommend this nursery when anybody asks!

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Review from Helen S (Mother of Child) published on 1 March 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We have been very happy with the friendly and caring staff at the nursery over the last year. My son loves it, and I've always felt able to speak to staff about any queries. I am kept well informed of how he has been each day, and the variety of activities is excellent.

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Review from Rebecca F (Mother of Child) published on 25 February 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son started nursery 6-months ago at around 17-months-old. As expected, he was unsettled at first when being dropped off, but now he absolutely adores going to nursery and excitedly waves us goodbye.


Due to Covid, we haven't been able to go into the nursery (apart from the initial settling in

session), but we receive detailed feedback at the end of each day in person and via an app.


Our son appears to be engaged in various learning and arts and crafts activities as well as lots of outdoor play. He has settled so well now; he regularly naps for 1 1/2 - 2 hours in the afternoon and eats really well. Staff are always friendly, warm and approachable.


Paperwork and requests for change of sessions are dealt with very promptly and efficiently.


The building is somewhat dated and the outdoor area slightly smaller than other nurseries: however, the nursery had such a good reputation, so we chose to overlook these things, which I'm glad we did, as our son is very happy there.


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Review from Lucy H (Mother of Child) published on 24 February 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Fantastic nursery, highly recommend. My son loves attending and is well cared for with suitable developmental activities for his age and plenty of outside play. The staff are fantastic, and the nursery has done a great job of staying open during the pandemic.

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Review from Helen R (Mother of Child) published on 24 February 2021
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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child has been attending Apricot for two and a half years. The quality of the staff is undoubtedly one of the best I have experienced. Good communication with parents, care and compassion for our daughter. I would have no hesitation in recommending to my friends and have done.
The food they provide
is healthy and varied and also gives the children the opportunity to try new flavours.
Lots of outside time, which suits my daughter really well.

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Review from Emma K (Mother of Child) published on 24 February 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My 16-month-old daughter has been going to Apricot for about 5-months now and settled in really quickly. The staff are lovely and have been great with her. There are always different activities for her to do, and she can go outside as much as she likes. They offer a varied menu that accommodates my
daughter's dietary needs, and there are lots of lovely keepsakes to take home.

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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!


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