Apricot Day Nursery in St Neots offers a nurturing and intimate environment focused on holistic child development. The nursery emphasises cognitive, social, and physical growth, aiming to build confidence and independence in children as they prepare for school.
They adopt a Montessori approach within a home-from-home setting, encouraging learning through play tailored to individual interests. The nursery operates across two sites, with a separate pre-school for older children.
They offer a "Next Stop School" programme to ease the transition to primary education, providing support for both children and parents. The facility boasts well-equipped rooms and age-appropriate outdoor play areas, promoting discovery through natural resources and outdoor exploration in all seasons.
Apricot Day Nursery also has a unique "Brighter Learning Approach" to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, which focuses on hands-on experiences, child-led learning, and critical thinking through six core areas: My Happy and Healthy Self, Wonderful World, Super Steam, Raving Readers, Mini Maths, and Confident Speakers and Communicators. The nursery’s commitment extends to transparent communication with parents, ensuring safety through robust policies, offering freshly prepared nutritious meals, and maintaining a key person approach for each child.
They also provide extra-curricular activities and clubs to enhance learning and development.
What it's like
Children feel safe and secure at this welcoming nursery and make good progress from their starting points. Staff follow children's interests and next steps to form a sequenced curriculum, preparing older children for their eventual transition to school. Children are highly confident and independent, enjoying a range of stimulating activities.
Funding accepted
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Food
Meals at Apricot Day Nursery are freshly prepared on-site by our own cook. We use fresh, seasonal ingredients to create a variety of nutritious meals that rotate regularly. Dietary preferences are taken seriously, and we cater to all requirements, including food intolerances and allergies.
Opening hours
Open 7.30am - 6.30pm, 51 weeks a year. Full day: 8am to 6pm, Early start: 7:30am to 8am, Late finish: 6pm to 6:30pm
Term time / All Year
All Year
Last inspected 22 August 2022 · Joanne Steward
What it's like to attend
Children feel safe and secure at this welcoming nursery and make good progress from their starting points. Staff follow children's interests and next steps to form a sequenced curriculum, preparing older children for their eventual transition to school. Children are highly confident and independent, enjoying a range of stimulating activities.
Inspector highlights
Areas to develop
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
Parents speak positively of the nursery.
They comment on how supportive and helpful staff are to them as a family.
They talk about the smooth transition when children move up to the next age-group room and of the 'nice to meet you' cards from their new key person.
Parents comment on the strong communication about children's progress and learning opportunities to complete at home.
Inclusion & environment
All children make good progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children in receipt of additional funding. Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure all children who require additional support receive this promptly, devising strategies such as visual cards to help children understand daily routines. Additional funding is used effectively to provide one-to-one support for children to help them make good progress.
Children enjoy the benefits of outdoor play and have daily opportunities for physical exercise at the start of their day. Designated play areas ensure all children can receive activities to benefit their physical development, but the organisation of activities for older children does not always ensure that all children's learning reaches its full potential when quieter activities are disturbed by ball games and other large physical activities.
HDC is a lovely nursery, split across two levels with exciting areas to explore. Great safeguarding procedures, and friendly members of staff and management.
Read on Google
I’ve recently been to view this nursery, what a lovely setting. The children and staff looked very happy and engaged!
Read on Google
Our little girl has attended for the last 2 years and progressed from the babies to toddlers. She loves going to nursery! All the staff are lovely and we wouldn't send her anywhere else. The care the staff show to our daughter and all the children in their care is fantastic. We thoroughly recommend them.
Read on Google
Our son has been attending hdc Newton Abbot for several months and we could not be happier with the care he receives. All of the staff who support him make every effort to understand him as an individual and to build meaningful relationships with him. We receive loads of updates and constant communication/photos which has been really reassuring, especially when my wife first returned to work after maternity leave. We have been really impressed with the range of activities and time outdoors - in the garden and local area. They also feed him very well - I’m often jealous of his lunch! Most importantly, he loves attending and he has learnt so much from the staff and other children already! We cannot praise this nursery enough and would highly recommend.
Read on Google
I cannot recommend this setting enough....my 3 year old has been attending since 6 months old and his older brother before him attended from approx. 2 - 5 years old. The nursery played a pivotal role in both providing and helping us seek support for our eldest when he first showed signs of ASD (he was diagnosed early last year) right through to when he left to start Reception at a local Special School. Our son felt happy and safe at the nursery and developed close relationships with the staff and made 2 friends of his peers, with encouragement. Our youngest son has also thrived through his time there and has made several friends and has bonded very well with the staff. Communication is excellent, through face to face, via the ParentZone app and occasionally via phone call. The staff are always very friendly and approachable, and very informative about the activities of the day. The menu is both healthy and varied and my son throughly enjoys it, there's little he won't eat there! Would highly recommend.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for hdc Nursery Newton Abbot. See all on Google Maps
Date: May 2014
Humpty Dumpty Childcare registered in 2013 and operates in Newton Abbot town centre. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, all year round. It receives free early education funding for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 18 staff, nine of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 3.
Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to hdc Nursery Newton Abbot.
Newton Abbot · TQ12 2HD
Newton Abbot · TQ12 2JD
Newton Abbot · TQ12 2NB
Newton Abbot · TQ12 1BZ
Newton Abbot · TQ12 1PT
Newton Abbot · TQ12 3AF
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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more
