Apricot Day Nursery, located in St Neots, offers a nurturing and intimate environment for children's education, emphasising cognitive, social, and physical development. The nursery is open 51 weeks a year, from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm, with flexible extended hours available for early starts and late finishes.
They operate on two sites, with a dedicated pre-school setting just a short walk away for older children. The nursery embraces a Montessori approach within a home-from-home setting, encouraging learning through play and offering a variety of activities tailored to individual interests.
They are committed to preparing children for school through their "Next Stop School" programme, which focuses on developing confidence, social skills, and independence, and even offers a £30 Clarks voucher for school shoes to families. The curriculum is enriched by the "Brighter Learning Approach," a unique take on the Early Years Foundation Stage, providing real-life opportunities and hands-on experiences across six core areas: My Happy and Healthy Self, Wonderful World, Super Steam, Raving Readers, Mini Maths, and Confident Speakers and Communicators.
The nursery also offers a range of clubs and enhancements, including cookery, "Budding Movers" (baby yoga), "Budding Artists," "Budding Musicians," "Budding Gardeners," and "Budding Scientists," all designed to stimulate curiosity and develop new skills. Meals are freshly prepared on-site using seasonal ingredients, catering to dietary needs, and there are no extra charges for food, enhancements, or consumables.
Apricot Day Nursery fosters strong partnerships with families, providing verbal and digital updates, and assigning each child a key person to ensure individual needs are met.
Our ethos
Apricot Day Nursery embraces a Montessori approach within a home-from-home setting, encouraging learning through play and offering a variety of activities tailored to individual interests. Their unique "Brighter Learning Approach" is a take on the Early Years Foundation Stage, providing real-life opportunities and hands-on experiences across six core areas. They are committed to preparing children for school through their "Next Stop School" programme, focusing on developing confidence, social skills, and independence.
What it's like
Children thrive in this welcoming nursery, are happy, and feel safe. Staff understand how babies and children learn, providing experiences that support their interests across all learning areas. Children are learning to recognise letters and make marks in readiness for school.
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Food
Meals 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
7:30am - 6:30pm
Term time / All Year
All Year
Last inspected 19 July 2021 · Amanda Perkin
What it's like to attend
Children thrive in this welcoming nursery, are happy, and feel safe. Staff understand how babies and children learn, providing experiences that support their interests across all learning areas. Children are learning to recognise letters and make marks in readiness for school.
Inspector highlights
Areas to develop
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
parents say staff share regular information with them about their children's well-being and learning.
Parents praise the hard work of the manager and her staff.
They comment how staff supported them extremely well through the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, providing activities and ideas to support children's learning at home.
Inclusion & environment
Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively and work well with a wide range of other professionals. They implement effective support plans to help children catch up in their learning and make progress.
Children have regular physical play opportunities to promote their physical well-being. For example, babies enjoy 'tummy time,' new walkers are supported to cruise around low-level furniture and pre-school children enjoy taking part in the 'Daily Mile'.
Good arrangements are in place to support children who are learning English as an additional language. Staff find out about children's home language vocabulary and use visual picture prompts to support young children's language development.
I absolutely love visiting this nursery every two weeks to deliver our Boogie Beat sessions. The children and staff are all amazing — so welcoming, enthusiastic and full of joy. We always have the best time together, singing, dancing and sharing our stories. Thank you for having me and Giggles… we always leave with big smiles! 🎶💛🐵
Read on Google
My visit to the nursery was such a positive experience. The staff were warm and welcoming and the children all looked like they were having a wonderful time. Nothing was too much trouble and the manager answered all of my questions confidently. Thank you to the team at the nursery for such a positive visit.
Read on Google
I visited Heyford nursery last week and was very impressed with the friendliness of the staff and the very helpful and approachable manner from Heather, the Manager. Lovely activities on show and all I could observe was very happy and engaged children in all rooms from babies through to Pre-School. Lovely spacious classrooms and outside areas. A really enjoyable visit and thoroughly recommend.
Read on Google
I received a very warm welcome when I visited today. The Manager was very friendly and professional and gave me a lovely informative tour. Staff are friendly and engage well with the children. I highly recommend this nursery to others as it had such a good feeling both inside and out.
Read on Google
A lovely visit to Heyford today with Heather and the team. Everyone very welcoming, children all happy and engaged in a variety of activities both indoors and outdoors with their learning and development supported by a skilful staff team. Love that Toddlers and Preschool children participate in The Daily Mile - daily!
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for The Old Station Nursery, Heyford Park. See all on Google Maps
Most recent inspection
19 July 2021
Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.
View full Ofsted reportThe Old Station Nursery, Heyford Park registered in 2018. It is located in Heyford Park, Upper Heyford, in Oxfordshire. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery employs 18 members of staff, 13 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, including one with qualified teacher status. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years, and of the early years pupil premium.
Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to The Old Station Nursery, Heyford Park.
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Banbury · OX15 0TJ
Bicester · OX26 1EG
Bicester · OX26 3HA
Kidlington · OX5 3DH
Bicester · OX26 3UU
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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
