The Old Station Nursery St Neots

Gardening, clay and outdoor obstacle courses give this St Neots nursery's inspection-era picture its character. The Old Station Nursery St Neots has capacity for 47 children at Longsands College, Longsands Road, PE19 1LQ.

At its June 2023 inspection, under the name Apricot Day Nursery, Ofsted rated the setting Good and found that children progressed well from their starting points. Children attending then were aged 0 to 3. Those findings give families a dated assessment of care and learning, rather than a description of today's daily routine.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, its inspection-era examples included learning through play, conversation and practical tasks.

In June 2023, children explored gardening equipment while helping with flowers. Clay, pens and paper gave them opportunities to strengthen their hands and experiment with marks, useful preparation for writing. Games with bats and balls and pretend shopping provided practice in sharing and taking turns.

Outside, ramps, steps and courses built from tyres and planks offered different physical challenges. Children could practise balance as well as running. Book-sharing involved discussing pictures, predicting events and considering characters' feelings, taking stories beyond simply listening to an adult read.

In June 2023, staff joined children's play through chasing games, pretend play and peekaboo. Babies practised feeding themselves with spoons; older children cut fruit and spread cracker toppings. These small tasks made independence part of the day.

At the June 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, with staff able to recognise and report concerns, supported by training and recruitment checks. The assessment belongs to that date.

Food was cooked by an on-site chef in June 2023, with dietary requirements and allergies accommodated. Children also had opportunities to help themselves from serving dishes and try unfamiliar foods.

The June 2023 arrangements included support for children moving to a linked preschool. This was transition support, rather than evidence of an admissions advantage.

The address is Longsands College, Longsands Road, St Neots, PE19 1LQ. It has capacity for 47 children in total.

In June 2023, the nursery operated Monday to Friday throughout the year, closing for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Session times then ran from 7.30am to 6.30pm. Families comparing attendance options should treat that as a dated operating pattern.

• Language during activities. In June 2023, some songs and conversations moved too quickly or needed clearer gestures and visual support. This matters for children learning to understand and use new words.
• Improvement planning. In June 2023, self-evaluation needed sharper priorities so that changes would have more impact on children, families and staff. The Good judgement sat alongside this development point.
• Choosing attendance. At a visit, which current session patterns and age groups would fit your child's needs? The June 2023 timetable provides a useful starting point for that discussion.

For families who value practical play and opportunities to become independent, the June 2023 picture offers useful reasons to consider this nursery. Gardening, shared stories and physical challenges supplied concrete ways for children to learn. The Good assessment also carried specific work on language and improvement planning; those points deserve weight alongside the positive findings.