Apricot Nursery

A chicken coop, vegetables growing in the garden and woodwork give Apricot Nursery a practical streak. Children can explore how food reaches the table as well as experiment through play. This Orton Longueville setting combines neutral interiors with a large enclosed outdoor area, giving families concrete reasons to look beyond the usual nursery promises.

Apricot accepts children from 3 months to 5 years and has 83 places in total. Its address is 24 Wainman Road, Peterborough, PE2 7BU. Baby Room, Toddler Room and Pre-School provide the stages of its early-years provision, with different emphases as children grow.

At its 19 September 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Apricot Good overall, with the same judgement across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. There was a clear teaching improvement point: staff needed to establish what children had understood before making planned activities harder. That is a useful question for parents interested in how play becomes learning.

Year-round and term-time bookings are offered, with the attendance arrangements set out below.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room centres learning on sensory experiences, Toddler Room emphasises practising new skills repeatedly with adult guidance, and Pre-School develops communication alongside physical and emotional skills.

The rooms have neutral decoration and modern equipment, while the enclosed outdoor space adds room for exploration.

Learning and Activities

The curriculum follows the EYFS, the framework for early learning and care: children learn through play, with adults supporting their development and assessing progress. Apricot combines activities directed by adults with play chosen by children. Staff can introduce an idea, then follow a child's interests and help extend what they are doing. This gives room for both planned learning and spontaneous exploration.

Sensory Play involves exploring sensations and developing an understanding of themselves; Yoga Classes provide a relaxed setting for movement; Woodwork introduces practical making; and Art Class gives children opportunities to create. These additions sit alongside the EYFS. Further detail is on the curriculum page.

In September 2024, babies joined signing activities and used a gesture to request another song. Adults helped younger children extend their pretend play by wrapping dolls and settling them to sleep, while older children searched through sand for toy animals. The examples show learning at different stages: communicating a wish, acting out familiar care routines and investigating materials.

Language ran through activities and everyday routines in September 2024. Adults talked about children's play, demonstrated pronunciation and introduced useful vocabulary during dough play; older children answered questions about their activities. This is relevant for families who want conversation to happen throughout the day, rather than only during a designated language activity.

The teaching concern also belongs in this picture. In September 2024, some planned activities became more demanding before children were ready, because staff sometimes lost track of the intended learning. The practical issue was pacing: an engaging task still needs to match what a child understands. Parents can use that distinction when discussing examples of their child's learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Vegetable growing and the chicken coop connect outdoor experiences with food. Children have opportunities to learn about growing produce and collecting eggs, linking everyday meals with something tangible. Food preparation and laying the table also bring children into the process, rather than making eating a wholly adult-managed routine.

In September 2024, children had outdoor exercise each day. Babies practised walking with adult support, younger children explored the garden and older children had daily yoga involving poses and breathing. That daily frequency belongs to the inspection period; Yoga Classes also form part of the current curriculum offer.

Relationships and Communication

A key person plans experiences around each child's interests and developmental stage, observes their learning and monitors progress. Parents are invited to contribute to that planning. The benefit is continuity: a child's experiences at home can inform what staff offer at nursery, while observations help shape the next activities.

Baby care follows an existing routine where a child already has one. This gives families a starting point for discussing the habits their baby knows, rather than assuming that every baby should fit one timetable. The nursery recommends at least two or three settling visits, spread over two weeks where possible, with scope to add visits if needed.

Digital communication supports the relationship with parents. Staff use iPads and nursery software to share learning updates, giving families another way to follow their child's experiences.

In September 2024, settling arrangements covered both starting nursery and moving between rooms. Adults comforted distressed babies and used familiar favourite toys to help them settle. Younger children were approached gently before nappy changes, with an explanation of what was happening. Those small interactions show the attention given to emotional comfort during everyday care.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described support that included identifying developmental delays, working with parents and professionals, and using additional funding for individual resources and extra staffing. These are practical mechanisms for support, with the judgement tied to that inspection date.

Independence was part of everyday life in September 2024. Children practised serving food, handling drinks and putting their belongings away. Adults encouraged them to attempt tasks before stepping in, and used clear, positive guidance about behaviour. For parents, this gives a concrete picture of preparation for greater independence: familiar daily tasks, with help close by.

Cooks prepare food at the nursery each day, and the menu changes weekly. Growing vegetables and learning about eggs from the chicken coop connect ingredients with the meals children eat.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year except bank holidays. This is the opening window; the funding arrangements distinguish between year-round and term-time bookings.

Funded attendance can be stretched across 49.8 weeks or taken during 38 term-time weeks. A separate term-time free offer has sessions at the manager's discretion. These options matter for household planning because spreading entitlement through the year and using it in term time produce different attendance arrangements.

The enquiry route includes telephone contact on 01733 390 969 and a personal callback request. Application paperwork can also be completed through the online booking route. The nursery supports families with funding forms, and claims funding on behalf of three- and four-year-olds after the required paperwork is completed.

Getting There

Apricot's address is 24 Wainman Road, Orton Longueville, Peterborough, PE2 7BU. The setting has CCTV and a video door-entry system; these are physical access arrangements rather than a substitute for the dated safeguarding judgement above.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible two-year-olds and through the 15- and 30-hour entitlements for three- and four-year-olds. Eligibility conditions apply. The fees and funding page sets out the term-time and stretched booking options, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Parents provide sunscreen, along with seasonal clothing such as hats, raincoats and wellies. The packing list also includes a toothbrush and toothpaste.

• Teaching at the right pace. The September 2024 improvement point concerned checking understanding before increasing an activity's difficulty. During a visit, ask the key person to explain a recent example of how observations changed the next activity.
• Funding across the calendar. The 49.8-week stretched option and 38-week term-time option serve different routines, while the separate free offer leaves sessions to the manager's discretion. Discuss which arrangement fits your intended attendance before completing the paperwork.
• The whole childcare bill. Food is prepared on site, and parents bring sunscreen and dental-care items. Ask for a written breakdown of meal and consumable charges for your intended funded or paid arrangement.
• A gradual start. Apricot recommends at least two or three settling visits, preferably across two weeks. Use a visit to discuss how those sessions would accommodate your baby's routine and any additional support needs.

Apricot suits families seeking either year-round attendance or term-time childcare, with sensory learning for babies and practical activities as children grow. Vegetable growing, the chicken coop and Woodwork make the offer recognisable, while the key person system gives parents a defined relationship through which to discuss development.

The September 2024 Good judgement provides a useful quality reference, alongside a specific caution about checking understanding before increasing challenge. Families who value practical play, outdoor experiences and gradual settling have clear reasons to consider Apricot.