Bees Knees Day Nursery and Pre-School
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Reading for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2023. Open since 2003, with 57 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Reading
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Reading from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
RG30 2UEWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
- 11 March 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 23 August 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 22 September 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 18 December 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are cared for by an enthusiastic and committed staff team. Children are greeted by warm and friendly staff when they arrive. Babies settle quickly into the arms of staff, who know and mirror the care routines they receive at home. Older children enjoy the opportunities to work collaboratively with key staff and their friends. Staff support children effectively to gain independence and self-care skills.
Consequently, children are eager to try things for themselves, such as serving their meals and pouring their own drinks.
Staff listen to children and plan activities around their interests and learning needs.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- extend strategies used for questioning children, to develop the consistency of staff's interactions to further support children's ideas and thinking skills n strengthen the way that information about children's learning priorities is shared with parents to further enhance and support children's learning at home.
- 18 December 2023Good
- 12 July 2023Inadequate
- 10 January 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bees Knees Day Nursery and Pre-School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.