Busy Bee Pre-school
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in London for from 2 years up to school age, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 1993, with 50 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Under this scheme all 3 and 4 year olds qualify for 15 hours automatically, working parents and parents of 2 years old will have to apply for a code, some may be entitled to 30 hours a week.
What childcare usually costs in Waltham Forest
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Waltham Forest 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
E4 9HGWhat 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.
Ofsted inspector, 19 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children demonstrate through their interactions with staff that they feel happy and safe. They actively seek staff out to join in their play and confidently show visitors what they are doing. Relationships between staff and children are respectful.
Children behave very well and learn rules that teach them about respect and acceptable behaviour, such as 'good listening'. Staff are extremely conscious of children's safety. As children climb the large hexagonal climbing frame, staff are vigilant to allow them the experience to move in different ways while also keeping themselves safe.
Staff plan highly inclusive activities that support all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good progress. For instance, staff support children who are less mobile to be able to access all areas of learning. They adjust table heights and spend one-to-one time with children who may need further support to help build strong bonds. This means all children can be independent and stay engaged in play.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to review children's learning opportunities to enable the quieter children to fully participate.
- 19 January 2024Good
- 25 April 2018Good
- 13 July 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bee Pre-school
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.