Busy Bees Day Nursery at Braintree
Good★ 4.6 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Braintree for children from birth to 5, open 07:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 July 2022. Open since 2001, with 109 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 Essex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Essex 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
CM77 8GAWhat 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.
- 2 August 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 26 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive eager to learn. Babies and toddlers settle quickly and have established close bonds with their key person. Children engage in activities supported by the caring, nurturing practitioners. Children enthusiastically investigate the inspiring activities provided. Practitioners are skilful in supporting the children's interests. For example, children enjoy stories about families. They share their own family photo books and talk about different types of families. They discuss the similarities and differences which leads them to compare hands and feet. They use rulers and work together using mathematical language to decide who has bigger feet.
Children show sustained levels of concentration as they cut and juice fruits. They manage the juicer well and this helps strengthen their hand muscles in preparation for early writing skills. They persevere as they cut limes and delight when they succeed. Children share their knowledge, explaining that watermelons grow on the floor, because they are heavy and would smash if they fell from trees when ripe.
Practitioners support children's interest in a local building site. Children recall information they have previously learned about structures. They use new words, such as 'foundations'. Children work in a team and follow the plans they have drawn to build their own 'coffee shop'.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the use of effective questioning skills to give children more time to think and respond to questions and enable them to share their thoughts and ideas.
- 26 July 2022Good
- 9 September 2014Outstanding
- 27 January 2009Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Braintree
- 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.