Busy Bees Day Nursery at Chafford Hundred
Good★ 4.9 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Grays for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 19:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 2000, with 98 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 Thurrock
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Thurrock 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
RM16 6RWWhat 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, 29 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive confident and ready to start their day. They hang up their belongings and receive a warm welcome from staff. Children's interests are valued and fully incorporated into their day. This supports them to sustain interest in their play, behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. Staff provide personalised care and learning for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children are keen to explore and enjoy the activities staff provide. For example, babies enjoy splashing with water and building with bricks. Toddlers mix different coloured paint into water and pretend to make
'smoothies'. Pre-school children use mirrors to draw self-portraits, and they discuss what features they have that are the same and different to their peers.
Staff provide gentle reminders about positive behaviour. They encourage children to use good manners and play cooperatively together. Children learn how to look after themselves. For example, from a young age they learn how to brush their teeth and what foods are best for their health. Children are encouraged to use cutlery to feed themselves at mealtimes. They learn good hygiene routines, such as washing their hands before mealtimes. Hygiene stations are in place in each room to encourage children to wipe their own noses and dispose of the tissues appropriately.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to identify more precisely each child's next steps in learning, so that all activities for children have clear focus n extend the good communication with parents, exploring ways to consistently share information with them about how they can support their child's learning at home.
- 29 May 2024Good
- 1 June 2018Outstanding
- 3 September 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Chafford Hundred
- 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.