Busy Bees Day Nursery at Chelmsford
Outstanding★ 4.4 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Chelmsford 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 Outstanding by Ofsted in July 2022. Open since 2000, with 99 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
CM2 0GTWhat 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.
- 4 July 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 28 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children feel welcome and valued at this nurturing and exciting nursery. They delight in finding the photo of themselves on the nursery tree. Children form strong bonds with the warm and friendly staff. Staff provide high-quality care and education through exceptionally well-planned play experiences. Children love making play dough. They explore colours, textures and smells, learning about ingredients and creating processes. Younger children adore painting with flower heads, experimenting with colours and patterns. As a result, all children make pleasing progress with their development.
Children's behaviour is exceptional. Staff highly praise desirable behaviour, and children understand the rules and expectations. Staff act as incredible role models for respecting others and accepting differences. As a result, children grow to be supportive of their peers, and delight in others' achievements. Children's play becomes all-inclusive, as they invite others to play with them. They also learn the importance of sharing and turn taking.
Children become extremely independent from a young age. Staff support them to achieve their goals. Younger children easily access resources to play with. Older children self-register, find their own place mats at mealtimes and scrape their leftover food into the bin. Children develop great respect for their environment.
- 28 July 2022Outstanding
- 5 March 2014Outstanding
- 4 April 2013Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Chelmsford
- 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.