Busy Bees Day Nursery at Darlington
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Darlington 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 November 2022. Open since 1998, with 88 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 Darlington
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Darlington 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
DL3 9EXWhat 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, 9 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are well cared for by a kind, caring and attentive staff team. Staff focus on supporting children to develop secure bonds with their key person. Children who are new to the nursery and feel unsettled are offered lots of comfort and reassurance. This helps them to begin to feel settled, safe and secure. Children show confidence and behave well as they relate well to the staff team. Babies are engrossed in their play and make good progress in their learning. In the pre-school room, children confidently access activities, indoors and outdoors, that help them to develop their skills across all areas of learning.
Children are supported to develop the fundamental core skills to support their future development. They learn to share and take turns. Children are encouraged to interact positively with their peers. They learn to sit and listen for extended periods of time as they progress through the nursery. Staff help children to learn to vocalise their needs and to recognise and deal appropriately with their emotions.
Staff use outdoor play to support children to develop their physical skills. Staff maximise these opportunities to help children to learn how to extend their independence, such as they successfully put on their coats and shoes.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help staff to further develop their understanding of the curriculum, so that they are aware of the specific learning intentions for individual children
- gather more detailed information from parents about what children already know and can do when they first start at the setting
- develop the consistency of staff's engagement and interactions with children further to fully support and extend children's learning.
- 9 November 2022Good
- 29 November 2016Good
- 25 November 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Darlington
- 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.