Busy Bees Day Nursery at Derby Heatherton
Good★ 4.4 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Derby 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 May 2023. Open since 1999, 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 Derby
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derby 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
DE23 3TZWhat 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.
- 13 January 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 19 May 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children eagerly arrive, excited to learn at the well-presented nursery created by staff. They confidently share their ideas with their friends and make choices in their play. Children develop their imagination and learn new vocabulary as staff explain what a 'barista' is. They listen intently to staff's instructions and work together, willingly sharing resources as they pretend to make different drinks. Children practise their counting skills and show deep concentration as they add scoops of mud and water into their cup, taking care not to spill any. They are keen to try things for themselves, such as using their hand muscles to open containers of different ingredients. Children answer a variety of questions staff ask about how they could mix their drinks and what they could use to imitate cream. They confidently ask questions they are not sure about. Children remind their friends what staff have taught them about keeping safe and healthy, explaining to each other why they cannot really drink their pretend coffee. They all erupt with laughter as one child suggests the coffee smells a little like 'poo', demonstrating their firm friendships and secure relationships with staff.
Staff praise children for using their manners as they say 'excuse me' and 'please'
when responding to one another. Pre-school children tell their friends to wait in a line after washing their hands ready for snack. They persevere to peel oranges and other fruit independently, ready to eat. They learn to take responsibility for their own things as staff help them to scrape their plate and put it in the washing bowl when they have finished.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - provide staff with further targeted support that effectively improves the consistency of high-quality teaching when supporting the youngest children in their self-chosen play n improve how staff share their expectations and provide children with more consistent behaviour support, particularly during the routines of the day n develop room leaders' ability to guide staff to make best use of the environment available and position themselves to best support all children's learning and development.
- 19 May 2023Good
- 28 November 2022Inadequate
- 1 February 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Derby Heatherton
- 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.