Busy Bees Day Nursery at Guildford
Good★ 4.4 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Guildford 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 July 2023. Open since 1995, with 86 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 Surrey
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Surrey 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
GU2 7WWWhat 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.
- 8 January 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 25 July 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 15 February 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 3 March 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 26 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the nursery and settle quickly in the care of the welcoming and friendly staff team. They develop secure bonds with staff, which promotes children's well-being and happiness. There is a purposeful curriculum that the manager oversees, and staff plan effectively to meet the learning needs, styles and interests of each child. From a young age, children learn to show kindness and consideration for another and how to cooperate. For instance, pre-school children take turns when playing games and to work together to rock on the see-saw.
Babies show increasing resilience when they accidentally take a little tumble. They pick themselves up and receive effective support from staff regarding their welfare.
Babies also learn about self-care, such as the importance of and how to replace their sun hats if they fall off. Toddlers receive good levels of encouragement to ask for help, and to use simple words and sentences to do so. This means that they begin to understand their needs and how to communicate their needs and desires.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's understanding of giving children time to respond to questions and of providing clear explanations as to the consequences of their actions n improve the organisation of mealtimes for younger children to ensure that their needs are consistently met.
- 26 July 2023Good
- 30 January 2023Inadequate
- 24 October 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Guildford
- 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.