Busy Bees Day Nursery at Harpenden Leyton Road
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Harpenden for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2023. Open since 1996, with 55 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 Hertfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hertfordshire 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
AL5 2HZWhat 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, 14 November 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and are keen to come into the nursery. They are warmly welcomed by the friendly and nurturing staff. Children quickly form secure and trusting relationships with the staff who care for them. Babies who are new to the nursery, snuggle up to their key persons for comfort, while others share books with other members of staff. Older children form good friendships with their peers. Staff give them daily responsibilities as 'ambassadors'. Children are proud to welcome visitors to their nursery and talk about the health and safety checks that they carry out.
Children benefit from a well-planned and sequenced curriculum, which builds on what they know and can do over their time in the nursery. Staff use children's interests well and engage them in meaningful learning experiences. Toddlers enjoy taking part in creative activities based on their favourite nursery rhymes. They use words to describe what they are doing, such as 'dip'. Attentive staff acknowledge and build on toddlers' emerging language, for example, by replying 'yes you have dipped the brush in red paint'. Children thoroughly enjoy being outdoors, where they have many opportunities to be active and explore. The weekly sports session is especially popular with pre-school children. Children play cooperatively. They listen to and respect staff. Children's behaviour throughout the nursery is very good.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance the quality of staff's teaching so that all children consistently receive the highest quality interactions to inspire their play and learning n continue to ensure that the good policies relating to hygiene are fully embedded across the nursery.
- 14 November 2023Good
- 4 January 2018Good
- 7 November 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Harpenden Leyton Road
- 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.