Busy Bees Day Nursery at Northampton, Riverside
Good★ 4.9 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Northampton 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 October 2024. Open since 2013, with 92 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 West Northamptonshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Northamptonshire 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
NN3 9HWWhat 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.
- 22 March 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 29 October 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are eager to start their day at this welcoming nursery. Staff spend time with children and get to know them when they first start. This helps children to settle quickly and form reassuring bonds with staff. Staff provide a calm environment and implement simple routines to create a safe and consistent experience for children. Children take part in learning experiences that have been carefully planned to meet their developmental needs. For example, babies enjoy using spoons to scoop lemons out of the water into containers. This helps them learn the skills that are needed to use a spoon at mealtimes. Toddlers strengthen their hands as they squeeze and roll play dough along to music. Pre-school children are learning to problem-solve and work as a team as they build structures with large construction pieces. Staff are close by to offer support. For example, they suggest that children widen the base, so it is easier for them to reach and will prevent it from toppling on them. This helps children learn to manage potential risks and keep themselves safe.
Children learn to behave well. They learn what staff expect of them because staff provide them with simple rules and boundaries to support their good behaviour.
Staff gently reinforce these rules throughout the day. Consequently, children play cooperatively with their friends and are learning to share and take turns.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to consistently extend and challenge children's learning during spontaneous play n strengthen the curriculum for outdoors so that children's development is promoted more effectively across all areas of learning.
- 29 October 2024Good
- 14 November 2023Needs improvement
- 23 January 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Northampton, Riverside
- 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.