Busy Bees Day Nursery at Rainham
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Gillingham for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2022. Open since 1997, with 81 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 Medway
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Medway 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
ME8 8EBWhat 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, 28 September 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children form very good attachments with staff from the outset. They show that they feel happy and secure. Children arrive with smiles on their faces and are eager to start the day. Children benefit from a rich variety of activities and respond well to the settling-in plans implemented for each stage of their journey.
Children benefit from a fun and varied curriculum. Babies and toddlers are encouraged use signing and gesturing to effectively communicate their needs. This supports their early language skills and develops their concentration. Younger children enjoy singing nursery rhymes and using coloured crayons. For instance, they make marks on large paper on the floor and enjoy naming and sorting the colours. Staff effectively demonstrate how to hold the crayon with a firm grip and support children to discuss different colours, shapes, and sizes. This helps their early mathematical awareness as well as development of fine motor control.
Pre-school children show great enthusiasm as they make bridges to balance on in the garden. They enjoy working as a team and discussing the different ways that they can get across. Staff encourage them to count as they step and use language, such as 'more' and 'longer', to develop early mathematical vocabulary. Children show good spatial awareness, perseverance and independence as they explore their environment.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- extend opportunities for outdoor learning to fully support children who prefer to learn outside, in all areas of learning n enhance the planning of activities to ensure the intent is clear and learning concepts are embedded before moving on.
- 28 September 2022Good
- 26 July 2017Good
- 18 September 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Rainham
- 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.