Busy Bees Day Nursery at Reading International
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Basingstoke Road for children from birth to 5, 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 April 2023. Open since 2014, with 105 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 Reading
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Reading 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
RG2 6DAWhat 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, 3 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are greeted by staff who are affectionate and sensitive to their needs. This helps children feel secure and they settle well. Children are encouraged to engage in learning, and focus on their activity with positive interactions from staff. The youngest children are warmly supported to settle into their environment. For instance, staff gently comfort them by singing and looking at books. The staff read to the children in a way that provokes their curiosity and keeps them interested.
They encourage the children to turn the pages themselves. With thoughtful distraction, their transitions are supported well.
Children love being outside, and staff provide activities that engage the children and support their learning. For example, children have individual pots of water and paintbrushes. They make marks on the floor and walls and staff support them to recognise simple shapes. They extend their activity by encouraging the children to write the first letter of their name. Children are engrossed in their learning and relish in their experience. Furthermore, staff sit with children and build towers using large soft bricks. They encourage children to persevere and share their delight when they knock the towers down.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - ensure that older children are encouraged to become increasingly independent during all routine activities, including mealtimes n strengthen the planning of group activities to ensure that these sessions engage and include all children consistently.
- 3 April 2023Good
- 18 December 2019Good
- 13 June 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Reading International
- 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.