Busy Bees Day Nursery at Southwell
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Southwell 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 July 2022. Open since 2003, with 54 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 Nottinghamshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Nottinghamshire 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
NG25 0NLWhat 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, 27 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and safe in the home-from-home environment created by staff.
They settle quickly in staff's care. Children have close relationships with staff and their friends. They happily help one another tidy resources away when they have finished, working as a team to move larger resources outdoors. Children are keen to be independent from a young age. Staff praise babies as they persevere to put their own hats on in the garden. Children behave exceptionally well and follow staff's instructions. They remind each other of how staff expect them to behave including explaining they practice 'good listening'. Children know the routines of the day including lining up to wash their hands before lunch. They consistently use the words 'please' and 'thank you' when responding to each other and staff.
Children enjoy developing their hand muscles in preparation for writing, by squashing and squeezing play dough. They make choices from a variety of resources and develop a creative nature. Children confidently share their ideas with each other. They explain that their creations look like different flavoured ice creams and share stories about when they have eaten ice cream before. Children laugh and tell staff if they eat ice cream too fast, they get 'brain freeze'. They discuss with staff how that makes them feel and pull funny faces. Children are curious and ask staff questions, such as, why cold food makes their bodies feel 'chilly'. During conversations children listen carefully to staff and their friends and wait patiently for their turn to talk.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- embed further the professional development room leaders are provided to improve the consistency of leadership skills and ability n differentiate interactions and activities further to provide enough challenge for all children.
- 27 July 2022Good
- 16 November 2015Outstanding
- 21 June 2011Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Southwell
- 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.