Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Bernard Street
Good★ 4.3 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in St. Albans 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 December 2021. Open since 1993, with 61 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
AL3 5QNWhat 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.
- 26 April 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 9 December 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive eagerly and receive a warm welcome when they arrive at nursery.
They are confident, settle quickly and begin to explore a wide range of activities and toys. It is clear that staff have friendly and caring relationships with children and know them well. This means children are happy and secure to learn.
Children become deeply engaged and have fun making lemon shortcake biscuits.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve the planning of adult-led activities to support and develop children's learning n enhance learning opportunities for children to consistently develop their independence skills and extend their knowledge about health and hygiene routines.
- 9 December 2021Good
- 2 March 2017Good
- 3 July 2013Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at St Albans Bernard Street
- 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.