Busy Bees Day Nursery at Stevenage
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Stevenage 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2024. Open since 2004, with 98 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
SG1 1GGWhat 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, 24 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are settled and enjoy their time at nursery. They are ambassadors for the nursery and warmly welcome visitors with confidence and happiness. Staff have developed attachments with children to help them feel settled and secure. Leaders prioritise working closely with parents to support children with transitions and make their experiences special. This supports children to have a positive attitude when arriving at nursery and wave goodbye to parents to get ready for their day.
The curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that it meets the needs of all children. Staff make well-thought-out adaptations to get the most out of children's learning, and plan specific next steps. This ensures that children are offered a wide range of interesting activities that they can excitedly explore, and become reflective and curious about the world around them. Children behave well and are friendly towards one another. Staff recognise the importance of responding to children's interests, and support them to resolve their conflicts calmly.
Leaders and staff support children's development and liaise effectively with other professionals. They identify additional support that children need to ensure that they build on what children already know and what they can do to make progress from their starting points.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help staff to consistently support children with their emerging independence and self-help skills in everyday routines.
- 24 September 2024Good
- 29 October 2018Good
- 18 May 2018Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Stevenage
- 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.