Busy Bees Day Nursery at Welwyn Garden City
Outstanding★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Welwyn Garden City 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 Outstanding by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 2005, with 85 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
AL7 1TNWhat 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.
- 25 September 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 3 August 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 24 February 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 8 October 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 22 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thrive in this nurturing nursery. They are greeted by kind and caring staff, who support them to settle. Consequently, children quickly develop confidence to leave their parents and carers. Children happily engage in the wide range of activities and play spaces available to them. They remain focused, and during role play, they re-enact their real-life experiences. For example, older children giggle as they tell visitors they are going to 'soft play' as they wave goodbye. As younger children pick vegetables from a pretend grow bed, staff talk about which vegetables they might like to use in soup they are making. This helps children to understand and make further connections from their experiences in the world in which they live.
Staff value the importance of supporting children with their emotional development. They teach children to recognise and accurately label their feelings.
This supports children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to identify and manage their emotions. They benefit from break-away spaces, where they can rest and relax. Older children spend time enjoying yoga activities, where they practise gentle breathing techniques. Babies spend large amounts of time with key staff. This helps them to form strong emotional attachments. As a result, babies are happy and curious. They explore the intriguing environment confidently. Staff ensure that children understand the nursery rules by clearly explaining why they are important. They are excellent role models, expertly modelling kind, courteous behaviours and language. As a result, children's behaviour is exceptional.
- 22 November 2022Outstanding
- 16 March 2017Good
- 19 September 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Welwyn Garden City
- 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.