Busy Bees Playgroup
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Brighton for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2024. Open since 1992, with 25 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 West Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in West Sussex 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
BN42 4NAWhat 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, 1 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children demonstrate that they have positive and strong bonds with staff. Staff greet them warmly and children show that they are excited to arrive at the playgroup. Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their physical skills.
Children climb steps, ride bicycles and skilfully stack bricks on a pretend construction site. Staff plan well-thought-out activities to enable all children, particularly those who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to take part. Children engage enthusiastically in activities. Staff support children of mixed ages to work together to complete tasks such as collecting and carrying water to a particular activity. Children are told that they must walk 'carefully' and 'slowly' when moving heavy buckets. This helps them to understand how to keep themselves safe.
Children build good levels of concentration and persist at their chosen activities. For example, they carefully use hooks to pick up large, numbered shells. 'I did it!' they exclaim, which demonstrates a clear sense of achievement. The manager encourages staff to make an effective plan for children's next learning steps. Staff have a clear plan for children's learning, which enables children to gain skills that they will need for future learning.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- organise group activities more effectively to ensure all children, particularly younger or quieter children, are able to contribute and benefit more fully from the learning opportunities n develop further the arrangements to promote healthy eating and to support children to learn to make healthy choices in relation to food.
- 1 February 2024Good
- 24 May 2018Good
- 24 September 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Playgroup
- 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.