Busy Bees Queen of Hearts Kettering
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Kettering for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 September 2024. Open since 1990, with 81 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 North Northamptonshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in North Northamptonshire 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
NN16 9AGWhat 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, 19 September 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy to attend this nursery. Older children are very confident as they tell visitors about their favourite activities. Children display high levels of engagement as they participate in the activities that staff provide. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and, generally, children behave well. When children display unwanted behaviour, staff intervene promptly and explain to them why their behaviour is unacceptable. Children follow instructions, for example, when staff ask them to wash their hands at lunchtime. Children are proud to be chosen as a helper and assist staff to set the table. Staff provide lots of cuddles and reassurance for babies if they become unsettled.
Children become increasingly independent. Babies learn how to clean their own hands and faces. Older children learn to clean their plates and take responsibility for keeping their environment tidy. They begin to recognise their own name as they hang up their coats. Staff focus on teaching young children how to develop their physical skills to keep themselves safe. They teach them how to use a slide and explain why it is important to sit down when using it. Children develop a love of singing as staff sing familiar nursery rhymes with them. Children enjoy learning about different seasons. Staff take them on nature hunts and compare the different colours of the leaves.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop staff's knowledge and understanding of how to support children's communication and language skills further so children can learn new vocabulary and communicate effectively n review staff deployment to fully support children who are settling in and ensure all children spend quality time with their key person.
- 19 September 2024Good
- 22 October 2018Outstanding
- 27 November 2017Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Queen of Hearts Kettering
- 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.