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Busy Bees at Maidstone Oakwood

Ofsted: Requires improvement
(Sept 2025)
·
4.8(9 parent reviews) ·Queens Road, Maidstone, ME16 0JN · Kent
Number of places
65 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Sept 2025
Local authority
Kent

About this day nursery

The nursery re-registered in 2025 and provides a curriculum based around children's interests, using themes to support their knowledge and skills. While the nursery received a "Requires Improvement" rating in its latest Ofsted inspection on September 1, 2025, staff are noted for knowing their key children well and building good bonds with them.

The setting has provisions for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with plans in place to support their development, and parents receive regular updates. The inspection observed both indoor and outdoor learning environments, noting that staff use stories and songs to support language development and provide opportunities for children to develop physical skills and take safe risks.

Children are encouraged to develop independence and express their creativity, including exploring art.

What it's like

The quality of teaching and children's overall experiences are variable due to inconsistencies in staff support. Staff know their key children well and children enjoy interacting with them. However, the organisation of some routines impacts how well children's individual needs are met.

Supports language developmentPhysical skill developmentPromotes independenceFosters creativitySEND provision

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)

Key facts

Opening hours

weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round

Term time / All Year

All Year

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Busy Bees at Maidstone Oakwood

Last inspected 1 September 2025

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Requires improvement
Leadership and management
Requires improvement

What it's like to attend

The quality of teaching and children's overall experiences are variable due to inconsistencies in staff support. Staff know their key children well and children enjoy interacting with them. However, the organisation of some routines impacts how well children's individual needs are met.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff use stories and songs to support children's language development.
  • Babies and children have opportunities to develop their physical skills and learn to take safe risks.
  • Parents receive information regarding children's next steps, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
  • Staff support children to develop their independence.
  • Children enjoy expressing their creativity and discovering the world, enhancing their cultural understanding.

Areas to develop

  • 1strengthen the supervision, coaching and monitoring of staff, to improve the quality of interactions, and the delivery of the curriculum, to raise teaching to a consistently good level
  • 2improve the organisation of less effective parts of the daily routine to reduce the time that children need to wait without receiving any meaningful engagement from staff.
Inspection #10418754 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Children with special educational needs and or/disabilities have plans in place to support their development, which is discussed and shared with parents regularly.

Outdoor space

The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

Parent Reviews of Busy Bees at Maidstone Oakwood

4.8
(9)
Malinka Margolcia
a year ago

My son has been attending since he was 9 months old, and now that he's started school this year, I can't emphasize enough how well-prepared he was for this new chapter. I am incredibly grateful to the amazing staff for their dedication throughout these three years. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking to give their little one the best possible start in life. Thank you!

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Gina Chuter
4 years ago

Staff seemed off, invoices weren't sorted out properly and we were blamed even though it weren't our fault. got to busy bees 20 minutes earlier and was told we couldn't come in and my son and his nan and me were all made to wait outside in the freezing cold until it was dead on one o clock this is not the first time this has happened we have had such rude and petty treatment from staff not every one, but one in particular, staff have got our sons food wrong constantly having to say that our son does not eat meat when they know that he is a vegeterian. Overall it is a good service but these are my gripes.

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Billie Louise Fogarty
2 years ago

I can't speak highly enough of the Allington Busy Bees. The staff are lovely, kind and caring towards my child. They always go above and beyond.

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Duane C
a year ago

Excellent place and my son loved the time he spent here. Staff are all lovely and work so hard.

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Samuel Hart
2 years ago

Great friendly atmosphere. Always able to stop for a chat and nothing is ever to much to ask.

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Reviews from Google for Busy Bees at Maidstone Oakwood. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Most recent inspection

1 September 2025

Requires improvement

Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.

View full Ofsted report

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