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Busy Bees Day Nursery at Newbury

Ofsted: Needs attention·
4.1(9 parent reviews) ·Monks Lane, Newbury, RG14 7TD · West Berkshire
Number of places
104 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
May 2026
Local authority
West Berkshire

About this day nursery

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Newbury, established in 2002 and acquired by Just Learning Ltd in 2012, provides childcare for children aged 0-4 years. Situated within the grounds of Newbury College, it operates from 7:30 am to 6 pm on weekdays throughout the year, with the exception of bank holidays.

The nursery is registered for 104 children and has 92 children on roll. They accept funding for free early education for two, three, and four-year-olds.

The dedicated team of 28 staff, including 16 who hold Level 3 qualifications or above, ensures children are happy and excited to attend. The curriculum prioritises independence, with children learning to self-register and manage personal needs.

Physical activity is a daily focus, with opportunities for dancing and hopping in the garden. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the curriculum is ambitious, with individualised plans and close collaboration with the nursery's SEND coordinator, resulting in good progress.

Parents are highly satisfied, appreciating daily verbal feedback and the staff's caring and approachable nature.

What it's like

Children are happy and excited to attend the nursery, receiving a warm welcome and emotional support from staff. They enjoy a wide variety of activities, from exploring sand to yoga and hula hooping, setting strong foundations for future learning. Children develop good communication skills and self-regulate their behaviour with the help of practitioners.

Focus on independencePhysical playStrong parent partnershipsAmbitious SEND provisionGood communication skills

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)

Key facts

Opening hours

Each weekday throughout the year, between 7.30am and 6pm, with the exception of bank holidays.

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2002

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Needs attention

Last inspected May 2026

Headline: Needs attention

Grade summary

Exceptional
—
Strong standard
—
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
—

Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.

Category grades

AchievementNeeds attention
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesExpected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingNeeds attention
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
InclusionNeeds attention
Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
Age range
1 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Newbury

Last inspected 11 May 2026

Safeguarding effective

What it's like to attend

Children are happy and excited to attend the nursery, receiving a warm welcome and emotional support from staff. They enjoy a wide variety of activities, from exploring sand to yoga and hula hooping, setting strong foundations for future learning. Children develop good communication skills and self-regulate their behaviour with the help of practitioners.

Inspector highlights

  • Teaching children independence skills is at the heart of the nursery curriculum.
  • Children are regularly engaged in physical play and have strong large and fine motor skills.
  • Leaders have effective systems for staff supervision and support.
  • Children show high levels of curiosity and concentration, learning early mathematical concepts.
  • Leaders and staff have the same ambition for all children, including those with SEND.
  • Children have positive attitudes towards play and learning.
  • The nursery has strong parent partnerships.
  • Children have good communication skills. They confidently share their thoughts and ideas with friends and adults.

Areas to develop

  • 1Strengthen practice to ensure children are consistently supported to become independent and manage their own personal needs.
  • 2Further develop staff continual professional development to ensure knowledge and teaching improves over time.
Inspection #10234663 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The curriculum for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is ambitious and meets their needs. Children that need additional support have individualised plans with specific targets that focus on the next stage of development. Staff work closely with the nursery special educational needs coordinator to review children's development, resulting in good progress for children with SEND.

Outdoor space

Staff plan regular opportunities for children to be physically active in their play, offering an 'out of breath experience' every day. Older children hop in the garden on hoppers or dance to music.

Parent Reviews of Busy Bees Day Nursery at Newbury

4.1
(9)
Katarzyna Dudek
7 months ago

The best nursery, lovely ladies, great food. My child is very happy to go there. He's developing great.

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Georgina Eldridge
4 years ago

BusyBees (Newbury) welcomed us with open arms from day one. Whilst always professional, everyone who works there is so friendly and caring. We can see why our daughter loves going in every day and it's lovely to hear (and see electronically) what she has been doing.

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Curly Claire Beldam
2 years ago

Great nursery, so happy that my little one is there, the staff are so friendly and welcoming, learning is right at where it should be, he loves being there, the freshly cooked menu is amazing!

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James Mason
a year ago

Lack of communication, no response to emails from head office, got told we had a place in January on the phone to be told we no longer had a place over email. Assistant director, director and head office need to be on the same page. You have our email from last Friday, still no response.

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Samantha Jackson
a year ago

My eldest child attended busy bees and it was amazing then and still is now with my youngest

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Newbury. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: October 2009

The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Good). We're re-checking it against the original report.

  • December 2022Good
  • November 2022Good
  • April 2017Good
  • March 2017Good
  • February 2014Good
  • December 2013Good
  • September 2013Requires improvement
  • July 2013Requires improvement
  • February 2013Inadequate
  • January 2013Inadequate
  • October 2009Good
  • October 2009Good

Frequently asked about Busy Bees Day Nursery at Newbury

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