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Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sittingbourne

Ofsted: Good
(Nov 2022)
·
3.9(15 parent reviews) ·South Avenue, Sittingbourne, ME10 4SU · Kent
Number of places
77 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Nov 2022
Local authority
Kent

About this day nursery

Busy Bees Day Nursery in Sittingbourne is dedicated to providing high-quality care and education for children, focusing on creating a stimulating and supportive environment for their development. The nursery embraces a comprehensive approach to early years, incorporating a unique curriculum delivered by passionate educators who are committed to nurturing each child's potential.

Mealtimes are viewed as crucial learning opportunities, with a focus on healthy and varied nutrition, provided through their NHS-accredited menus prepared on-site. The nursery also emphasises fostering curiosity, independence, and social skills from an early age.

They offer flexible childcare solutions, including various government funding options that can be stretched across the year to accommodate different family needs. Busy Bees in Sittingbourne aims to make childcare accessible and convenient for parents, ensuring children receive consistent, high-quality care, while supporting parents with clear information on funding and fees.

What it's like

Children are happy to come to this safe and nurturing nursery, greeted by friendly staff who positively engage with them. Children receive praise, boosting their self-esteem and confidence. They enjoy playing alongside friends, singing familiar songs, and completing rhymes, while staff teach them kindness.

NHS Startwell accredited menusFlexible government funding optionsEmphasis on curiosity and independence

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-oldsTax-Free Childcare
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

Key facts

Opening hours

7.30am to 6pm, all year round

Term time / All Year

All Year

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sittingbourne

Last inspected 2 November 2022 · Nina Harvey

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

What it's like to attend

Children are happy to come to this safe and nurturing nursery, greeted by friendly staff who positively engage with them. Children receive praise, boosting their self-esteem and confidence. They enjoy playing alongside friends, singing familiar songs, and completing rhymes, while staff teach them kindness.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff know each child well as an individual and use effective assessment and planning to design engaging activities.
  • Staff are good at planning a variety of activities that support each child to make progress.
  • Staff encourage children's mathematical development effectively, using age-appropriate methods.
  • The manager has placed an emphasis on communication and language following the COVID-19 pandemic, with staff speaking clearly and introducing new words.
  • Children benefit from many opportunities to develop their independence and social skills in readiness for school.
  • Leaders and the manager are proactive and committed to continually evaluate and improve practice at the nursery.

Areas to develop

  • 1improve staff's confidence in adapting their teaching and routines, to ensure all children are benefitting from the learning taking place
  • 2support staff to further improve their interactions with children, to give children more time to think and respond to questions before the learning moves on
Inspection #10228026 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

parents report that they feel included in the nursery

They say their children settle quickly and are happy to come in each day

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

Outdoor space

Older children show enthusiasm when exploring a parachute outdoors, working as a team to solve how to use sticks to turn the parachute into a den. Staff use a ruler with older children to look at how many centimetres high they can jump, when exploring who can jump the highest in the garden.

Parent Reviews of Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sittingbourne

3.9
(15)
Tansu Peker Horoz
4 months ago

I honestly believe this establishment is a scam. You don't cancel an appointment four times, especially with only an hour's notice each time. Furthermore, they call to schedule a convenient time, yet a different 'issue' arises every single time, which is not believable at all. Would you entrust a child to an organization that can't even manage a meeting or keep its word? Absolutely not!

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Emma Barrett
a year ago

Anthony has had a fantastic experience with Sittingbourne Busy Bees, customer service has been outstanding and everyone is really friendly and informative. I am kept fully up to date with everything. There is always great learning opportunities going on also which has helped my boy grow.

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Katie Wynn
7 years ago

The staff are absolutely amazing here. Any concerns or worries and they explain everything. Nothing is too much for them. The way they care for my daughter is lovely. When she is wanting a cuddle they offer love and support. The food they give the toddlers is very healthy indeed. We have found an awesome nursery.. we couldn't ask for more. We are so very lucky.

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Eniola Olatunbosun
4 years ago

If you want a place where you can take your kids to and pick them back up safely then this setting is fine. If you need a more stimulating environment for your children, somewhat of a structure for pre school kids and adequate communication between parents and staff this is not the place for that. I remember calling the nursery on 3 different occasions to ask what exactly they do with the children and it sounds like they just go with the flow of the day. No intension behind anything. Hardly have I seen messy play pictures and don’t even get me started on the food. Bare minimum observation and sometimes not at all. I do a lot with my kids at home and the nursery was just not matching up. I think the manager got frustrated with me because I wanted to know what they did or plan to do with the kids. This is not a free setting so I expected more. The nursery has a big name so I am disappointed to say the least with the service.

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Victoria Hackshaw
4 years ago

My son has developed leaps and bounds at busy bees. The ladies there are so good with him and he's formed lovely bonds with them. He has made lots of friends and is just so happy to be there. It's a joy seeing him thrilled to walk through the doors every day.

Read on Google

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

Inspection history

Date: June 2007

  • December 2022Good
  • November 2022Good
  • December 2016Good
  • December 2016Good
  • October 2013Good
  • September 2013Good
  • May 2013Good
  • April 2013Good
  • June 2011Good
  • June 2007Requires improvement

Frequently asked about Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sittingbourne

About the setting

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Sittingbourne re-registered in 2014 under new ownership. It operates from a purpose-built mobile building set within the grounds of South Avenue Infants School in Sittingbourne, Kent. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 11 members of staff, eight of whom hold recognised early years qualifications.

URN
127560
Registered person
Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises
Previous rating
Good

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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more