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Busy Bees Kettering Central

Ofsted: Good
(Sept 2024)
·
4.5(16 parent reviews) ·122 Rockingham Road, Kettering, NN16 9AJ · North Northamptonshire
Number of places
81 places
Age range
0–3 yrs
Last inspected
Sept 2024
Local authority
North Northamptonshire

About this day nursery

Busy Bees Kettering Central, part of the larger Busy Bees family, is a nursery dedicated to offering high-quality early years education and care. The nursery prides itself on its "Busy Bees One" package, which includes NHS-accredited meals prepared fresh on-site, along with essentials like nappies and wipes.

This comprehensive approach ensures that children receive nutritious meals and have their daily needs met while at the nursery. The philosophy extends to creating mealtimes as valuable learning opportunities, helping children develop independence, social skills, and adventurous eating habits in a supportive environment.

The nursery also actively supports parents in navigating the complexities of childcare funding, including various government-backed schemes. They offer flexible funding options, including "stretched" hours over the full year to accommodate different family needs.

Busy Bees Kettering Central is committed to providing a holistic and enriching experience that prioritises both the well-being and developmental progress of each child.

Our ethos

At Busy Bees, mealtimes are seen as key learning moments that help children develop confidence in exploring new tastes, handling food, and using cutlery, which are all essential skills for school readiness. Our diverse menus and engaging routines are designed to foster independence, enhance social skills, and encourage adventurous eating habits within a supportive and inclusive environment. We are dedicated to ensuring all children have access to well-balanced meals that meet high nutritional standards, thereby supporting their well-being and development.

What it's like

Children are happy and confident at this nursery, engaging in activities and behaving well, supported by staff with high expectations. They develop independence and physical skills, learning to care for themselves and their environment. Children also enjoy singing and learning about nature, fostering a love for learning.

NHS-accredited mealsFlexible funding optionsComprehensive childcare packageFocus on independence and social skills

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (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.

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Key facts

Opening hours

8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday

Term time / All Year

All Year

Established

1990

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Busy Bees Kettering Central

Last inspected 19 September 2024 · Rachel Barsby-Robinson

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 and confident at this nursery, engaging in activities and behaving well, supported by staff with high expectations. They develop independence and physical skills, learning to care for themselves and their environment. Children also enjoy singing and learning about nature, fostering a love for learning.

Inspector highlights

  • Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that is well sequenced.
  • Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.
  • Overall children's communication and language are well supported.
  • Staff support children with their early mathematical skills.
  • Children develop their physical skills and hand-to-eye coordination.

Areas to develop

  • 1develop 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
  • 2review staff deployment to fully support children who are settling in and ensure all children spend quality time with their key person.
Inspection #10351827 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff create targeted learning plans for children with SEND, which are regularly shared with parents. Staff adapt their teaching and delivery of the curriculum to ensure that all children are able to participate in activities. They use visual prompts to help children to understand the daily routine. Staff are proud of the progress that children with SEND make from their starting points. Leaders work closely with external professionals to seek further guidance and advice to ensure the best possible outcomes for all children.

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 Kettering Central

4.5
(16)
peter chidube
11 months ago

My daughter has been in this school for two years now. She enjoys going to this amazing nursery school and always talk about her teachers and fellow kids in friendly ways. She has equally learnt lots of skills and developed intellectually as a result of the impact this school has had on her.

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Erin Knowles
5 years ago

Such a fantastic nursery, highly recommended! Returning to work and putting your children into childcare can be a very daunting prospect but from the moment my children started here all of those worries quickly went away. The way the staff interact, teach, care, support and encourage each child is outstanding. The staff are so proactive and its clear they have a genuine love for their job and truly care for each and every child. My children have made so many wonderful memories, learnt so many skills and made such fantastic friends.

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Ra “Rara” Ra
4 years ago

We have been part of the Busy Bee family for almost 2 years. Our son loved it from the beginning and adapted with no problem. During the pandemic, nursery adapted to the request of the government and introduced multiple rules to keep our kids safe and healthy. The food was excellent. I warmly recommend the nursery for any family that wants a calm , safe and familiar environment for their children.

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Jo Considine
5 years ago

Our little boy absolutely loves going to nursery here, he is always happy to arrive and go off to play and learn! The staff have made him so settled and in a very short space of time, they are always really helpful when I have questions too. I feel very happy in the knowledge that he is being well cared for when he is at nursery and his development is incredible since being there. I would not hesitate to recommend this nursery.

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Laurel P
5 years ago

My daughter started nursery when she turned one. She really struggled to be away from me, and wouldn’t eat any food at all. The staff were incredible, and she’s a completely different child now. She eats everything and is so excited to see everyone when we drop her off. Since covid has become part of everyday life it’s great to see the staff take precautions when we drop her off, and kept us up to date in lockdown on how they were adapting the nursery for the new way of life. The team stayed consistent, so when we dropped her off on her first day back it was lovely for all of us to see familiar and friendly faces. I couldn’t recommend them enough - she’s become such an independent, confident and more adventurous child since starting.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Busy Bees Kettering Central. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: March 2009

  • September 2024Good
  • October 2018Outstanding
  • November 2017Good
  • October 2014Outstanding
  • March 2009Outstanding

Frequently asked about Busy Bees Kettering Central

About the setting

Busy Bees Queen of Hearts Kettering registered in 1990. The nursery is open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. There are currently 22 staff working directly with children. Of these, two members of staff hold an early years qualification at level 6, and 11 members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

URN
220035
Registered person
Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises
Previous rating
Outstanding

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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