Opening hours
7:30am–6:00pm, 51 weeks a year (closed bank holidays and over Christmas)
Busy Little Bees Nursery (Shirley)
Ofsted: Good
(May 2025)
Number of places
53 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
May 2025
Local authority
Solihull
About this day nursery
Busy Little Bees Nursery, serving families in Birmingham and Solihull for over two decades, is dedicated to fostering an environment where children can flourish. The nursery prioritises attentive care and developmental progress, maintaining staff-to-child ratios above statutory requirements for personalised engagement and enriched learning experiences aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.
They offer a diverse programme that extends beyond basic education, incorporating specialist sessions like yoga, drama, and sports, alongside creative and STEM activities such as science and cooking. Children also participate in gardening, local outings, and seasonal celebrations, with parent workshops provided to further support families.
Operating 51 weeks a year, from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm, the nursery aims to accommodate family schedules with flexible session choices and transparent monthly billing. They offer various funding options, including "All-In" packages and the ability to stretch funded hours for consistency.
The nursery emphasises inspiring early years education that encourages curiosity, communication, and problem-solving through play. Their approach also focuses on building warm, secure relationships through a key person system, ensuring each child feels understood and supported, which is crucial for emotional well-being and progress.
Furthermore, they promote a balance of energetic outdoor play and quiet reflection to develop physical strength, resilience, and emotional regulation, with environments thoughtfully designed to support overall well-being. A strong parent partnership underlies their philosophy, with open communication, support during transitions, and shared celebration of children's achievements.
Our ethos
Busy Little Bees Nursery is committed to fostering children's flourishing through an approach that balances energetic play and quiet reflection, inspiring curiosity, communication, and problem-solving. They prioritise building warm, secure relationships via a key person system and strong parent partnerships, ensuring each child feels understood and supported for their emotional well-being and progress. Their pedagogical approach is guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.
What it's like
Staff provide children with a safe and stimulating environment, offering an extensive range of high-quality natural resources and exciting activities both indoors and outdoors. They observe children closely, value their ideas and home experiences, which makes learning meaningful and memorable.
High staff-to-child ratioVaried extra-curricular activitiesFlexible funding optionsParent partnership
Pricing & funding
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Request pricing →Key facts
Term time / All Year
All Year
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Busy Little Bees Nursery (Shirley)
Last inspected 13 May 2025
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
What it's like to attend
Staff provide children with a safe and stimulating environment, offering an extensive range of high-quality natural resources and exciting activities both indoors and outdoors. They observe children closely, value their ideas and home experiences, which makes learning meaningful and memorable.
Inspector highlights
- Staff provide children with a safe and stimulating environment with a range of high-quality natural resources and exciting activities.
- Children benefit from a broad curriculum including enrichment activities like caring for hatching chicks and visiting the local library and farm.
- Staff support children's emotional and social development well, encouraging sharing, kindness, and empathy.
- Staff actively involve parents in the setting through daily welcomes and special events, promoting positive relationships.
- Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well through swift identification, strategies, and collaboration with parents and external agencies.
Areas to develop
- 1support staff to implement the curriculum intentions more precisely to build on children's existing knowledge and skills
- 2ensure that staff include all children in their interactions to fully support children's learning and development.
Inspection #10399371 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
What parents say
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
Parents speak extremely positively about the setting.
They praise the staff for the relationships they make with their children and the support they offer families.
They feel their children are happy at the setting and make good progress.
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Staff swiftly identify children in need of additional support and put in place strategies to support them. Staff foster close relationships with parents and external agencies to ensure that children receive the specialist support they need.
Outdoor space
Staff plan exciting activities outdoors, where children investigate capacity using a cauldron, ladles and 'potion' pots. Outside, children use ride on toys, crawl through tunnels and balance on raised beams and stepping stones, supporting the development of their gross motor skills, spatial awareness and coordination skills.
Parent Reviews of Busy Little Bees Nursery (Shirley)
4.3
(16)
Yaowalak N.
8 months ago
Lovely nursery, staff always polite, caring and helped a lot during toilet training, Really enjoy the workshops they do with parents. Overall has been a good experience so far.
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Tia Mitchell
5 years ago
Absolutely lovely nursery, since the nursery has changed management I cannot rate them high enough. They've been amazing with my daughter and she has come along so much, they were so supportive while potty training and have been brilliant ever since. Her confidence has shot up and they have a genuine interest in how she is getting on and they're really caring. I'm excited for my son to start, and enjoy it just as much as my daughter has! X
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Tav
2 years ago
My daughter has attended Busy Little Bees since she was 6 months old. She has just left to start reception aged 4. I literally could not of picked a better nursery, she was extremely well looked after and she really enjoyed her time there. I never had any issues or concerns, and the staff are extremley caring. She has thrived in such a positive environment. Highly recommend.
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Naomi P
a year ago
I didn't have a great experience with busy bee's nursery especially how they treated my child at the time with their learning difficulties and autism. It wasn't until I spoke to the management and she told me that my child would be placed with the babies room from 0-6 months. I was absolutely disgusted . My child was 2 at the time how was my child even going to learn and prosper by being put in a room with babies it just felt like they couldn't be bothered as it was more work for them. It was good lesson for me don't be fooled at thinking a nursery is great just because it looks good from the outside. Always do your research on a nursery's especially if you have a child with additional needs. I'm glad I took my child out and put them in a better nursery in the end. There is a reason why this nursery has low score.
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Mark Lucas
5 years ago
My daughter has been attending this nursery since last September and loves going each week. The staff are friendly and helpful and have offered a good balance between learning and play. My daughter has loved both managers new and old and I have had no concerns over her welfare. Whenever there was any notice of health issues the nursery have always rang me to inform me of anything they felt needed raising and have always been courteous and helpful. In particular my daughter has bonded well with Sumaaya and Hafsa who have often re-fixed her hair for her. She does a ‘happy dance’ when she knows these two ladies are in work which I think is adorable. Anne Marie has also been very attentive and has given detailed feedback about how my daughter has been whilst at the nursery. Personally I would recommend the nursery and have found their approach to the recent Covid situation as very professional.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for Busy Little Bees Nursery (Shirley). See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Date: January 2010
- May 2025Good
- November 2019Good
- November 2015Good
- May 2013Requires improvement
- January 2010Good
Frequently asked about Busy Little Bees Nursery (Shirley)
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