Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow

Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow
Unique reference number (URN): EY152150
Address: Progress Park, Elstow, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9XE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 01/06/2002
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
Inspection report: 28 April 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Needs attention
Achievement Needs attention
Children who speak English as an additional language and those who have special
educational needs and/or disabilities do not make the progress they are capable of. The lack
of focused support for children, including building on their communication and language
development, has a direct impact on their progress in other areas of learning. Some children
across the setting struggle to manage changes that routinely happen during the day. This is
due to a lack of support and explanation of expectations. A lack of consistent staff means
that children with barriers to their learning do not have reliable support.
Children do not achieve as well as they could because there are weaknesses in staff's
knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. They gain some skills for their next stage of
learning. Children do not consistently build on skills they already have because staff lack the
knowledge of how to build on these through a range of activities. Children become bored
quite quickly during activities. Staff do not know how to consistently support children to
remain interested and engaged in their learning. This affects their overall progress through
the curriculum.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention
Leaders have not ensured that the deployment of staff meets children's needs. They have
not been proactive to ensure that staff support children to understand expectations of them
during the day, particularly at transition times. As a result, children wonder aimlessly and are
unable to follow the setting's routines. The learning environment becomes chaotic in certain
areas of the setting. This impacts on children's ability to focus on their choice of play. This, in
turn, has a detrimental impact on children's learning.
Leaders are determined in their vision for improving the nursery. They have made some
progress in this by reorganising staffing and routines to create a more consistent transition
for children. However, this is not embedded. Overall, children behave very well. Older
children learn to collaborate, take turns and solve problems together with purpose and
determination.
Across the setting, children develop positive relationships with staff. Staff prioritise secure
attachments within the baby rooms, and relationships are secure. Where additional staff are
required, leaders ensure that these are familiar for children to lessen the impact on their
wellbeing.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Leaders and staff do not promote children's welfare to a consistently high standard across
the setting. They do not encourage all children to learn how to manage their own personal
hygiene, and, therefore, children wander around with runny noses. In addition, staff do not
support all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who speak

English as an additional language to begin to recognise their emotions and develop
appropriate strategies to support their emotional wellbeing.
Leaders and staff are beginning to establish safe and appropriate routines across most of
the setting. However, transition times across the setting are not well managed. Babies and
children enjoy sociable mealtimes alongside attentive staff who interact well with them. Staff
monitor children's safety and support their understanding of healthy eating. Staff are
knowledgeable about children with allergies and ensure that they are safe at eating times.
Children generally form close attachments with their key persons. However, this is often
difficult with the ever-changing staff team. That said, babies do seek out staff for emotional
support and reassurance, and they find comfort in their nurturing interactions. For example,
children crawl over to activities where staff are present to join them.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Leaders have not supported staff to make adaptations to how they implement the curriculum
to meet the needs of children who have barriers to their learning. They have not been
proactive in ensuring that children who speak English as an additional language or those
with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. Staff are not
consistently assessing children's learning and development. As a result, they sometimes fail
to adapt teaching to children's learning needs, which limits children's engagement and
affects their ability to sustain attention. This means that the curriculum is not delivered as
intended. This does not support children's learning effectively across the day.
Leaders have begun to implement the setting's curriculum. Staff have knowledge of this and
how this links to the children within the setting. Staff are able to plan activities to build on
what children already know and can do, but these are not always followed up by other staff.
As a result, children lose interest in their activities, which limits the learning taking place.
For the youngest babies, staff are knowledgeable about child development and how to build
on babies' physical skills. For example, staff create activities at different heights to
encourage children to pull themselves up to stand. In the pre-school room, staff read stories
regularly to children. They talk to them about what is happening in the story and encourage
them to revisit what they have already learned and read.
Inclusion Needs attention
Leaders do not always have oversight of the impact of the curriculum for all children.
Barriers to learning for children who speak English as an additional language are not
consistently reduced. Leaders have not ensured that staff understand how to support
children who speak English as an additional language, which means that these children are
not always able to access meaningful learning opportunities.
Leaders have recognised that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) have not had the support required to make progress in their learning and
development. However, leaders have begun to implement processes to change this.
However, it is too soon to see the impact of the changes. Leaders are beginning to work well
with families of children with SEND to identify gaps in children's learning and development.

Meetings with parents and other professionals have supported staff to look at the barriers to
children's learning and begin to put strategies in place to assist with their learning and
development. Staff are knowledgeable about their key children, working closely with leaders
responsible for SEND to create individual plans for children's next steps in learning. Leaders
work with key persons and parents to identify how to make the best use of additional funding
for specific children. For example, one-to-one support is put into place for key hours of the
day. This has a positive impact on children's experience at the setting.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
Leaders are aware of the priorities for improvement across the whole setting. The quality of
teaching varies significantly across the setting, and staff do not always have the skills and
knowledge they need to embed learning. Leaders do not use staff's skills appropriately to
ensure that all children have access to high-quality teaching. Leaders should target training
opportunities for staff to help them build upon their current professional knowledge and skills
precisely. They have adapted the curriculum to meet the needs of the children in some
areas of the setting, but not all. This is particularly evident for those who speak English as
an additional language. This hinders the progress that some children can make.
Leaders have not ensured that the deployment of the staff team across the setting meets
the needs of the children. This means that children's individual needs are not consistently
met. Leaders are aware of the impact staffing issues are having on the setting and ensure
that, where additional staff attend the setting, they are consistent. Therefore, the impact on
children is minimal.
Regular one-to-one sessions support staff's wellbeing. Staff comment positively on how they
feel well supported by leaders and the changes that have taken place in recent times.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children who speak English as an additional language do not consistently receive the
support and adaptations they need to access the setting's curriculum. Leaders do not
support staff to deliver appropriate teaching, and they do not implement strategies to
support language development. This means children who speak English as an additional
language do not always make the same progress as their peers. They are not well prepared
for moving to other rooms across the setting.

The organisation of the setting, including the deployment of staff, has a significant impact on
the learning and development of all children. Constant staff changes across the whole
setting mean that rooms are not well organised. Staff do not position themselves around the
rooms in a way that meets the needs of all children. This means that children's basic needs
are not always met. Routines are not embedded, and children do not know what is expected
of them at transition times. This impacts on children's emotional wellbeing. This weakens the
experiences for all children.
Leaders are aware of the priorities needed for improvement across the whole setting. They
are starting to make the appropriate changes in order to meet the needs of all the children.
Whole-setting action plans are in place to enhance staff practice, but it is too soon to see the
impact of these changes.
Most children arrive happy and ready to begin their nursery day. Parents comment that
communication has improved recently but that there have been lots of changes. All children
have developed secure attachments with staff at the setting. They actively seek them out for
comfort when they are unsure. Staff gather knowledge about children before they start at the
setting. This helps them to understand children's lived experiences as well as their personal
routines and preferences. Staff are aware that children have differing starting points and
ensure that children's interests form the basis of planned activities.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the
following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
enhance staff knowledge and skills to embed effective
behaviour management strategies and routines to
enhance children's understanding of expectation of
them during transitions
16/06/2026
strengthen the key-person approach to ensure that
children's individual needs are met consistently all the
time
16/06/2026
target training opportunities for staff to help them build
upon their current professional knowledge and skills
precisely
16/06/2026
strengthen the implementation of an effective
curriculum across the whole setting and ensure
consistency for children who have barriers to their
learning
16/06/2026

Inspectors:
Lisa Smith
Louise Harris
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY152150
Address:
Progress Park
Elstow
Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK42 9XE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 01/06/2002
Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Bedford
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 28 April 2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, parents, staff and children during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 5
Total number of places
112
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,
please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium,
under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy
Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email:
psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.
This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk.
Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information
and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn.
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
T: 0300 123 1231
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
© Crown copyright 2026
© Crown copyright