URN EY486987 · Inspected 2026-05-12 · Published 2026-06-15 · Inspector: Nicky Hill Jane Franks
Busy Bees Day Nursery at Farnborough IQ Unique reference number (URN): EY486987 Address: Building Q170, O'Gorman Avenue, FARNBOROUGH, Hampshire, GU14 7DL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 03/03/2015 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Inspection report: 12 May 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. Strong standard Achievement Strong standard The excellent, focused support for children who face barriers to their learning, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, means that they all make significant achievements and are very well prepared for the next stage of their education. Children show high levels of motivation. They are very confident communicators, continually using new vocabulary in their play. During a holiday-themed activity, where children explore items in a suitcase, they independently dress up and show high levels of perseverance. They demonstrate kindness towards others, help their friends and listen carefully to what others say. They enjoy discussing outings and holidays they have experienced with their families. Babies smile and babble with their key person. They explore their environment, both inside and outside with confidence, and this is helped as staff dress them in all-in-one outfits so they can crawl outside without getting wet. Children develop early literacy skills from a young age. They independently access books, linking to their interests and themes. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard The leadership team closely monitor and promote the importance of children's attendance and punctuality and have procedures in place if they identify any concerns. Leaders find that children are keen and want to come to nursery as it is a fun and happy place. Across the nursery, there is an air of positivity. Staff are excellent role models and are very enthusiastic, which influences the children positively. Children demonstrate excellent manners, interact positively with one another and engage confidently in conversations with staff and their peers. For example, outside, young toddlers show superb sharing as they slot wooden rings onto poles. They readily share with staff who come to join them and narrate their play, saying 'one for you and one for me'. Staff speak positively about how training on behaviour has improved their understanding. They recognise why children may display certain behaviours and how they can respond positively and appropriately. Staff demonstrate a reflective approach and explain how training has strengthened their confidence in supporting children's emotional regulation and behaviour in a calm and nurturing manner. Children who have previously struggled regulating their behaviour have made significant progress. They are able to express their emotions and recognise when they might need quiet time to calm down. They are able to explain how they feel and also use visual aids independently, to help communicate their feelings. Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard A focus is placed on building trusting partnerships with parents and carers from the outset. The highly-effective key-person system and the priority to develop close, supportive relationships help children feel safe and secure. Key persons have buddies, and all staff in each room know all children equally well. Staff are very supportive of one another, helping to take over tasks so that children benefit from close care and attention, when needed. This child-centred approach helps children to feel valued. Staff supervise children vigilantly throughout the setting and deploy themselves effectively to ensure they can always see and hear children. Transitions to play outside are managed very well, with staff overseeing small groups of children, to keep them safe. Children have regular opportunities throughout the day to benefit from the fresh air. They spend extended periods playing outside in the well-resourced outdoor provision. Lots of thought goes into children's play to make it inclusive for all. Staff support children's understanding of personal safety by asking questions appropriate to their level of understanding, such as what might happen if they spill water on the floor. Staff engage children in meaningful discussions about how healthy foods benefit their bodies. Children talk confidently about developing their muscles and gaining energy for outdoor play. Staff supervise children vigilantly during mealtimes to ensure their safety while eating. They are responsive to babies gestures and visual cues, such as to recognise when they have had enough. Curriculum and teaching Strong standard Leaders have extremely high expectations for all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, and ensure all staff have an equally secure knowledge of the curriculum. Staff ensure children are ready for their transition to the next room in the nursery or on to school. The curriculum is on display for ease of reference and individual activity plans have clear learning intentions and key words for staff to use. This helps everyone to understand how to get the best out of every activity and ensures that children's language skills consistently have a high priority. Staff extend children's learning by following their interests. For example, they follow older children's curiosity in using different sized balls to further develop their mathematical skills. Children delight in taking turns to see how far their balls roll down a slope. Staff inspire children to problem-solve and think about what might happen next. They discuss why some balls travel faster than others, which develops children's curiosity and thinking skills. Staff encourage children to make predictions about how many skittles they can knock down using different sized balls. They then follow children's interests in patterns as they organise the skittles in different ways. Staff in each room focus on a book of the moment, which fosters children's love of books and stories. Learning from these stories can be seen throughout children's play. For instance, in the baby room, a book about hide and seek prompts a game of 'peek-a-boo', between staff and children. Children then show their learning by having a go, themselves. They cover their faces with a scarf, pull it off and giggle with delight at the anticipated 'boo', from staff. Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff work very hard to create an inclusive culture across the setting and are passionate about making a difference the lives of all children. Rigorous monitoring and assessments help staff to quickly identify children's emerging needs and provide sensitive support, from the outset. This includes making prompt referrals, working with outside agencies and implementing targeted interventions, all while providing knowledgeable support to parents and carers. All children benefit from staff who recognise potential barriers to their learning. For example, children from military families receive extra care and attention when a parent spends some time away. Children learning English as an additional language receive highly-effective support. Their key staff learn words and phrases in children's home languages, which they introduce and use within play and everyday routines. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are incredibly well supported and make rapid progress from their starting points. Staff go above and beyond what is expected of them to ensure children with SEND get the help they need. For instance, staff learn from professionals, such as speech and language therapists and physiotherapists, and provide focused one-to- one time and targeted activities. Additional funding is utilised effectively and plans are constantly reviewed and revised to ensure support is always meaningful. As a result, these children are more than ready for the next stage of their learning. Leadership and governance Strong standard The leadership team has a very positive influence on this nursery. Leaders feel well supported and in turn, their staff do too. Leaders have a clear oversight of the provision, robustly monitor the setting and act quickly to address areas for development. They carry out regular supervision meetings with staff and support their wellbeing. Leaders source relevant training that is specifically targeted to the ongoing and emerging needs of the children attending. For example, recent staff training, in supporting children's mathematical understanding, has had a positive impact on practice and outcomes for children. Staff now confidently embed and extend mathematical learning as children engage in their play and everyday experiences. Leaders regularly spend time in each room, overseeing practice and challenging staff about how they might enhance children's learning even further. Leaders speak with pride and passion about the differences they have made to the lives of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is a clear dedication to ensuring all children develop the skills they need for the next stage of their education. Feedback from parents and carers is highly positive and reflects the secure relationships staff build with children and families. Parents describe the nursery as calm, consistent and nurturing. They highlight that staff know children well and genuinely care about their wellbeing and development. They comment that staff provide highly-effective emotional support for children and parents, particularly for military families during periods of change or difficulty. Parents value the sensitive and flexible support offered by staff, including adapting settling-in sessions to meet their individual needs, and working with outside agencies to implement targeted interventions. Staff share information about children's progress in a variety of ways, and provide guidance and support to help parents continue children's learning at home. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children thrive at this friendly, welcoming and inclusive setting. Leaders are passionate about the care and education children receive. Considering the large number of children attending, leaders strive to know each and every child, and their key staff know them very well. Leaders make sure they are a visible presence and available to greet every family as they arrive each morning. This positive start sets the tone for the rest of the day and encourages consistent, regular attendance. Children are very keen to see staff and to share news from home. They remain busy and purposefully occupied all day. Babies and toddlers show they feel safe and secure as they readily go to their key person for comfort. Those who are new to the setting, settle very quickly, helped by the robust settling-in process, where staff gather comprehensive information about children and their families. Older children become competent communicators, developing their speech, language and using new vocabulary in their play. Staff extend children's learning by following their interests. For example, they follow children's curiosity in using different sized balls to further develop their mathematical skills. Staff inspire children to problem-solve and think about what might happen next. Children's behaviour is excellent. They know what is expected of them and demonstrate that they feel valued and part of the group. They play collaboratively and have developed special friendships. All children have regular opportunities to play and enjoy activities outside, which supports those who learn well outdoors. Children with barriers to their learning, including Inspectors: Nicky Hill Jane Franks About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY486987 Address: Building Q170 O'Gorman Avenue FARNBOROUGH Hampshire GU14 7DL Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 03/03/2015 Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. They make excellent progress and are well prepared for their next stage of learning and for school. Next steps Leaders should ensure continued development in the setting's successful work in supporting newer and less confident staff in their training, to help realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinators, parents, carers 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. Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Hampshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 12 May 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 107 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? 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