URN EY239505 · Inspected 2026-07-14 · Published 2026-08-13 · Inspector: Mikaela Jauncey Alanda Phillips
Busy Bees Day Nursery at Trowbridge Unique reference number (URN): EY239505 Address: 19 Hackett Place, Hilperton, TROWBRIDGE, WILTSHIRE, BA14 7GW Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 13/04/2001 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Inspection report: 14 July 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. Expected standard Achievement Expected standard Children make progress from their starting points and develop the knowledge and skills they need across the curriculum, ready for the next stage in their learning. Babies confidently choose books to share with staff, turn pages independently and name familiar pictures. They join in with songs and rhymes and use increasing control of their bodies as they move like different animals. Younger children develop confidence to try new experiences and begin to play cooperatively. For example, they pass toys to one another and recognise their own hats before helping their friends find theirs when preparing to play outdoors. Older children demonstrate increasing independence throughout the day. They use cutlery confidently, pour their own drinks and manage their personal care with minimal support. However, inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and staff interactions mean that children do not consistently benefit from opportunities to deepen their understanding or fully extend their learning during play. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Staff build positive relationships with children and respond to their ideas and requests. For example, when children explain that some colouring pens no longer work, staff promptly provide replacements so they can continue their play. Children generally show enjoyment in their learning. Babies repeatedly roll cars down ramps, testing different vehicles and watching how they move. Older children ask staff for more paper so they can continue making maps. Staff help children develop positive social skills and encourage them to manage their feelings and behaviour. They model simple language and support children to share, take turns and consider the needs of others. For example, when a child looks for another hoop so a friend can join in, staff acknowledge this thoughtful behaviour and help them find one. Staff also provide younger children and those who are developing their communication skills with simple phrases, such as, 'Can I have that when you've finished?' to help children interact and form friendships with others. Staff typically establish clear routines that help children understand expectations. For example, children stop their play and begin tidying away when they hear the tambourine. However, staff do not consistently recognise when children become disengaged. As a result, they do not always intervene promptly when children begin to use equipment inappropriately or unsafely, leading to inconsistencies in children's behaviour and engagement. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Staff follow clear procedures to promote children's safety and welfare. They support children to develop healthy habits throughout the day. For example, staff remind children to wash their hands before meals and encourage them to sit safely while eating. Staff help children learn how to keep themselves safe in warm weather by talking about the importance of drinking water regularly and wearing hats when playing outdoors. Staff respond promptly to children's individual care needs and work closely with parents to ensure routines remain consistent. They adapt sleeping arrangements as children's needs change and manage dietary requirements carefully. For example, staff explain sensitively why some children need different meals because of allergies or dietary needs. Children benefit from daily opportunities to be physically active as they run, climb, balance and jump using a range of indoor and outdoor equipment that supports their physical development. Staff know children well and generally provide the reassurance and emotional support they need. However, staff do not consistently recognise when children need additional comfort or reassurance, particularly when they are completing routine tasks. This means children's emotional wellbeing is not consistently promoted throughout the day. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum that builds children's knowledge and skills over time. Staff understand what they want children to learn and generally sequence learning appropriately from babies through to older children. They use ongoing assessment to identify children's next steps and plan experiences that reflect children's interests and developmental needs. Staff work closely with other settings attended by children to promote continuity in learning. Staff generally adapt teaching and resources well so that all children can access the curriculum. For example, they give children who find joining larger groups difficult additional time to observe before joining group activities. Staff support babies' physical development by providing space to crawl, climb and develop mobility. Older children are supported to use a range of tools and materials to strengthen the skills needed for early writing both indoors and outdoors. Staff read stories with enthusiasm and revisit favourite books to develop children's understanding of rhyme and repetition and build their love of books. Staff introduce new vocabulary well. For example, staff thoughtfully explain the word 'habitat' as children investigate where different insects live. Staff support children's mathematical development throughout the day. Babies explore colours and shapes during play, while older children recognise and use numbers as they find numbered tables at lunchtime. However, staff do not consistently engage in children's play. At times, they focus on routine tasks and miss opportunities to extend children's thinking, respond to their curiosity and fully extend and/or deepen their learning. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders identify children who may need additional support at an early stage. They ensure staff use assessment and regular monitoring to plan appropriate next steps for children. Leaders typically work promptly with external professionals when additional advice or intervention is required. They work with staff and parents to review children's individual plans regularly to ensure strategies continue to meet children's changing needs and support their progress. Staff generally adapt their teaching, the environment and resources effectively to enable all children to participate fully in the curriculum. For example, they provide quieter spaces where children who need additional support with communication and language can work alongside an adult to develop their listening, attention and speaking skills. Staff use sensory resources and adapt activities to help children who require additional support to regulate their sensory and emotional needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with other barriers to learning access the same opportunities as their peers. Leaders and staff recognise children's individual backgrounds and promote an inclusive environment. Staff work with parents to learn key words and phrases in children's home languages so that children who speak English as an additional language feel welcomed, understood and able to communicate their needs. Staff work closely with early years settings to provide consistency for children who attend more than one provision and to support smooth transitions. Leaders attend training to help them maintain up-to-date knowledge of local processes and procedures to help them obtain additional funding when necessary. Leadership and governance Expected standard Following recent changes in leadership, leaders have established new systems to monitor and continually improve the quality of the care and education the nursery provides. They work closely with the wider leadership team to support children, families and staff. Leaders understand the needs of the community they serve and use this knowledge to shape the curriculum and the support available for children. Staff say leaders are approachable and are supportive of their wellbeing and workload. Parents value the regular communication they receive and appreciate the advice staff offer with children's learning, school transitions and toilet training. Leaders use additional funding appropriately to support children with special education needs and/or disabilities, those who experience disadvantage and children with other barriers to learning. They work effectively with external professionals and ensure staff implement agreed strategies to help children access the curriculum and participate fully alongside their peers. Leaders provide induction and ongoing support so that new staff understand the nursery's curriculum, routines and expectations. Leaders monitor the quality of the provision through supervision, observation and professional discussion. They are beginning to identify areas for improvement and provide training to develop staff's knowledge and practice. However, this is not yet fully embedded to identify and address variations in staff practice. This means high-quality teaching is not consistent across the nursery to ensure all children receive the highest levels of care and learning. 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 Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children settle quickly and enjoy attending this welcoming nursery. They access a broad curriculum that is generally well sequenced and helps them build the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage in their learning. Staff provide a wide range of experiences indoors and outdoors that encourage children to explore and investigate. For example, babies and toddlers smile, laugh and join in confidently with familiar nursery rhymes, copying actions alongside staff. Older children search for insects in the garden and proudly tick pictures from their identification sheets as they find them. These experiences help children develop their understanding of the world while extending their communication and language skills. Children develop warm relationships with their key person and show that they feel safe and secure. They confidently seek reassurance, ask for help and share their achievements. For example, babies bring brightly coloured scarves to their key person, who responds by playing peek-a-boo, encouraging shared attention and interaction. Staff know children well and use information from parents and ongoing assessment to plan learning and care that reflects each child's individual needs. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children learning English as an additional language and those with other barriers to learning participate fully alongside their peers. Children learn and join in with routines and generally behave appropriately. Older children line up and waddle like penguins as they walk to the lunchroom, creating a calm transition before mealtimes. Parents value the communication they receive from staff and say they feel well informed about their children's learning and development. Children demonstrate developing language and social skills as they chat confidently with staff and their friends about the food they are eating and what they intend to play with afterwards. Leaders promote regular attendance and punctuality with parents. This helps children develop positive habits for future learning and supports continuity between home and the setting. Next steps Leaders should ensure staff make the most of all opportunities to engage in children's play and consistently extend children's learning. Leaders should ensure staff consistently recognise when children become disengaged and intervene promptly to address minor behavioural concerns and support children to remain engaged in their learning. Leaders should ensure staff consistently recognise when children need additional comfort and reassurance, so that children's emotional wellbeing is consistently promoted throughout the day. Leaders should ensure staff receive the training and support they need to deliver consistently high-quality teaching. About this inspection The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, parents 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. Inspectors: Mikaela Jauncey Alanda Phillips About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY239505 Address: 19 Hackett Place Hilperton TROWBRIDGE WILTSHIRE BA14 7GW Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 13/04/2001 Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Wiltshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 14 July 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 100 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. 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