URN EY437526 · Inspected 2026-06-01 · Published 2026-09-03 · Inspector: Anne Dyoss Victoria Laird
Busy Bees at Solihull Stratford Court Unique reference number (URN): EY437526 Address: 3 Stratford Court, Shirley, Solihull, B90 4QT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 05/01/2012 Registers: EYR Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Inspection report: 1 June 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. Urgent improvement Achievement Urgent improvement Children do not achieve as well as they should because significant weaknesses in teaching, staff deployment and support for individual learning needs reduce the progress they make from their starting points. Children do not receive the high-quality interactions they need to develop their communication and language skills. The interactions they receive are often brief and focused on managing routines rather than encouraging children to think, talk and share ideas. As a result, children do not develop and extend their vocabulary, communication and understanding as well as they should. Some children develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills across the areas of learning. In the pre-school room, children demonstrate confidence, independence and positive social skills. For example, children sustain their play as they work together to build enclosures for dinosaurs, sharing ideas, solving problems and adapting their designs. These experiences are not typical across the setting. Children do not receive the quality of teaching and interaction they need to build knowledge and skills over time. Consequently, they are not developing the knowledge and skills needed for their next stage of learning as they should. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement Leaders do not ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills needed to support children's behaviour, attitudes to learning and emotional wellbeing effectively. Expectations for behaviour management are not clear, and staff do not have a shared understanding of how to respond to children's needs appropriately. As a result, practice varies considerably between rooms and between members of staff. At the start of the day, staff are not prepared for children's arrival, and children spend time wandering around or waiting for activities to be organised. As a result, children become disengaged and display unwanted behaviours. Staff do not motivate children effectively or help them understand the purpose of activities. For example, children are told to join in rather than being encouraged and supported to participate. Long waiting times during routines, particularly at lunchtime, further reduce children's engagement and enjoyment. Staff expectations are not always appropriate for children's age and stage of development. Staff do not recognise when children need support to manage their behaviour. For example, children fight and scream without staff intervention because staff are focused on tidying and completing routine tasks. More effective practice is evident in the pre-school room, where staff help children understand expectations and manage their behaviour appropriately. For example, staff use familiar strategies, such as a pretend speed camera and speeding fines, to help children understand why they should walk indoors and follow the setting's rules. Leaders promote attendance appropriately, and children attend regularly. Relationships between staff and children are not always positive. Staff do not consistently respond to children's needs with warmth, sensitivity and respect. Staff behaviour management strategies are not appropriate and, at times, are humiliating for children. For example, staff respond to unwanted behaviour by taking children to rooms for younger children. This does not help children understand expectations or manage their feelings appropriately. Distressed children are told that their mummy will not be happy with them when they do not sleep. Staff also use unnecessary physical intervention, including pulling children by the arm to stop their behaviour. Staff do not always treat children with the care, respect and understanding they need. These approaches have a significant negative impact on children's wellbeing, causing distress rather than helping children feel safe, supported and understood. Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement Leaders have not ensured that policies and procedures intended to support children's welfare and wellbeing are implemented effectively. As a result, children do not receive the attentive, nurturing and responsive care they need to feel safe, secure and well supported. Weaknesses in staffing arrangements, staff deployment and supervision have a significant negative impact on children's day-to-day experiences. Staff are frequently focused on managing routines rather than responding to children's care and wellbeing needs. As a result, children do not receive the timely support, comfort and reassurance they need. Distressed children are not always comforted promptly, and staff do not consistently recognise when children need reassurance, comfort or support. Staff sometimes respond abruptly to children, using short instructions such as 'go to sleep', 'no crying' and 'sit down' rather than helping them understand expectations or responding sensitively to their needs. Children are often cared for by adults who do not know them well enough to respond appropriately to their individual needs. This is particularly evident when staff are moved between rooms, disrupting children's relationships with familiar adults and reducing their sense of security. Staff do not always recognise or respond appropriately to children's personal care needs. Children's distress is sometimes viewed as unwanted behaviour rather than as a sign that they may require comfort, reassurance or personal care, such as having their nappy changed. Staff do not consider the reasons why children may be unsettled, and, when staffing pressures are high, children's toileting and care needs are not always identified and responded to promptly. These weaknesses have a significant negative impact on children's wellbeing, comfort and sense of security. Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement Leaders do not ensure that children receive the quality of teaching they need to make progress from their starting points. Although leaders have designed a curriculum that identifies what they want children to learn, they do not ensure that it is implemented effectively. Staff do not use observations and assessments effectively to inform planning and teaching. Although staff know children appropriately, they do not use what they know about children's interests, starting points and next steps to adapt learning experiences. In the baby room, planning is largely the same for groups of children and does not reflect children's differing learning needs. As a result, teaching does not build on what children already know and can do. The learning environment and teaching do not support children to engage deeply in learning. In the baby room, resources are largely placed on the floor, with limited challenge for older babies. Staff do not encourage children to explore, investigate or build on emerging skills. In the rooms for toddlers and 2- to 3-year-olds, staff interactions are often supervisory rather than educational. Staff focus on managing routines and supervising children rather than extending their communication, thinking and understanding. As a result, children do not receive the teaching they need to develop knowledge and skills. While staff sing songs and share books with children, these interactions are often spontaneous and used to occupy children while they wait for routines, such as during lunchtime. Staff provide minimal language modelling during these times. Interactions are often limited to instructions, such as telling children where to sit, what to do or when to wait, rather than extending children's communication, language and thinking. As a result, children do not receive sustained interactions to develop their communication, language and thinking skills. More effective teaching is evident in the pre-school room. Staff join children in their play and use conversations to extend learning. For example, children engaged in role play linked to their experiences outside the setting, and staff used questioning and discussion to help them recall events, share ideas and make connections between their play and the world around them. Inclusion Urgent improvement Leaders do not ensure that staffing arrangements and staff deployment meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing. When staff are moved between rooms, children are cared for by adults who do not know them well enough to understand and respond to their individual needs. Children spend time waiting for support, become distressed and disengage from learning. As a result, they do not benefit from the provision leaders have put in place to help them thrive. This is particularly evident in the rooms for toddlers and 2- to 3-year-olds, where children's wellbeing and developmental needs are not met. Leaders identify children who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing, including children with SEND. They work with families and other professionals to assess children's needs and put support plans, interventions and additional funding in place with the intention of reducing barriers to learning and supporting children to thrive. For example, leaders use funding to broaden children's experiences and support their individual interests. Leaders know children and families well and take appropriate action to support those facing challenges. Support plans, interventions and staff training are in place. However, staffing arrangements and staff deployment mean that staff do not have the capacity to implement these effectively, which has a negative impact on their learning. Children who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing do not benefit fully from the support leaders have put in place. Leadership and governance Urgent improvement Leaders have not identified or addressed significant weaknesses in staff practice, staff deployment and the day-to-day experiences of children. Although leaders have established policies, procedures and systems intended to support children's safety, wellbeing and learning, they have not ensured these are implemented effectively. As a result, weaknesses in practice have a significant negative impact on children's safety, wellbeing and achievement. Leaders acknowledge that staffing difficulties and deployment decisions have had a significant impact on children's experiences. Although staff remain in ratio, leaders do not ensure that staffing arrangements support children's safety, wellbeing and learning effectively. Leaders have not taken sufficient action to identify and address the impact that these arrangements are having on the quality of care and education children receive. Leaders provide staff with training and take some steps to monitor practice. However, leaders have not identified significant inconsistencies in the quality of staff interactions, behaviour management and care practices. Staff wellbeing and workload are not managed effectively. Staff are stretched across multiple responsibilities and frequently move between tasks and rooms, reducing their ability to focus on children. Leaders have established systems to communicate with parents, and most parents speak positively about the setting. However, leaders do not ensure that communication with families is effective. Frequent changes to staffing arrangements mean that some parents are unclear about who their child's key person is and do not receive enough information about their child's day-to-day experiences. As a result, leaders have not established effective partnerships with all families that are needed to support children's wellbeing and learning. What it's like to be a child at this setting Children experience very different standards of care and education depending on which room they attend and which staff are caring for them. While some children, particularly in the pre-school room, enjoy positive interactions and engaging experiences, significant weaknesses in staff deployment have a negative impact on children's safety, wellbeing and learning. Staff are often focused on managing routines and completing tasks rather than responding to children's individual needs. As a result, children spend too long waiting, distressed children are not always comforted, and some children do not receive the warm and nurturing care they need to feel safe and secure. Children's emotional wellbeing is not supported effectively. Younger children and children who need additional support are particularly affected when familiar adults are moved between rooms. Children become upset and distressed when their key persons are deployed in a different room. Staff who are available do not know children well enough to respond effectively to children's emotional needs or help them regain a sense of security. Children cannot always feel safe, secure and emotionally supported. Safe eating arrangements are not implemented effectively, and children are not always supervised closely enough while eating. This means their safety is compromised. Children are not supported effectively to engage in learning from the start of the day. Activities are not always prepared, and staff spend too much time organising routines, resulting in children waiting, wandering around and becoming disengaged. Some children, particularly in the pre-school room, enjoy meaningful play experiences and develop confidence, independence and social skills. Significant weaknesses in supervision, behaviour management and daily routines mean that too many children do not experience a safe, calm and purposeful environment in which to learn and thrive. Next steps The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action. We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date: Action Completion Date ensure staff deployment meets the needs of all children so that they receive the supervision, care, support and learning experiences they need to be safe, feel secure and make progress 24/06/2026 ensure staff implement safe food practices and supervise children appropriately while eating so that risks to children's safety are minimised 24/06/2026 improve staff knowledge and use of appropriate behaviour management strategies so that children are treated with care and respect and are supported to develop positive behaviour and emotional wellbeing 24/06/2026 strengthen the key-person system so that children benefit from care from familiar adults who understand their individual needs, build effective partnerships with 24/06/2026 Inspectors: Anne Dyoss Victoria Laird About this setting Action Completion Date parents and provide the continuity of care and support children need to feel safe and secure strengthen leadership oversight so that leaders identify weaknesses in practice promptly and take effective action to improve children's safety, wellbeing and learning experiences 24/06/2026 To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date: Action Completion Date improve the use of observation and assessment to inform planning and teaching so that activities build on children's individual starting points and help them make the progress they are capable of 15/07/2026 improve monitoring of the quality of teaching and its impact on children's learning 15/07/2026 About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, special educational needs coordinator, children, parents and grandparents 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. We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. Unique reference number (URN): EY437526 Address: 3 Stratford Court Shirley Solihull B90 4QT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 05/01/2012 Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Register(s): EYR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 Local authority: Solihull Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 1 June 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. 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