URN EY294872 · Inspected 2026-07-20 · Published 2026-09-17 · Inspector: Clare Ford John Stafford
Busy Bees at Cambridge Westwick Unique reference number (URN): EY294872 Address: Westwick Farm, Westwick, Oakington, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB24 3AR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 29/10/2004 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Inspection report: 20 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. Strong standard Expected standard Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard Children's welfare and wellbeing are a high priority. Leaders consistently prioritise children's safety, health and emotional security. Policies and routines are robust and well understood. Staff follow safe sleep practises, safe eating routines and allergy procedures with care. Leaders ensure that children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those who have barriers to learning are supported to feel safe and develop a sense of belonging. The warm, nurturing and secure attachments mean that children develop the emotional security they need to be successful learners. Children build secure attachments with staff. Babies receive warm, nurturing interactions and responsive care that makes them feel safe. Staff talk to children during nappy changing to develop trust and security. Children feel valued and confident because staff consistently offer praise and boost children's self-esteem. Children learn healthy habits. They talk about hydration, vegetables and the importance of cleaning their teeth. Children practise good manners and independence, and staff act as superb role models. Children pour water at mealtimes and engage in conversations about hydration. Staff promote independence and a sense of responsibility as children scrape their plates after lunch. Staff promote physical activity through climbing, balancing and outdoor exploration across all ages. Children access fresh air in abundance as they explore the extensive grounds. Older children understand risks. They recognise safety signs outdoors and know not to go behind the shed. Staff teach them how to stay safe in simple, clear ways. Routines are embedded, adaptations are thoughtful and children consistently make healthy choices. Achievement Expected standard Children generally achieve well from their starting points. Babies develop strong physical skills as they climb, balance and explore sensory play. Children develop communication skills as they listen to stories, repeat phrases and use new vocabulary. They show early maths understanding as they count, match and compare quantity and numerals. Children develop confidence and independence. They pour water, scrape their plates at lunch and choose which food to eat. They show curiosity in nature and enjoy exploring outdoors, demonstrating their growing awareness and knowledge of the natural world. Children show excellent social skills such as sharing and turn taking as well as impeccable table manners. Children are developing an ability to recognise a range of feelings and emotions. They do not always know how to apply these to real-life situations that arise and staff sometimes step in to help them manage and regulate their feelings. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress, especially in communication. They learn simple words and begin to join play. Generally, they are supported to access the curriculum, and they make steady progress from their start points. Typically, children gain the knowledge and skills they need for their next steps. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Children behave well. They show kindness, share resources and play cooperatively. Staff model calm behaviour and remind children of simple rules. Children respond positively to reminders such as 'walking feet' when they run inside. Leaders set clear expectations about behaviour. These are commonly applied by staff and understood by children. Children show positive attitudes to learning. They concentrate during stories, explore sensory play and join in with songs. They enjoy outdoor challenges and show resilience when climbing or balancing. Routines are well embedded and transitions are organised. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities particularly benefit from these clear routines. Children wash hands, sit safely at mealtimes and follow transitions smoothly. Staff promote healthy habits and independence. Children pour water, use cutlery and talk about healthy food. Staff generally remind children of rules. Some children need more help to manage feelings and re-engage in learning after emotional outbursts. Staff generally teach children about feelings and emotions but do not consistently apply this to their teaching to help children manage feelings successfully. Children feel safe, behave well and enjoy learning. They attend well and leaders promote the importance of regular attendance. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders understand the curriculum well. They use an ambitious approach to build confidence, independence and curiosity. Staff generally know what they want children to learn and why. They plan activities that link to interests, such as animals, tools and sensory exploration. The curriculum is mostly taught well. Babies develop strength as they reach into sand and climb on frames. Children develop language as staff name colours, describe textures and model new words. Early maths is seen as staff encourage children to count blocks, compare cup sizes and match dots during planned activities. This helps develop early mathematical concepts in preparation for later learning. Staff support children to develop fine motor skills as they connect puzzle pieces and make marks in sand. Staff narrate alongside play, praise effort and help children practise skills. Children enjoy stories and songs and show interest in repeated phrases in much loved books. Staff ensure that children have access to books in all areas. This helps develop a love of reading from an early age and adds important literacy into play. Staff revisit learning, such as naming animals or exploring what happens when you add water to sand, to help children remember. Children with barriers to learning are mostly supported well. Staff use targets and feedback from professionals to tailor their teaching which typically removes any barriers to learning. Teaching is not yet consistently high quality. Staff do not always extend children's ideas, such as when children build structures with crates or mix ingredients in the mud kitchen. Staff do not consistently recognise or utilise opportunities to deepen children's thinking or develop their ideas. Children learn well and make progress but teaching is not consistently matched to the ambition of the curriculum. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders typically identify children's needs quickly. They know which children receive additional funding and which children have emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They gather information from parents and use advice from external partners, including speech and language therapists and the inclusion officer from the local authority. Leaders use an established approach to assess and plan for children with SEND. Staff understand children's next steps and talk confidently about them. Leaders do not consistently act swiftly enough to secure additional funding that children may be entitled to. Parents are fully involved in reviews about children's progress. Children with SEND are usually supported to join activities. Staff use simple language, gestures and picture cues. Children learn new words and practise asking for help. Staff adapt routines, such as offering quieter spaces, to reduce barriers. Children with English as an additional language settle well and show no barriers to learning. Those with barriers to learning or who are know to social care generally make progress from their start points. Leaders promote inclusion through shared cultural experiences. Families send items from home. Children explore books about different families and cultures. This helps children feel represented and respected. Leaders generally reduce barriers and children make progress. Some children with emerging SEND spend small pockets of time without guided support to help them stay engaged in learning. Staff do not always make swift or systematic adaptations to help them stay focused. Funding for additional support has not yet been secured, which slows the progress that children could be capable of. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders understand the setting's strengths and areas for development. They have improved staff wellbeing and created a positive culture. Staff feel valued and supported. Leaders are easily accessible to staff, they hold reflective discussions and regular training to build staff confidence. Leaders act on concerns and make changes. They have improved safeguarding paperwork and strengthened oversight of staff understanding about how to raise concerns. This has strengthened the staff approach to sharing concerns swiftly and with confidence. Leaders have moved the office downstairs which has helped them to oversee the curriculum. This alongside observations supports them to monitor practice. Leaders focus on curriculum understanding and wellbeing. Training is not yet sharply matched to individual needs to support them to develop high quality teaching. Leaders work well with parents. Families feel informed and involved. Home learning is supported and well received by parents. Leaders are mindful of workload. They offer wellbeing spaces and provide regular praise. Leaders have prioritised staff wellbeing and have worked hard to create the positive staff culture that exists. As a result, staff morale is high. Leaders act appropriately and have made significant improvements in a short space of time. They generally understand priorities and drive relevant improvements. Although evaluation is not always precise enough and does not always lead to targeted professional development. 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 enjoy a warm and welcoming environment. They explore the extensive large outdoor areas and forest school spaces with confidence. Children climb trees with amazing confidence and show their strength as they carry out impressive movements on balancing ropes. They collect natural items such as sticks and leaves and show curiosity as they watch tractors and red kites and talk about what they see. Children enjoy sensory play. Babies strengthen their core as they reach into low sand trays and explore fabric pieces. Toddlers squeeze pom poms and scoop wet sand. Preschool children mix mud, pour water and create simple recipes in the mud kitchen. Children develop fine motor skills as they thread beads and turn clock dials. Children enjoy stories and songs. They choose books from baskets and listen to familiar stories. This is supported by the book of the week which children hear frequently. Children repeat phrases and point to pictures showing their love of stories. Children explore rhyme and rhythm as they join in with action songs and copy simple movements. Children feel included. They explore diversity resources and match faces to cultural clothing. They look at books about different families and cultures. Parents share cultural items during inclusion week, which helps children feel valued. Children with barriers to learning are typically supported to make progress from their start points. Children typically behave well. They share tools such as spades and pipettes, take turns and respond to gentle reminders from staff. Children follow routines at mealtimes and wash hands with little help. Children pour water, scrape plates and talk about healthy food choices. Children thrive because staff build secure attachments. Babies smile at familiar adults and settle quickly. Toddlers seek comfort when upset and return to play. Preschool children show pride when they complete tasks and enjoy praise. Overall, children enjoy learning, feel safe and build positive relationships. Staff plan meaningful activities that engage children in learning and help them prepare for their next steps. Next steps Leaders should consider further ways to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that staff can provide consistent adaptations while leaders secure additional funding. Leaders should evaluate the quality of teaching more precisely and use this to sharply focus professional development so that it supports individual staff to develop their teaching to consistently match the ambition of the curriculum. Leaders should explore further ways to develop staff practice in teaching emotional regulation so that children receive consistent support when managing feelings. Inspectors: Clare Ford John Stafford About this setting Unique reference number (URN): EY294872 Address: Westwick Farm Westwick, Oakington Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB24 3AR Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 29/10/2004 Registered person: Busy Bees Nurseries Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Cambridgeshire Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. About this inspection The inspectors spoke with leaders, practitioners, special educational needs coordinator, 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. This data is from 20 July 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 131 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. 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