Busy Bees Hempstead

197 Hempstead Road, Hempstead, Gillingham ME7 3QG
Submit a Review
9.6 69 Reviews
  • Busy Bees Hempstead, Gillingham
Busy Bees at Hempstead provides the perfect environment to offer children the best start to their early education.

The nursery has light and spacious rooms, with separate areas for different ages, and fabulous resources to encourage children's development and ensure they enjoy each day spent there. The team also strive to create a welcoming environment where children are nurtured and prepared for the next stage of their educational journey.

Along with fun-filled nursery rooms, the nursery provides a comforting sensory room, so your child can relax and absorb their senses with colourful lights, the bubble tube and fine motor toys.

The enthusiastic staff work hard to make sure your child is happy and engaged during their time at the nursery. So no matter what they enjoy doing, there will never be a dull moment at Busy Bees at Hempstead.

The team understand how busy family life is, to help support you they provide nappies and wipes along with meals and snacks for your little one to tuck in to throughout the day. You can also book additional sessions through the easy online booking system, Pebble.

Care Provided by Busy Bees Hempstead

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Claire Arkell (Centre Director)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 16
  • Total Places for Children
  • 76
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays

Funding & Fees Guide for Busy Bees Hempstead

  • Full day £59.00,
    Am session £33.50,
    Pm session £29.00


  • Fees are inclusive of all meals prepared and cooked by their own in house Chef, Suncream, nappies and wipes


  • Parking
  • Parking onsite, please park on the left hand side when entering the carpark.


Total of 69, showing 41-60
9.6

Busy Bees Hempstead has a Review Score of 9.6 (9.581) out of 10, based on 12 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Busy Bees Hempstead has 69 reviews.

Overall Experience

  • 66
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0

Date Published

69
4
5
12
57
Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been attending since she was 8 months and I am very pleased with how she is doing and how the nursery is with her. All the staff have made her settle well and she comes home each day very happy, which is lovely! I am glad we chose Busy Bees, as choosing a nursery is a very difficult
task.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Good staff, always helpful and understandable very good price and timelines. My daughter loves to be around.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The decision of where to place your child is always a difficult one, you can never be sure what type of care your child will receive, but at Busy Bees at Hempstead, we have been amazed at the level of dedication every staff members shows each child. Our daughter loves going to the nursery and they do
a good amount of both indoor and outdoor activities with the children during the day and provide a good setting to prepare children as they go on toward school age.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Absolutely amazing!! My little boy loves going in and I love seeing the smile it puts on his face!! The members of staff are absolutely wonderful and really do put you at ease!! The food is outstanding! I will definitely recommend to everyone!!

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son struggled with separation anxiety and took a while to settle into the nursery. But staff were so helpful, understanding and patient with both me and my son. They really went out of their way to make him feel welcome and to also assure me that he was getting better with each session. They made
lovely cards showing pictures of my son playing and happy which made me feel reassured that he was being well cared for in a safe and happy environment.


Great nursery with lovely staff and I would definitely recommend to any parent.


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5

I'm removing my last reviews of this nursery, please.
Don't bother with this nursery if you own a car as you find it IMPOSSIBLE to park, yummy mummies in their cars think they can park everywhere and will block you in, they also allow huge commercial vans in that block you and staff and parents speed
out of the car park, my car was damaged and staff blamed me and upset my ASD child, only bother if you are a wealthy mum as that is what this nursery attracts. They also left the floor mopped and wet and caused my daughter to slip and bruise her face and brushed the complaint under the carpet, they were at fault, food is a menu which is not a children's menu and daughter often refuses to eat and comes home hungry. There are some lovely members of staff but we won't be back. Very disappointed.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My 2-year-old twins have been going to Busy Bees at Hempstead for the past 7/8 months and they absolutely love it there! Knowing that they're safe and happy makes me happy, and the fact that I have a struggle getting my son in the car when I pick them up speaks for itself! The progression I've seen
in both of them since they joined is amazing, and I love that they have such a variety of food.
All the nursery staff are so friendly, would highly recommend!!

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

My son has been attending since he was 1. Now he is on the last year before school.
He has always been very happy, staff are friendly and nice and the overall environment is nice for the children.
However, this last year we are not very happy with the meals as there is no alternative if a child does
not want to eat. 10 hours without eating is too long. You cannot bring anything either from what I understand but I think they should focus more on these things and maybe give the children simpler food rather than curry, strong sauces, etc.
For the rest I would highly recommend this nursery.

Reply from Chloe Wilkes, Marketing Assistant at Busy Bees Hempstead

As an Early Years setting we have to follow the Early Years Code of Practice for Healthy Food and Drink.
The guidelines include how often, how much, and which types of food from each of the four food groups we should provide for the children, these guidelines also help to make sure that the food and drink we provide is healthy and balanced. The food and drink guidelines are underpinned by a nutrient framework.
We encourage a positive and welcoming eating environment, to encourage the children to eat well, and develop good eating habits and social skills. We use the whole day as well as meals and snacks to teach children about healthy eating and encourage a positive attitude towards mealtimes.
Varied menus for meals and snacks are planned in advance, which includes different tastes, colours and textures of food, the consumption of our foods are monitored and if there are particular meals that are not liked we do consider this and adapt the meals if appropriate but still keeping in line with Eat Better Start Better guidance. We offer lots of encouragement around meal times and do offer healthy alternatives if lunches/tea are not eaten. Thank you for taking time to review us.


Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have two children that have been to the nursery and one still attending nursery, all since they were 9 months old. The staff are really friendly and approachable. They reassure me through good communication that my children have had good days. They are very knowledgeable of my child’s development
and have regular parent evenings to discuss what stage your child is at.
My son who is in the preschool room has really come on socially and made friendships with a few children. He enjoys the meals and I am happy with the varied diet.
He has made good bonds with the staff in the nursery.
The Afterschool club staff look after my older two now, they do an amazing job with making sure they are fed and happy. The ladies at club plan exciting activities suitable for my children and there is always an upbeat atmosphere when I collect them. I would recommend the nursery and Afterschool club to friends and family. The nursery staff work hard to create a caring and secure environment.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I am always verbally recommending Busy Bees at Hempstead.
The staff are what make the nursery a great place for my child to go.
The atmosphere is always upbeat, even during the snowy days in March.
The food is very good and varied each day and it means my child gets to try lots of different foods,
whether he likes them or not.
The girls in the office are always very happy to help with any request and are always very efficient.
I really like this whole nursery, my son has been since he was 8 months old and he is now over 3 years.
It will be a sad day when my child is old enough for school and we have to leave.
And lastly we love the songs he comes home singing, our favourite at the moment is: Twinkle twinkle chocolate bar.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Daughter has attended here since she was 2, as a mum, I was worried about leaving her but oh my, she settled in quick as the staff here are lovely and won’t see an upset child. She is now 3 and loves nursery she has learnt so much and has turned into a wonderful child.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both of my sons attend Busy Bees Hempstead, both since 7-8 months old. Both settled in quickly the staff are so warm and friendly, they have a lovley rapport with staff and are progressing well. They look forward to coming and that is all down the staff and lovely atmosphere created. I have and will
continue to recommend this nursery to others.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The whole team are extremely warm and caring and have gone out of their way to help with any individual requests. All areas of childcare are excellent and admin has been very efficient. The children are always happy and enjoy the varied play.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely nursery, I’m always very pleased with the staff. My son has always been very happy here and he moved from another Busy Bees nursery and this one is well above most of the others. My only issue is the food is sometimes a little strange taste for their age group.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been at Hempstead Busy Bees since she was 9 months old. This September she will be transitioning to big school and I can honestly say this is the best nursery we could have chosen!
My daughter has come out of her shell so much over the years and has so much confidence because of the
excellent staff and care provided.
She is always full of beans and has so much to tell me about her day, she absolutely loves it there!
We actually moved house last year and we now have a much longer journey to preschool but we carried on bringing her here as we just did not want her to change as she has made lovely friends and has a great connection with all the ladies!!
She will really miss Busy Bees when she goes to big school!!

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

After viewing a few local nurseries and being an ex-childcarer myself, I thought I’d never find a nursery that met my ridiculous, unreasonable standards. Then I walked into Busy Bees at Hempstead.
The whole homely feel is wonderful. The staff so welcoming. A lovely large garden for the children to
play in. Food is cooked and served in house. I knew within minutes this was my son's nursery. He absolutely loves going here and the staff definitely bring out the best in him for fun and educational purposes.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Lovely friendly nursery. My daughter loves her morning sessions. Staff are all friendly and welcoming and provide very good care. The nursery is always clean and toys and play equipment always look in very good condition.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

So glad we found this nursery. The staff are all excellent and have a real enthusiasm for their work which shows immediately in the way they interact with the children. Our little girl really enjoys her days there and felt settled in a very short space of time, which I have no doubt is due to the excellent
staff.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

As soon as I walked into the nursery I just knew it was the nursery for our 2 year old after viewing 5 others in the area. The staff were so friendly and welcoming. My little girl didn't want to leave, she started 2weeks later. She absolutely loves it and we are so happy we found this nursery.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

We fell in love with this nursery the moment we visited it. It can very daunting for parents to leave their children when returning to work and we wanted to find a place that we felt would feel like home to our daughter and this one is. The moment we stepped in the Baby Bungalow we knew this was the
right one for her and for us. Fast forward 3 years and she still loves it and is now in the Preschool Room. We are so pleased that she has experienced nursery here. The staff are wonderful, always loving and caring. They love what they do and that is important. It will be a sad chapter when she has to leave the security of the nursery and start a new adventure in school.

Facilities / Outside Space

Learning

Resources / Equipment / ICT

Care

Activities

Staff

Food / Nutrition

Management

Cleanliness

Safeguarding

Value for Money

Current Review Score: 9.6 (9.581)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.6 (9.581) out of 10 for Busy Bees Hempstead is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 12 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.8 out of 5 from 12 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.792 for Busy Bees Hempstead is calculated as follows: ( (117 Excellents x 5) + (24 Goods x 4) + (3 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 144 Ratings = 4.792

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 4.789 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Busy Bees Hempstead is based on 12 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 76 number of registered child places is 15.2. 12 Positive Reviews ÷ 15.2 = 0.789

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please Contact Us for Latest Vacancies

Awards / Recognitions (0)

Loading...

Loading

Loading
Loading

Loading

Loading

Loading

Loading

Loading events

Loading

Meet the Team (1)

Claire

Claire Arkell

Job Title: Centre Director

Joined: 2014

Hello my name is Claire Arkell and I am the Nursery Manager at Hempstead Busy Bees.


I have been with Busy Bees since they acquired the Kinder sites in March 2014.


I have been in childcare now for 11 years and hold a NVQ 3 in Children's Care Learning and Development. I have worked in a number of nurseries and for the last 9 years have been working at Management level. Along the way I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience which I reflect in my day to day practice, using this to guide the staff team and share my experience.


I attend regular training to improve my practice including, First Aid and Safeguarding.


It fills me with pride when you can see how the children flourish and develop in our care and become the individual people with shining characteristics that they are.