Busy Bees Derby Oakwood

29 Smalley Drive, Oakwood, Derby DE21 2SF
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8.5 31 Reviews
  • Busy Bees Derby Oakwood, Derby
Busy Bees at Derby Oakwood, Smalley Drive is a friendly setting offering every child the opportunity to learn, play and have fun as they develop through their early years. With so much to love about the nursery, your little one is sure to enjoy every moment.

The highly qualified team carefully curate a wide range of engaging activities and learning resources in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework to ensure that there is something for every child to enjoy whilst also promoting positive development at every age and stage.   

The nursery benefits from a spacious, refurbished garden which has been divided into three areas for each age group and offers opportunities for children to play and explore whilst enjoying the fresh air. Toddlers and Pre-schoolers can even get involved in football sessions every Tuesday with ‘Super Star Sports’!

Vibrant early years education is complemented by home-cooked meals, which can be catered to suit allergies or dietary requirements. All meals, drinks and snacks are prepared on-site by the chef and are NHS accredited.

If you’d like to keep up to date with your child’s time at the nursery, the ‘ParentZone’ app offers regular updates provided by the team to keep you in the loop with what your little one is getting up to, along with any milestones they reach.

If you'd like to find out more about Busy Bees at Derby Oakwood, please contact the team.

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Care Provided by Busy Bees Derby Oakwood

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

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Sam Pickering (Centre Director)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 22
  • Total Places for Children
  • 110
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Years Day
  • Parking

  • The Cente offers ample parking on-site for your safety and convenience.


Busy Bees Derby Oakwood Reviews (31)

Total of 31, showing 21-31
8.5

Busy Bees Derby Oakwood has a Review Score of 8.5 (8.536) out of 10, based on 4 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Busy Bees Derby Oakwood has 31 reviews.

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Review from Lauren W (Mother of Child) published on 20 October 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I moved my child from a previous nursery and have not looked back since. The staff and management are fantastic and my child has come on leaps and bounds since joining with their speech, confidence, eating habits and general engagement with others. My child is always beaming with happiness when I pick
her up at the end of the day and clearly loves the time she spends there and the mixture of brilliant activities she is involved in. I wish I had moved her sooner!!

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Review from Amy S (Mother of Child) published on 18 July 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter started here in January 2016 and has thrived since then, she loves attending nursery, quite often running through the door and leaving us behind. Working full time, this gives us absolute peace of mind knowing that she is very happy and content. Her learning has been incredible, we know
this is down to the environment that Busy Bees provides for our daughter. We have already referred other people to the nursery and will continue to do so at any given opportunity. Thank you for all the love and care you provide to our daughter.

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Review from Sarah N (Mother of Child) published on 13 July 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We have been very impressed with the Early Years experience our child has received since joining Busy Bees in July 2016. We are very pleased with the progress he has made socially, his personality has blossomed and he has made a lot of friends. The learning environment provided, both indoor and outdoor,
has ignited an enthusiasm in him for playing, exploring and learning. He has developed a real interest in role play and numbers and carries out related activities at home constantly. The staff at Busy Bees have taken the time to discover our son's interests and this is reflected in the observations and assessments we have seen.
We would like to thank everybody that has been involved in his time at Busy Bees. His self-belief and confidence have grown dramatically due to the safe and welcoming environment that is present. He talks fondly of the activities he does, the friends he plays with and the adults who help him.

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Review from kathryn S (Mother of Child) published on 15 March 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been at Busy Bees since September and I am very impressed with the care that she has received. I get daily updates of her development and behaviour. The staff are kind and caring and go out of their way to ensure the best for each child. I would highly recommend the nursery and am very
glad I sent my daughter here, it's good to go to work and not have to worry. The full-time special offer is also very good value for money compared to other nurseries.

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Review from Kelly M (Mother of Child) published on 13 January 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Since first phoning up to enquire about a place for my daughter I felt welcomed. Leaving a baby for the first time after maternity leave is always a difficult and worrying process, however, all the staff at Busy Bees made this transition easy and stress-free.
My daughter has settled extremely well
since starting in August 2016 and I am very happy with her care and progress. All the staff are very helpful and attentive and most importantly, my daughter has built great relationships with a fair few of the staff and it's comforting to go to work knowing she is happy and content.

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Review from Adele K (Mother of Child) published on 6 January 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I am very happy with Oakwood Busy Bees. My little girl is very happy here, she is learning so much and has a lot of fun. The staff are friendly, understanding and helpful. The nursery is very welcoming and I really appreciate all the ways that parents are included and can see their childrens progress.
I would strongly recommend this nursery to anyone.

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Review from Rachel W (Mother of Child) published on 23 December 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My 2-year-old daughter attends Busy Bees at Derby Oakwood 2 mornings a week and has been since she was 13 months old. The staff are absolutely fantastic and the care they have for all the children really is remarkable. I am always informed of any events that take place and it's great that they involve
the parents as much as they can. I haven't a bad word to say about Busy Bees, it's such a wonderful nursery.

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Review from Philip Z (Father of Child) published on 16 December 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Following in the footsteps of our son, we had no hesitation in choosing Busy Bees at Oakwood for our daughter's nursery.
We've always found the staff to be very welcoming and supportive also offering a fabulous range of activities for the children. The new Parent Zone is wonderful and gives you a
glimpse of those special moments you might otherwise miss.
Our daughter loves every minute of her time there and is always eager to go, testimony to the friendly, fun environment which all of the staff work so hard to maintain.
I would have no hesitation in recommending this fantastic nursery to anyone looking for quality childcare.

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Review from Fiona H (Mother of Child) published on 15 December 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Since my child has attended this nursery his maths and literacy skills have shown rapid development. All staff throughout the setting are warm and welcoming and my son's key worker and other staff based in his particular room have a wonderful relationship with him and he loves them all to bits! The
nursery offers a brilliant online journal where I can track my child's educational progress and wellbeing whilst at the nursery. I can also add to this with activities he has experienced and learnt from at home. They regularly offer brilliant, fun themed days and opportunities for my child to get involved in which further enhance and enrich his educational experiences. All of this alongside a caring and nurturing environment and staff team means I would be happy to recommend this nursery to anyone who was looking for a placement for their own child.

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Review from Megan L (Mother of Child) published on 3 November 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been full time at Busy Bees Oakwood for almost 2 years now, in both the baby and toddler rooms and he loves his time there. The variety of learning activities is fantastic and the staff are so caring and experienced. They make such an effort to know my son on a personal level. He has formed
a trusting relationship with his key worker, his area staff, and the fabulous manager, which is really comforting to see as a mother. As a Dietitian, I'm pretty particular about my son's diet and I am so pleased with the healthy variety of meals/snacks the children are offered. The online 'parent zone' is great because I can see my son's daytime routine (naps, nappies, meal completion, activities, photos/comments) before I pick him up so I know how his day has been. This nursery is so well managed and I'm very confident in their ability to make my son feel 'at home' away from home! I've got number 2 due in 3 weeks and she will be joining her brother at Busy Bees when the time comes!

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Review from Amy BP (Mother of Child) published on 27 October 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Finding good childcare for my son was paramount for me. I went back to work when he was 6 months, so I started looking around at nurseries local to work. Busy Bees Oakwood was by far the best in the area. Not only for the location, but all staff members were attentive, polite and no way pushy. My son
is now nearly 2 and is full-time Mon-Fri from 7.30am-6pm, so it's such a big weight off our mind knowing he is safe, secure, happy and learning. The staff pay a lot of attention to the children; we receive live reports and photographs via an app, which is wonderful whilst you are at work! The home cooked food is amazing! The indoor and outdoor facilities he had in the baby room provided plenty of stimulation for mind and body. My son has come on leaps and bounds and we are so thankful we have found a good nursery. We are hoping he will stay there until he starts school as we are so content with him being there and the service we receive.

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Current Review Score: 8.5 (8.536)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.5 (8.536) out of 10 for Busy Bees Derby Oakwood is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 4 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 3.6 out of 5 from 4 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 4.979 for Busy Bees Derby Oakwood is calculated as follows: ( (47 Excellents x 5) + (1 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 48 Ratings = 4.979

  • 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 3.557 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Busy Bees Derby Oakwood is based on 4 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 = 3.375

    • 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 110 number of registered child places is 22. 4 Positive Reviews ÷ 22 = 0.182

  • 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

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Meet the Team (1)

Sam

Sam Pickering

Job Title: Centre Director

Joined: 2004

Hi my name is Sam and I am the Nursery Manager here at Busy Bees in Derby Oakwood I have worked for Busy Bees since 2004 and I have been very fortunate to have had lots of experience and managerial experience in several nurseries. I completed my NNEB at college when I left school and I have since attended University part time and completed the Foundation degree in Children and Young people’s Services and also my BA (HONS) in Early Childhood studies.


Over the last 14 years I have also attended lots of other training courses such as Safeguarding, customer service Behaviour Management and many more. This training has not only enabled me to gain a wealth of knowledge and experience but to be able to put this into practice and share with my staff team.


I am very committed to ensuring that myself and the team deliver high standards of care and education to the children who attend our nursery. We work hard as a team to ensure that the children have a variety of learning opportunities that are planned to individual children’s needs and interests.


I have two children myself both of which have been into nursery full time and now both have gone to school so I am fully aware how important it is to choose the right nursery for your children to have the best start in life.


I really look forward to meeting you and welcoming you into our nursery.


Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Busy Bees Derby Oakwood to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Busy Bees Derby Oakwood has an Enhanced Service – more info.