Busy Bees Ilford

King George Hospital, Barley Lane, Goodmayes, Ilford IG3 8XJ
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8.7 34 Reviews
  • Busy Bees Ilford, Ilford
Busy Bees Ilford, at King George Hospital, offers a purpose-built setting for children aged 0-5 years. They have a dedicated long-serving staff team who share a passion for quality childcare. They have 6 rooms for children under 2 years old, offering a nurturing, homely environment specifically designed for babies aged 0-2 years, supporting their freedom to develop and challenge their abilities. They have two units for toddlers aged 2-3 years, comprising of the 7 areas of learning, using both the indoor and outdoor spaces. At this age, they support the children's developing independence by promoting self-care throughout their daily routine. The Pre-school unit has three large rooms, where the children can free-flow between throughout the day, enjoying play experiences of their choosing. They offer bespoke learning opportunities, drama classes, Spanish lessons, phonics classes and more to give children the best foundation possible, supporting them to make a smooth transition into school.

They have a large outdoor space with a designated area for each age, offering age-appropriate play experiences. Their garden area was specially designed with little ones in mind, they have a mini-maze, planting area, crawl in sandpits, books areas, builders corner and more, bring the indoors outside to ensure that quality and fun flow throughout.                

They offer fresh meals every day, prepared by the onsite chef. the menus are accredited by the NHS to ensure what your child eats is healthy and nutritious.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact them.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Katie Harvey (Centre Director)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 40

Total Places for Children

  • 124

Age Range

  • from 0 years 2 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Opening Times

  • Monday 06:45-19:00
    Tuesday 06:45-19:00
    Wednesday 06:45-19:00
    Thursday 06:45-19:00
    Friday 06:45-19:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays

Parking

  • Car park for ease of drop off and pick up.

Busy Bees Ilford Reviews (34)

8.7

Busy Bees Ilford has a Review Score of 8.7 (8.652) out of 10, based on 5 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Busy Bees Ilford has 34 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Total of 34, showing 1-20
Review from S P (Mother of Child) published on 11 September 2025 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The staff are friendly, caring and very knowledgeable. The activities that they do are fun and engaging. My children love going to nursery and I can see how much they have learnt since starting. They work very well alongside parents when needed.
Would recommend this nursery to my family and friends.
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Review from J C (Mother of Child) published on 8 September 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter attend nursery since she was 9 months. I couldn't be happier. I feel like she is in great hands, safe and above all, she is happy to go there.
The staff is extremely friendly and they support every child as individuals.
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Review from Stephanie B (Mother of Child) published on 21 August 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Busy Bees Ilford sets the gold standard for childcare. Their professionalism, warmth, and attention to detail are unmatched. Three of my children have attended, and each has been nurtured with care, imagination, and emotional intelligence that goes far beyond the norm. The staff treat children like
individuals, building confidence, curiosity, and kindness. Facilities are spotless, activities are enriching, and standards are excellent. The app keeps me connected throughout the day. It's pricier than some childcare options, but every member of staff makes it worth every penny, you get what you pay for and more. Busy Bees isn't just a nursery; it's an investment in your kids and a foundation for life.
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Review from Leena R (Mother of Child) published on 20 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My little girl has been going to Busy Bees since Dec 2021 as it was recommended by a friend of mine. As an over protective mother, I feel Busy Bees has kept me in the loop regarding feeding, nappy changes and activities which has made me feel at ease. The number of staff which have been there for over
10years+ is impressive and shows that it's a great nursery.
I didn't even have to potty train my non verbal (at the time) daughter as they managed to do all the hard work.
I love all the staff and have trusted them with my little girl but will be very sad to see my daughter graduate from somewhere she considers her second home.
I'm looking forward to my second daughter joining in a couple of weeks to see how she thrives in such a welcoming environment.
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Review from J G (Mother of Child) published on 21 December 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my daughters have been at Busy Bees, with one still being in pre-school. The staff are so lovely and amazing with everything they do. They helped my daughters with their learning and development during the most crucial years of their life and prepared them for school. The staff are so supportive.
The food they provide is amazing and all prepared on-site by their amazing chef. The app provides enough updates to keep parents at ease about what is going on and posting pics of what they are up to. Overall, the nursery is great and the staff are all amazing people.
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Review from Belinda S (Mother of Child) published on 6 October 2023 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The most amazing nursery. They are friendly, patient, understanding and extremely attentive to your and your child's needs. The staff are excellent and become like your close friends. They are supportive in your hour of need and most vulnerable; they were there for me and my baby at my lowest. They
were my strength at times and always offered a friendly ear and gave lots of belly laughs. I wish they offered an after-school club - I miss them dearly.
Reply from Emily Graves, Digital Content Assistant at Busy Bees Ilford
Hello, thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a wonderful review! We’re glad you have given your little one the best start in life with us. Best wishes, Busy Bees
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Review from S G (Mother of Child) published on 18 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has gone to Busy Bees Ilford for 4 years and I can honestly recommend this nursery to every parent without hesitation. As a first time parent and teacher myself, and as he had to spend an average of 10h a day in the nursery, finding the right place for him was crucial. I am very glad I found
them! From the first day he started, when he was only 9 months old, until his very last day of pre-school, every member of staff has been amazing. They all have always been very helpful, friendly and caring.
They have always been very supportive and knowledgeable, helping me with weaning (as my son was a very fussy eater), potty training and stopping the bottle/dummy. They are highly trained and I have always known my son was safe and cared for.
Today I have dropped my very happy and confident son to his first day of school, and I can’t be more grateful to Busy Bees as I know they have already been a key contributor towards my son’s future success.
Reply from Emily Graves, Digital Content Assistant at Busy Bees Ilford
Hello, thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a wonderful review! We’re glad you have given your little one the best start in life with us. Best wishes, Busy Bees
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Review from Aisha M (Mother of Child) published on 22 August 2022 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5
My daughter suffers from multiple severe allergies (Anaphylaxis) and attended Busy Bees at Ilford in Sept 2021 for one month. My daughter suffered a severe Anaphylactic shock and had to be administered an epi-pen. The nursery may try to say that they followed the correct procedure but in fact, many
mistakes were made. They may also say that they have since re-trained staff and taken the learning from this experience, which angers me as my daughter is not a guinea pig and this incident should never have happened.
Please do your research on this nursery, and ask questions, I took my daughter out after the incident and found somewhere better.
Reply from Busy Bees Team, SEO Executive at Busy Bees Ilford
Dear Aisha M, thank you taking the time to review Busy Bees Ilford.
We sincerely apologise that this incident took place. We followed the correct procedure immediately after the incident to ensure…read more
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Review from Shelly V (Mother of Child) published on 13 October 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I would definitely recommend Busy Bees Iford nursery, my son previously attended this nursery and had a fantastic time and learning outcome. The nursery enabled my son to be prepared for the transition into reception, the staff here are very knowledgeable and qualified and have a wealth of experience.
As a result my daughter now attends the nursery and I believe that she will also have the same positive experience. As a parent of two children who have attended Busy Bees Ilford, I would like to reassure you as a parent that I would highly recommend Busy Bees Nursery, and I personally would not send my child anywhere else.
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Review from James (Father of Child) published on 3 November 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Busy Bees is great for our daughter. She was nervous at first but she has really grown into it and has been made to feel very comfortable and confident by the excellent staff. An extra special thanks to 3 members of staff in particular for making our daughter's day fun and helping her to look forward
to her day at nursery. Our daughter has formed a really good bond with each of them.
They make all food fresh on-site which we are told our daughter eats everything, always. They keep the activities on rotation with a well thought out schedule and they deal with situations professionally. They have thought of contingencies such as safety protocol and Covid and have good security measures. Keep up the good work everyone.
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Review from Valentina A (Mother of Child) published on 8 October 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very nice experience.
An excellent clean and spacious kindergarten with a super friendly staff.
My child loves it, he has already made new friends.
We are very satisfied and I recommend it to all friends.
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Review from Naima Y (Mother of Child) published on 8 October 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Busy Bees helped me and my son tremendously when at the height of the pandemic, our old nursery setting had to close. I am a midwife and needed childcare to be able to work.
All of my son's carers have been incredibly helpful and accommodating and settled my son in without any tears. He loves the new
friends he has made and looks forward to a full day of adventures.
The nursery manager and her team are professional and kind and I couldn't do without them!
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Review from Alka S (Mother of Child) published on 6 October 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Fantastic nursery, my daughter is so settled and staff are so friendly. Excellent service and facilities. Location is great and the food menus are really good. Daughter has made loads of friends. Happy child, happy mother
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Review from Georgina P (Mother of Child) published on 1 September 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All staff are friendly, warm and welcoming and provide a clean, spacious environment to learn through play. My daughter loves her teachers and loves coming to school. Staff made sure my daughter had a special birthday party with teachers and friends, they even provided her with a cake. Thank you Busy
Bees for giving my daughter a great start to her journey through school.
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Review from Divya P (Mother of Child) published on 13 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our experience overall with Busy Bees Ilford has been nothing short of amazing. The staff are highly trained and just fantastic at what they do. The nursery has such a warm, welcoming feeling to it; this is due to the friendliness of all staff members who are forever smiling.
My husband and I extensively
researched nurseries around the area before making our choice, we are so delighted with our choice and would highly recommend Busy Bees Ilford to parents looking at nurseries. Their meal choices for children are brilliant, freshly made nutritious food. Activities my twins do while at nursery is providing a real boost to their development. They are definitely getting the right encouragement to get off to an amazing start.
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Review from Amie C (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
From the moment we came in for a tour last summer we knew this was the right place for our son. Staff are warm and welcoming and it’s clear they really know and care about your children. When our son has been a bit homesick, staff have made him collages of family pictures and pictures of his favourite
things (transport!) to put him at ease, they really know his interests. The facilities and range of activities are fantastic and there is always a variety of things for little ones to do. I love the fact they have lots of outdoor space which was lacking in a lot of other providers we visited. The menu is varied and nutritious and our son eats well there too. Probably better than he does at home! Staff are so friendly and have been really supportive with things such as toilet training offering advice and what the routine is at nursery. It’s such great value and I/we are really pleased with our choice of childcare. Thanks, Busy Bees!
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Review from Priti G (Mother of Child) published on 3 June 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very friendly and professional staff. Very experienced in childcare even for little babies. My mind is always at peace whenever I drop my little one with them. They have been open full time even During the COVID- 19 lockdown which has been very helpful for me to attend my NHS work. They continue to
provide the same excellent care during this difficult time which shows their dedication and goodwill in itself.
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Review from Vicky E (Mother of Child) published on 5 February 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have felt very comfortable leaving my daughter at Busy Bees for the past two years. The staff are always welcoming, friendly and their communication and level of care is excellent. The facilities, learning activities and play/garden areas are great. I like that there's always something going on such
as themed days and events - some of which, parents are welcome to join. My daughter loves it so that says it all.
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Review from Kelly S (Mother of Child) published on 29 August 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter has been going to this nursery since she was 11 months of age. I was so nervous of leaving her when returning to work. I have never left my daughter with anyone, even family for a few hours. This nursery has been excellent since the start in all aspects.
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Review from Namita P (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Was a nervous mum going back to work and leaving little one at nursery as he is very clingy and breastfed. Busy Bees at Ilford, especially his key worker, has made the transition very smooth.
They look after my son really well and encourage him to play. He has really picked up on his food since going
to nursery and I couldn't thank the nursery and staff enough. Makes going back to work a lot easier.
Would highly recommend this nursery. Right through from the settling in period to now I have felt the staff have understood my son's individual needs and are really friendly.
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Current Review Score: 8.7 (8.652)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.7 (8.652) out of 10 for Busy Bees Ilford is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 5 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 3.7 out of 5 from 5 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:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.950 for Busy Bees Ilford is calculated as follows: ( (57 Excellents x 5) + (3 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 60 Ratings = 4.95
  2. 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 3.702 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Busy Bees Ilford is based on 5 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 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 = 3.5
    2. 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 124 number of registered child places is 24.8. 5 Positive Reviews ÷ 24.8 = 0.202
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. 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.

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Awards / Recognitions (1)

Meet the Team (1)

Katie

Katie Harvey

Job Title: Centre Director

Hi, my name is Katie. I have worked with Busy Bees for many years. I started at Ilford as an Early Years Educator. I worked my way up to become the Centre Director in January 2020. In my role I am passionate, enthusiastic and hardworking to achieve the best 


Here at Ilford myself and the team work closely to develop a great relationship with the parents and the families to become one big family.


We believe each child is unique to us and we nurture them throughout their early years to become,  independent, confident individuals.

Frequently Asked Questions about Busy Bees Ilford

What is the Age Range of Children that Busy Bees Ilford accepts?

Busy Bees Ilford accepts Children aged from 0 years 2 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Busy Bees Ilford Open?

Busy Bees Ilford is open: Monday 06:45-19:00, Tuesday 06:45-19:00, Wednesday 06:45-19:00, Thursday 06:45-19:00, Friday 06:45-19:00.

How many Children does Busy Bees Ilford have capacity for?

Busy Bees Ilford has capacity for a total of 124 Children.

How far is Busy Bees Ilford to the centre of Ilford?

1.7 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

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