Busy Bees Croydon

164 Old School Place, Croydon CR0 4GB
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8.8 66 Reviews
  • Busy Bees Croydon, Croydon
Busy Bees Croydon makes an excellent contribution to childcare and education within the local community, with a friendly and experienced team of staff who have the advantage of an expertly designed and fully-resourced facility, registered to welcome up to 112 children.

Staff look to treat each child as an individual, with key persons keeping an eye on personal development, with the aim of encouraging all children to practice their communication and social skills, alongside focused learning on key areas such as numeracy and literacy.

The nursery was rated 'good' by Ofsted in October 2018.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Latoya Clarke (Centre Director)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 32

Total Places for Children

  • 112

Age Range

  • from 0 years 3 months
  • to 5 years 0 months

Funding & Fees

  • Full Day 7.30am-6.30pm:


    - 0-2 Year olds - £79.50
    - 2-3 Year olds - £79.50
    - 3-5 Year olds - £79.50

  • Fees will include all meals, drinks and snacks prepared on site by our Nursery Chef.
    Sibling Discounts also available (Terms & Conditions apply)

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:30-18:30
    Tuesday 07:30-18:30
    Wednesday 07:30-18:30
    Thursday 07:30-18:30
    Friday 07:30-18:30

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays

Busy Bees Croydon Reviews (66)

8.8

Busy Bees Croydon has a Review Score of 8.8 (8.840) out of 10, based on 6 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Busy Bees Croydon has 66 reviews.

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Date Published
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Total of 66, showing 21-40
Review from Cecile F (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very happy that our son has been going to this nursery for the past 3 years. Staff are very supportive and friendly. Our son has built up some good friendships with other kids and staff, he has been enjoying a variety of activities. He’s thriving there and has developed so much in their care.
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Review from Marie-Clair E (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter loves attending Busy Bees, Old School Place. She cannot wait to go in the morning and is so happy in herself leaving our house. When I pick her up in the evening, she always looks so content and tells me about all the fun she has had that day. The staff are fantastic and keep in regular
communication. She has formed friendships and benefits from the consistency in staff. Attendance at Busy Bees has encouraged her development and social communication. I cannot recommend this nursery enough.
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Review from Rachael W (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been at this nursery since she was 10 months old and now leaving to go to school in September.
They have been great for her confidence and education. All the staff here are exceptional, they engage really well with all the children. She loves how safe she feels and that she can talk
to the staff if she has any issues. The activities are varied and keep her attention.
She is going to miss the staff and environment greatly. I'm sure we'll be back for a visit in the future.
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Review from Justine M (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been attending this nursery just before he was two. He settled in very well a lot of this was due to the staff who are very caring and friendly.
He has grown in confidence and loves coming to nursery.
The staff are very knowledgeable about child development and really helped with his development
and social skills.
The nursery is very bright and has interesting articles in the hall to look at. The rooms are very bright and colourful and full of exciting toys and educational activities, the children are learning through play which is great.
There are lovely outdoor areas where the children can run around.
The nursery management are always welcoming and helpful and run a lovely tight ship.
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Review from Alexandra A (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I chose this nursery out of another 10 I saw around my house. This nursery is actually far from my house but is the best of all and as I care a lot about my kids day to day lifestyle I will highly recommend this nursery. They are fully involved with the kids' age group activities and going the extra
mile in order to achieve kids' development no matter if a child has a disability or a typical child. You don't see them just standing, that's why their name is very good comparing to what they do - Busy Bees.
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Review from Ruth M (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son really enjoys being at Busy Bees Croydon. The facilities are brilliant and the care is fantastic. He is developing really well under their care. The meals are also excellent and very well planned nutritionally. The staff are all really friendly and management is exceptional.
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Review from Desiree (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been at Busy Bees for almost 2 years, we have seen him grow and learn so much in his time there! He enjoys the company of friends and has made great connections with the staff as well. Would definitely recommend them to any parent, even the baby room is calm and cosy and the pre-school class
is fun and upbeat! Excellent nursery!
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Review from Ann A (Mother of Child) published on 30 July 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We were fortunate to come in contact with Busy Bees in April when I was designated a key worker and my previous nursery had closed its doors to everyone, regardless of profession. We reached out to the nursery manager who was more than helpful and booked us in for settling in the following day. My son
settled in quickly and after 3 days was enjoying full days. Busy Bees made the transition quick, easy and painless - it didn't take us long to make the decision to become permanent parents at the setting and we were fortunate enough to be offered a place. Our son has been there over 3 months now and smiles when we get to nursery and is happy when we pick him up - always looking like he has had a great day. We get regular updates on the Parent Zone app (something we didn't get at our previous setting) which is great to see how he is doing. I'd definitely recommend anyone to this nursery. It is really well laid out, ample parking for a stress-free pick-up / drop off and the staff are always friendly.
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Review from F F (Mother of Child) published on 20 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child is in the baby class and the two that head up the room have been amazing. The confidence has grown in my daughter and she loves nursery days.
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Review from L M (Mother of Child) published on 5 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My son has taken a particular interest in two members of staff. He has improved so much since changing nursery and they have really helped with his progression and advising me on people who I can talk to regarding his development.
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Review from Kehinde O (Mother of Child) published on 5 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are very pleased and satisfied with the nursery. Since joining the nursery, my daughter has grown into a strong, vibrant and independent child. The teachers are very professional, experienced and caring. The environment is always very clean, bright and colourful. My daughter has had very happy moments
with her teacher. She is always looking forward to going into nursery every day. I am glad we made the right decision for her to go into nursery every day. Overall the nursery has been very fantastic and friendly. I recommend them to other parents.
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Review from Rochelle R (Mother of Child) published on 5 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I value each of the staff members as they have provided nothing but love and support to my daughter and myself. The staff have gone the extra mile to support my daughter who has recently been diagnosed with moderate to severe hearing loss. They have provided training for both myself and my family and
we cannot express how grateful we are.
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Review from S D (Mother of Child) published on 5 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5
General facilities, outside area re good. Easy to park to drop off and collect. Mixed opinion on staff. A very different experience between rooms. Some staff very helpful and friendly, whereas others barely say hello. Preferred it when the staff told us what the child had eaten etc each day rather than
relying on the parent zone, which does not give much info and isn't always updated. More frequent parents evenings would be good. Am often just told he has had a good day when would like more information.
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Review from T D (Father of Child) published on 5 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
I like the friendly staff and whenever I drop off my son they always know his name and are great at settling him into playing when I leave. When I first started dropping him off he would dry to leave me but now there are no problems. I like the outdoor area provided and when it is nice weather the kids
can run outside to play. Out of the nurseries we saw in our area, this has the widest range of outside activities to do. I like that we get text and email alerts to make us aware of any special activities taking place as a reminder, this helps. The staff are friendly and know mine and my partner's face which even though it is a chain, it gives a personal feel to us.
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Review from M C (Mother of Child) published on 5 February 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending the Busy Bees in Croydon since the end of October and has been very happy. We love the staff who take care of her; they are always very attentive and ready to answer our questions. I would just like to ask for attention for the illumination at the entrance of the building.
It is very dark (especially now in winter) and the buggy shed that is dirty.
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Review from Jenny O (Mother of Child) published on 10 July 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending Busy Bees for 7 months now and I can see how much of a positive impact it has made on her social skills and development. The staff are fantastic - from admin/management, to catering and the educators and TA's in the classrooms. Even though my daughter is only part time,
the staff make every effort to make her experience of nursery count and equally looked after as much as the regular full timers. The children are watered and fed with a variety of healthy snack like fresh fruit throughout their day as well as their breakfast and lunch. The kids all seem to be very confident with using the bathroom by themselves/washing hands etc with little need for assistance and enjoying that ownership and part of being independent and growing up. My daughter has made so many friends at nursery with the other children as well as her educators/TA's. She knows most of them by name and as do they. Positive and friendly environment for children to explore learn play.
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Review from Yasemin K (Mother of Child) published on 14 May 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Towards the end of my maternity leave, I was freaking out about what nursery to send my 1 year old son to. After visiting quite a few, me and my husband picked this one and we couldn't be happier with our decision. The nursery management are very welcoming and listen to your concerns and ideas, they
know all the children by name.! The staff that take care of the children are amazing a full credit to the nursery. My son has settled in very well and after 2 weeks stopped crying while I was leaving and now waves goodbye. Which that in itself put my mind at ease knowing his happy.! Another credit to the nursery is the fact that’s it’s all on one floor which I love and the garden is lovely. All in all, I am glad it didn’t turn out as scary as I thought, going to back to work leaving my son in nursery.
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Review from V O (Mother of Child) published on 24 April 2018 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Busy Bees, Croydon is a lovely and lively setting. My daughter has been attending since the age of 10 months. The staff are very attentive and really care about the children's development. I am provided with regular updates on my child's development and I have always found staff to be happy to help
when I have needed support i.e potty training, encouragement with speech development etc.


The Nursery management are extremely helpful and take time to engage with both children and parents.

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Review from Karthik S (Father of Child) published on 14 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
We believe that Busy Bees Croydon Nursery has been good for our family. I could see tremendous progressive improvement in my son. He is developing good social skills and also seen his confidence grow.


Nursery staff are very friendly and they build good bonding with kids and babies. They meticulously

keep track of kid’s development and notify parents on a periodic basis. Management has also offered excellent support from time to time and kept us informed about the new developments. This nursery has a good ventilated environment and big space for kids to learn from the environment.


We are extremely happy to have made the decision to enrol our son in this nursery. We would highly recommend this nursery to anyone looking for a great start for their children.

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Review from A J (Mother of Child) published on 16 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Generally, a very good nursery setting and very hard working team. My children have developed and blossomed here. They are quick to respond and implement changes to improve practices and policy, but I would like them to provide better feedback to parents regarding developmental milestones and learning
activities for class and home. I also feel staff turnover is high, so keyworkers are changed too often, which is unsettling for children and have heard staff comment on the low salary, which is a shame considering the high fees we pay as parents.
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Current Review Score: 8.8 (8.840)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.8 (8.840) out of 10 for Busy Bees Croydon 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 6 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 3.9 out of 5 from 6 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 4.972 for Busy Bees Croydon is calculated as follows: ( (69 Excellents x 5) + (2 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 71 Ratings = 4.972
  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 3.868 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Busy Bees Croydon is based on 6 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 + 0.1 = 3.6
    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 112 number of registered child places is 22.4. 6 Positive Reviews ÷ 22.4 = 0.268
  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

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Awards / Recognitions (1)

Meet the Team (1)

Latoya

Latoya Clarke

Job Title: Centre Director

Hello, I am Latoya Clarke the Centre Director here at Busy Bees Croydon.
I have over 18 years experience within the early years sector and have a BA Honours in Early Childhood Studies. The early years sector has always been a passion of mine and I strive to achieve a high quality learning environment for all children.
Qualities that I hold dear to me include the relationships that I build with members of staff, the children and the parents which encourage me to continue to give my all to this role and being a family orientated person is reflective of this. In my spare time I enjoy travelling and spending quality time with my children.
I cannot wait to share my knowledge, experience and expertise with my parents and staff and welcome you to Croydon Busy Bees.

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