Busy Bees Mardley Hill

1 Mardley Hill, Welwyn AL6 0UE
Review Us
9.8 122 Reviews
  • Busy Bees Mardley Hill, Welwyn
Busy Bees Mardley Hill has an incredibly experienced, dedicated and long-standing team that have built up an uncompromisingly strong and positive reputation in the local area for outstanding quality childcare. This beautiful Centre is securely situated within a bespoke home-from-home environment.

The team at Mardley Hill are proud to have hat-trick of consecutive 'Outstanding' accreditations (most recently February 2022), as deemed by their governing body Ofsted. The Centre is also a flagship for Busy Bees and has been deemed as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ since 2012.

The Centre Director and her team pride themselves upon secure and positive partnerships with parents. In addition to this an incredibly strong dedication is also upheld upon the EYFS Framework of which includes: safeguarding, health and safety and learning and development. The team have significant expertise in supporting children with additional needs and they will happily discuss a tailored plan to meet with the individual needs of your child.

The Centre has exceptionally beautiful, well equipped, age-appropriate base rooms and gardens designed with the children's interests and developmental needs in mind.

As well as key EYFS objectives, children learn about designing and building, gardening, singing and dancing, and they are also given endless opportunities to explore, allowing their creative instincts to flow within their amazing surroundings.

If you would like to know more please do not hesitate to contact the Centre Director of Mardley Hill, who will be incredibly happy to discuss your individual requirements. This Centre will provide your child with the best start in life and a personally tailored service that your child deserves.
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Funding & Fees

Details of fees are available on the detailed Busy Bees webpage

Contact Busy Bees Mardley Hill to get a personalised quote.

Contact Busy Bees Mardley Hill to get a personalised quote.

Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Amanda Zienkowicz (Centre Director)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 18

Total Places for Children

  • 52

Age Range

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

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

Parking

  • * A private car park is situated at the front of the Centre and can be used free of charge for parents and staff.

Busy Bees Mardley Hill Reviews (122)

9.8

Busy Bees Mardley Hill has a Review Score of 9.8 (9.791) out of 10, based on 15 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Busy Bees Mardley Hill has 122 reviews.

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Review from Abigail P (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is a wonderful nursery. Warm, bright, well equipped and well maintained. Above all, the staff are fantastic - all extremely professional and friendly towards me as a parent, and I can tell my daughter adores the staff in her room. She only attends 1 morning per week, and only for 4 months so far,
but talks about her key worker during the week with me (only 18 months so just tells me she wants to give her a cuddle!) Could not be happier with the service for both myself and my daughter.
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Review from D F (Grandmother of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My granddaughter absolutely loved this nursery - she was always made to feel very welcome and the staff team were absolutely fantastic! My granddaughter has now left for primary school and they too can see how much she has benefited from the fantastic care and education within Busy Bees Mardley Hill
- thank you to the whole team, I really appreciate all you have done for her....and us!
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Review from Helen T (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We couldn't have found a better nursery for our daughter. She loves going there. Every member of staff knows every child's name and genuinely cares. I have seen such growth since she has been there, both mentally and physically.


The family atmosphere is obvious from the minute you walk in the door

and as soon as we did, we knew it was the right place. I would highly recommend this nursery to anyone looking for a safe, happy place for their child to learn and grow. The food is also amazing! Thank you.
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Review from Lena H (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I moved my daughter to Mardley Hill from another nursery last September and immediately noticed a huge change in my daughter's happiness.


The staff and managers are exceptional, so friendly and generally very happy people. They are incredibly attentive and professional and have many long-standing

staff members, which makes the nursery feel like a family.


All meals are prepared and cooked freshly on site, and are nutritious and healthy; The cook has catered to my daughter's food allergies seamlessly.


All the staff who care for my daughter treat her as an individual, encouraging her to develop her own personality and interests, and they look after her with such warmth and attention.


I cannot recommend Mardley Hill Busy Bees highly enough. This nursery, in addition to being 'outstanding' in all the way you would expect, is also a rare gem.


It is hard to put into words how grateful we are as parents for the support, care and welcome the nursery has shown to our daughter and also to us.

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Review from Maria T (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My oldest son attended the nursery between 2013 and 2016. His younger brother has been attending the nursery since 2016. The nursery has great opening hours and doesn't fine you for being late, unlike other nurseries which is a great relief for a working parent trying hard to juggle work and children.
The nursery staff is truly amazing, warm, kind, caring and genuinely interested in your child. Some members of staff have been working there for years.


The nursery manager shows great leadership and ensures that every member of team upholds the nursery values. The children do a wide range of activities as they progress through the nursery. Once they reach pre-school academy (around 3 years old) they can do French, multi-sports. A company specialising in teaching children about the environment and wildlife comes to the nursery regularly and brings small creatures (frogs, insects, etc) for children to see. Over the last five years, the nursery became like a family to us.

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Review from Tim (Father of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This nursery is simply outstanding. My wife and I felt very nervous about placing our child in a nursery during our long working weeks. However, from our initial open day visit, we felt the warmth and care that everyone at Busy Bees has and exudes in abundance! Putting our child into nursery at Busy
Bees Mardley Hill was absolutely the best decision we could have made.


Everyone is so friendly and they do everything possible to make our child feel at home (which she does). The nursery has a very homely, relaxed feel which others we visited did not. Our child has grown in confidence and developed amazingly in the 6 months she has been there. Certainly the best nursery around and deserves a 10/10 rating!

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Review from Lisa S (Aunt of Child) published on 2 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The best nursery I have ever encountered. The whole staff team are undoubtedly the most dedicated and driven of individuals - together they ensure our children receive the very best every day. The meals are fantastic and very nutritionally balanced, the facilities are also great and include a fabulous
outdoor area which the children visit numerous times every day. The manager is very professional and easy to approach her senior team are also nothing short of amazing. There really is no wonder this nursery achieved an outstanding grading from Ofsted for the second time - they truly deserve this.
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Review from Susanna P (Mother of Child) published on 25 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son returned to the Nursery in May after treatment for a brain tumour, which has left him with some physical disabilities. The Nursery has been fantastic in supporting my son (and us as a family) and his integration into preschool, ensuring he has everything he needs from equipment to outstanding
care and love. The Nursery team have worked seamlessly with physios, hearing specialists and speech and language experts to ensure staff are able to help him the best way they can. The Nursery team have blown my expectations out of the water and we are so grateful for everything they are doing for my son. If you’re looking for a nursery where your child will receive outstanding care in a happy, supportive environment Busy Bees Mardley Hill is for you.
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Review from Steven HL (Father of Child) published on 25 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our daughter has been at the nursery now for over 6 months and not only settled quickly but has grown really fond of the staff. The staff here are fantastic - really engaging and friendly.


They use an app to keep parents up to date with how your child is doing over the course of the day - everything

from nappy changes to meal times and photo updates of activities as well. This is great for us as both of us work in London.


The baby room staff are amazing and having just moved up to the middle room, the transition has been handled really well. She got to know all of the staff across the rooms right from the off and they all know her and say hello when they see her. The staff are equally good with us as parents, discussing any observations, always taking time to just say hi and a quick chat, and running lots of shared parent / child events to make sure they get to know you as well as the child (I don't know how they fit all of the Christmas events in!)

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Review from G J (Father of Child) published on 25 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My wife and I are delighted with the nursery and how much our daughter is enjoying her time here. To a person, the staff are excellent and caring and genuine in their interest in all children. I can't recommend the nursery highly enough.
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Review from Louise M (Mother of Child) published on 25 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are really pleased with this fantastic nursery for both our children. The quality of care and support showed to the children is outstanding. Our son has been at the nursery well over a year now and has come in leaps and bounds in confidence and developmentally too. Our daughter has just started and
I could not imagine leaving her anywhere else.
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Review from Ben (Father of Child) published on 25 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Amazing space for our child to grow. Staff are exceptional and care deeply for the children and parents. We moved our son here from other ‘outstanding’ nursery and the difference was huge, this place really knows how to provide top care and do so consistently. All the staff have been there for years
and are passionate about pushing themselves. Recommend to anyone!
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Review from Janet R (Grandmother of Child) published on 25 January 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I would 100% recommend this nursery. My grandson attends the setting and he absolutely adores going, he gets excited when he wakes up in the morning and his mum says "We are going to Busy Bees today". He is always welcomed in the door by all staff and also when he goes into his base room. There are
always plenty of activities for him to participate within which help his development. I have been shown the online Learning Journal and it is amazing with photos updated throughout the day as well as his meal, sleep and nappy changes. His key person is amazing and is a very long-standing member of staff. I have also been invited into the nursery for grandparents afternoon tea. If you are looking for a great nursery then this is definitely the one for you - go and view it as once you see it you will not want your child to go anywhere else.
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Review from Shubha S (Mother of Child) published on 5 December 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A happy nursery with busy, engaged kids and energetic, enthusiastic staff. My son settled in quickly and easily.
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Review from Neena J (Mother of Child) published on 5 December 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is an absolute gem of a nursery and the care my son has received thus far has been exceptional. Every staff member that I have had contact with has had a very caring approach and extremely professional. The nursery creates a warm, loving and trusting environment and I always feel very reassured
by the staff. They all go out of their way to be accommodating to try and help the parents as much as they can in their capacity. I would like to thank them all for the wonderful care they have given my son, and I can not recommend them strongly enough!
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Review from Sarah F (Mother of Child) published on 5 December 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been going to Busy Bees at Mardley Hill since September and what can I say except she absolutely loves it there. My family and I have seen a massive improvement in every area and can see how much her confidence has grown. The manager and her staff make you feel so welcome and my daughter
is not afraid to be left in the mornings, she just wants to go play with her friends. Her mathematics and counting have come along so well in these last three months and I continue to see her grow as a person. I'm very impressed and all I can say is thank you Mardley Hill for everything you do.
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Review from H A (Mother of Child) published on 30 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The manager and the team always go above and beyond to make sure our son and his friends at Busy Bees are looked after. You are always greeted with a smile and they answer any questions you might have quickly and fully. The tech available via an app is great! Knowing what he has been up to, eating,
sleeping and pictures make us feel in touch with what’s going on throughout the day.
Our son is very happy here and looks forward to going every morning. Very happy with our choice of nursery. It’s a lovely environment and a lovely kind team.
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Review from Victoria J (Aunt of Child) published on 30 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This nursery is without a doubt the best - the whole team are truly dedicated to their individual roles within. The children are always immensely engaged, happy and very content within the nursery environment - who wouldn't be when surrounded by such fantastic people!
The manager and the senior team
are a credit to Busy Bees, they ensure the needs of everyone are not only met but actually exceeded.
If you are looking for a superb, friendly, warm and ultimately outstanding nursery for your precious child then this is the one for you! I honestly cannot praise this nursery enough.
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Review from Patricia W (Mother of Child) published on 30 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Mardley Hill, a place where my daughter grew into a caring individual, a home away from home where she was able to be cared for as if it were her close relatives. After two years of searching for a nursery, I stumbled on Mardley Hill by accident.
My husband and I still went in and it was a match made
in heaven for our daughter. In the space of 5minutes, they knew her name and all her favourite things. She immediately took a liking to the nursery and protested when we ended our visit.
Years down the line and the Busy Bee staff have grown to become family. They gave her the same love and care I gave her at home, they nurtured her needs. They went above and beyond, even buying a special carpet so she is able to concentrate. As a mother, you always want the best for your child and I wish I could duplicate Mardley Hill so that parents all over the nation can give their kids a great start in education. Our daughter is 4 and able to read, she enjoys primary school and very confident all because of Busy Bees.
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Review from James R (Father of Child) published on 21 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The finest nursery my children have been to. Caring staff, great activities, fantastic management, good food and an overall impression that they actually care about my girls, not view them as customers.


The girls have settled well and actually enjoy their time at the nursery.
If they have availability,

which can be an issue as they are so popular, I cannot recommend them highly enough.
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Current Review Score: 9.8 (9.791)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.8 (9.791) out of 10 for Busy Bees Mardley Hill is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 15 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.9 out of 5 from 15 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 4.916 for Busy Bees Mardley Hill is calculated as follows: ( (166 Excellents x 5) + (11 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 179 Ratings = 4.916
  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 4.875 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Busy Bees Mardley Hill is based on 15 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 20 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews, 0.05 Points for the next five Positive Reviews, and finally 0.025 Points for the next ten Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.050, 7th = 0.050, 8th = 0.050, 9th = 0.050, 10th = 0.050, 11th = 0.025, 12th = 0.025, 13th = 0.025, 14th = 0.025, 15th = 0.025, 16th = 0.025, 17th = 0.025, 18th = 0.025, 19th = 0.025, 20th = 0.025) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.05 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 3.875
    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 52 number of registered child places is 10.4, which has been reached with 15 Positive reviews. Points = 1
  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 (6)

Meet the Team (5)

Amanda

Amanda Zienkowicz

Job Title: Centre Director Joined: 2005

I have been working at Mardley Hill since 2005 and I am really enjoying my time spent here. I have a Foundation Degree in Early Years - a course that enabled me to expand my knowledge of child development and embed this within our Centre. I enjoy being part of an outstanding team as we do our very best to ensure the service we provide is second to none. I truly love my role at Mardley Hill and enjoy a strong partnership with all the families who attend.

Terri

Terri Baker

Job Title: Administrator Joined: 2007

I began working at Mardley Hill in 2021 and thoroughly enjoy my role. I have a great deal of Administrative experience. I have worked within many Busy Bees Centers supporting as an Admin. In my spare time, I enjoy meeting with my friends and spending lots of time with my three beautiful children and going away with my husband. I work every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 am - 1:30 pm and I am always available to speak to parents should they require any advice on childcare vouchers, government funding etc.

Samantha

Samantha Scully

Job Title: Assistant Centre Director Joined: 2014

I joined the team at Mardley Hill in 2014. and I am the Room Manager of the Buzz Room. I am the SENCo for the Centre and feel incredibly privileged to be a part of the children's lives and impact on their learning and development could not think of another career I would rather have! My role is to ensure the smooth operation of the Buzz Room at all times; managing a team of dedicated individuals who share the same vision of high-quality childcare as myself.

Katie

Katie Chambers

Job Title: Buzz Room Manager Joined: 2014

I joined the Mardley Hill team in 2022. I am proud to be the Room Manager of the Buzz Room - I adore my role and the diverse opportunities this brings. I am very knowledgeable on supporting families with a smooth transition to starting their nursey experience. Mardley Hill is a huge part of my life - we are a fantastic team and together we continue to strengthen positive relationships with each and every family who attend our Centre.

Georgia

Georgia Quinton

Job Title: Bombos Room Manager Joined: 2014

I have worked at Mardley Hill since 2019. I was promoted to Room Manager in 2022. I'm currently completing my Level 5 degree in child care, and am really enjoying undertaking enhanced levels of responsibility. I am a caring and dedicated member of the team and very much enjoy watching the children learn, develop and grow during their time with us. I have undertaken many courses relative to care and education in my early years and am truly dedicated to my role and the children within my care.

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