Busy Bees Mardley Hill

1 Mardley Hill, Welwyn AL6 0UE
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9.9 114 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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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

Funding & Fees

  • Details of fees are available on the detailed Busy Bees webpage

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 (114)

9.9

Busy Bees Mardley Hill has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.908) out of 10, based on 11 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Busy Bees Mardley Hill has 114 reviews.

Overall Experience
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Total of 114, showing 81-100
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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Review from Sandra L (Mother of Child) published on 21 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 20 month old attends Busy Bees at Mardley Hill and has done since I returned back to work when he was 7 months.


The staff are extremely professional and well presented. The environment is both clean and welcoming with age-appropriate toys in each class. The activities are varied every day and

most enjoyable to look at on the interactive parent app supplied so I never miss a thing.


The meals and snacks are out of this world, all cooked by their own in-house chef and make me quite jealous I only have a sandwich at work.
The staff make you feel totally at ease leaving your precious cargo with them and nothing is too much to ask.
The staff go above and beyond to help both you and your child fit in.
Very happy mummy here. Keep up the good work.

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Review from Juliet M (Mother of Child) published on 21 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This an excellent day nursery and preschool. I visited after recommendations from other parents and sent my first child here in 2014. He really thrived and we noticed that his speech and confidence around other adults and children improved.
He even asked to go to nursery on the days he was at home
so the decision to increase my working hours by an extra day was guilt free. He was so happy that we kept him at the preschool.
He has settled well into school, which is thanks in no small part to the preparation that the preschool gives their children for school. So sending my younger son here too was an easy decision and he loves it just as much.
The staff are so kind and helpful. The food is all freshly prepared on site. It's well worth the outlay.
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Review from Carrie K (Mother of Child) published on 14 November 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 18-month-old daughter loves her time at Busy Bees. The environment is clean, nurturing and caring with plenty of age-appropriate toys and activities. The staff genuinely care for her needs and take pride in supporting my daughter's development. The team of staff are almost identical to the team who
cared for my twins 7 years ago. To me, this low staff turnover demonstrates the stable and happy environment of this day nursery.
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Review from Caroline (Mother of Child) published on 31 October 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are very happy with Busy Bees. Great staff, facilities and excellent food (I'm a nutritionist so fussy!). The manager is very supportive and has worked with us to help our little one settle in. While it took her a while to get used to the nursery, she now loves it and doesn't want to leave!
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Review from Bekki H (Mother of Child) published on 24 October 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
You can see why the nursery is DOUBLE OUTSTANDING. I was very apprehensive about returning to work and leaving my son, but all the staff helped to settle him. Nothing is too much trouble for them if I am having a bad day or my son is finding the separation hard in the morning the staff are always quick
to send a photo to me to show how well he has settled. The staff are all longstanding and this also made a difference to me when choosing a nursery as this shows commitment to a job and you can truly see that they all love their jobs in the nursery. The food he consumes whilst at the nursery is so good that I wish I could stay for lunch too! The feedback is great during the day too which advises me on sleep, food, development and general well being. I would highly recommend this nursery to others.
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Review from Gemma L (Mother of Child) published on 24 October 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
If you are looking for fantastic care and education for your child, look no further! I am delighted to have found this wonderful nursery for my children - I honestly could not ask for anywhere better. The manager and her team are nothing short of outstanding; they truly deliver the highest standard
of attention and experiences to my child...in fact if there was a word I could use which was even more outstanding I would use that! Thank you to this wonderful team for giving my children the very best start in life - I will be forever grateful to you all. X
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Review from Emma R (Mother of Child) published on 24 October 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I cannot even begin to describe how lucky we are to have found this nursery! Staff are superb and treat my little girl as their own!


They not only support her in her own development but support us as parents too. Communication is excellent, and you can approach any member of staff!


The facilities

are fantastic and activities provided are varied and I know our little girl absolutely loves her time at nursery!


It makes it so easy to go to work knowing she is cared for, enjoying herself, fed well, happy, growing, and that they are helping her to become an independent and confident little lady!


We absolutely love Mardley Hill Busy Bees and all the staff. And my daughter definitely has a secure a long term bond with her key worker!


The manager is amazing and I sometimes just like to go to have a chat! Very welcoming, friendly, what else could you ask for!


I whole heartedly recommend this nursery! Thank you, guys! Xx

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Review from Joanna M (Mother of Child) published on 24 October 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
An amazing place for little ones to explore and grow. My daughter loves the staff at Busy Bees at Mardley Hill and I truly believe that being at Busy Bees is helping her development. I can not recommend this Nursery more. I was a very sceptical mother and didn’t want to leave my toddler but it is clear
to see that not giving her this opportunity would be robbing her of having fun and enjoying her friends and the lovely staff at Busy bees.
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.908)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.908) 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 11 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 11 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 4.908 for Busy Bees Mardley Hill is calculated as follows: ( (121 Excellents x 5) + (8 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 131 Ratings = 4.908
  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 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Busy Bees Mardley Hill is based on 11 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 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    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 11 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

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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.

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