Busy Bees Clare Park

Beech Road, East Malling, West Malling ME19 6DY
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8.4 55 Reviews
  • Busy Bees Clare Park, West Malling
Busy Bees Clare Park is located in park-like surroundings in the grounds of the Malling School in East Malling.

The nursery provides childcare services for children who are of a range of ages and is ideally situated for local schools in Leybourne, Aylesford, Larkfield and East and West Malling.

Children in each age group at the nursery have their own fully-equipped play room with a skilled and dedicated care team who plan a range of activities both in and outside of the nursery. All rooms have access to the nursery's outdoor space and the communal garden offers a sensory experienice for children as they investigate and explore.

The nursery offers an after-school and holiday club facilities and is located near to junctions four and five of the M20, and is situated between East and West Malling railway stations.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Kelly Maskell (Centre Director)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 28

Total Places for Children

  • 84

Age Range

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

Opening Times

  • Monday 07:00-18:00
    Tuesday 07:00-18:00
    Wednesday 07:00-18:00
    Thursday 07:00-18:00
    Friday 07:00-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays

Parking

  • Located in the grounds of the Malling Secondary School, parking is available to the front of the nursery and also at the top of the car park.

Busy Bees Clare Park Reviews (55)

8.4

Busy Bees Clare Park has a Review Score of 8.4 (8.401) out of 10, based on 3 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Busy Bees Clare Park has 55 reviews.

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Review from Nicky (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
When we were looking for somewhere for our little one, we 'just knew' she'd be happy there...and that was 3 years ago!


Today, our daughter is a funny, caring, playful and happy little girl. She has developed educationally, socially and emotionally whilst there and staff remain very thoughtful

towards her own learning style and needs.


Clare Park has increased her confidence and she's more creative because of the care and time invested in her by the staff.


The food is nutritious and adventurous, thanks to a dedicated chef. Communication is good and concerns are listened to.


The outside area is a good size and come rain or shine, kids can play outside. Our daughter enjoys her days there and accidents are reported to us either by phone or when we collect her.


Staff are brilliant at encouraging our daughter to join a planned activity if shes tearful at drop off, and in moments the tears are gone and her smile has returned...alongside laughter as she joins the fun!!!!

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Review from Emma (Mother of Child) published on 21 February 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son and daughter have both attended Busy Bees Clare Park. I am pleased to say that in the 8 years that I have been using this nursery I have never had cause for complaint and both our children have always been really happy. The staff are always looking for ways that they can improve and are keen
to go the extra mile. Both our children formed strong bonds with their key people and there has always been a real sense of warmth and genuine care.
Leaving your children with others is always a worry but I can honestly say that I have always been confident and happy leaving them in the care of the staff at Busy Bees. I can't praise enough the wonderful staff that we are lucky enough to have there - everyone is so genuinely warm and friendly which is so important.
Another fantastic thing about Busy Bees Clare Park is their fabulous in-house chef. Again, it is a great comfort to know that our daughter is getting freshly cooked food every day which she enjoys and says is delicious!
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Review from Carla S (Mother of Child) published on 13 October 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All of the staff are extremely friendly and efficient. My little girl gets so excited when it's time to go to nursery. I couldn't ask for better knowing that my daughter is safe and happy whilst I work. Two of my nieces have also attended this nursery and they had a wonderful time too! The manager is
very hands-on and I like that also!
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Review from Debbie W (Mother of Child) published on 8 August 2017 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has just graduated from the nursery having spent the past 3 years there. I have always found all of the staff at the nursery to be excellent.
The staff seem to genuinely care about the children and always go the extra mile for them.
The communication has always been fantastic and key staff
are constant which enables children to develop very strong relationships with key workers.
The nursery is very friendly and all staff (including the chef) knew all of the children by name.
I love this nursery and will miss the staff a great deal.
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Review from Natalie G (Mother of Child) published on 28 February 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been at the nursery since he was 4 months and he's now 4. All the staff are extremely friendly. We have never had any issues. The daily feedback we receive is brilliant and we are always told what our son has eaten and what they have been doing. We would highly recommend this nursery.
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Review from Rachel B (Mother of Child) published on 27 February 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My older children came to the nursery a few years ago and loved it, I'm very impressed with the re-vamp andI am feeling confident about starting my baby soon. I know a lot of the staff from when the older two came and have always felt welcomed. When I have had concerns they have always found the time
to support me. (They now have a parent room in which to do this so complete privacy)
I also love that all the food is cooked on site by a chef. Very impressed.
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Review from Gemma (Mother of Child) published on 10 February 2017 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter loves spending time at this preschool! She has become such a confident young lady due to the social skills she has gained from here. She receives such loving care from her group leader and all the other carers in her room that I know she will miss them all terribly when she moves on to primary
school in September.
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Review from Laura W (Mother of Child) published on 7 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son was extremely happy throughout his time at Busy Bees. The staff were friendly and nurturing from the outset and I couldn't have wished for a better start for him. The nursery set up enabled him to experience a wide variation of activities.
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Review from Emma (Mother of Child) published on 7 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A lovely nursery where our two daughters have been extremely happy. The nursery has strong 'family' feel, it's warm, friendly and we have never had any concerns about leaving our girls in their care. The staff are excellent with many having been there for a long time - our youngest daughter has the
same key worker that our eldest had in the baby room and will do so again as she moves up to the toddler room, giving us as parents a real feeling of consistency and security. The environment and gardens are fantastic and both girls always spend a lot of time outdoors while there which, for us, is great. We always get a good handover about how the girls have been and what they have been up to at the end of the day and if we need to ask more questions time is always made for this. The nursery rooms have recently been redecorated. There are often creative initiatives for the children and families to participate in and we feel the nursery is really a partner with us in our girls' development.
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Review from Hayley M (Mother of Child) published on 4 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has attended this nursery for 3 years and is now in the pre-school room. He thoroughly enjoys going and I have never had any problems. Communication is great from all areas. All the staff are lovely and I really feel they take the time to get to know your child. Very friendly place.
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Review from Nat S (Mother of Child) published on 3 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A loving and caring environment with lots of hugs and cuddles - more like an extension of the family unit. My little one started at this nursery as a baby and is now in the pre-school room. She still has contact with her previous carers at the nursery and often gets cuddles from them. She is confident,
secure and happy - excelling in her development as are her nursery friends. Staff go the extra mile and genuinely care, offering help and solid advice.
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Review from Rob C (Father of Child) published on 3 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter currently attends the nursery and my eldest daughter did until she went to school. Both kids have been very happy there. I particularly like the amount of outdoor spaces available to the children, most evenings I would go to pick my eldest up and find her in the garden, regardless what time
of year it was, and I like this fact, children need to be outside and there is really good use of the outdoors, since the new room manager in e preschool took over there have been a lot more activities involving planting and growing and using nature in the environments and I think that it is important for children.
The staff are always polite and chatty and I get lots of information about my child's day which is nice when I am, working all day and can't see what she's up to.
I also like that there are parents evenings as I cannot always pick her up, so it is nice to still get information about her development.
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Review from T R (Mother of Child) published on 3 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending the nursery for 15 months now. I am very pleased with the progress my daughter has made since being there. Staff are extremely attentive and caring. I receive constant updates and daily feedback from staff. I would definitely recommend this nursery to any parent.
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Review from Casey A (Mother of Child) published on 3 November 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Busy Bees is a fantastic school to send your children to. Our child joined at the end of last year and we have nothing but good things to say about the school and the staff. You can see that the staff care for the children, and that it is not just another job to them.
Our child is always telling us
about things that he does each day whether it be planting vegetables, playing with water, painting, and other activities with the keyworkers and his friends. He is so happy at school and barely even says 'bye' to us when we drop him off.


The staff have made us feel so welcome and work with us to resolve any issues our son has had i.e. Fussy eating etc. The staff feel more like family. Our child has grown in so many ways since joining Busy Bees. They have had their kitchen refurbished this year and have a wonderful chef who prepares varied and nutritious meals for the children on site, a great addition to the school.

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Review from Lucy L (Mother of Child) published on 26 October 2016 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been going to this nursery since the age of 16 months and is now three. My daughter has also started at the age of 7 months. The staff are extremely friendly and cater to your every need for your individual child. The interaction and care they have given to my son as been second to none.
They are always there for advice and always thorough with an update on his progression and development. The environment in the nursery is very fun and safe. I can only thank busy bees for everything they have done for my son and look forward to seeing my daughter enjoy the next three years here too. Thank you busy bees!
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Current Review Score: 8.4 (8.401)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 8.4 (8.401) out of 10 for Busy Bees Clare Park 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 3 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 3.4 out of 5 from 3 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 Clare Park is calculated as follows: ( (35 Excellents x 5) + (1 Goods x 4) ) ÷ 36 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 3.429 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Busy Bees Clare Park is based on 3 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 = 3.25
    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 84 number of registered child places is 16.8. 3 Positive Reviews ÷ 16.8 = 0.179
  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)

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Kelly Maskell

Job Title: Centre Director Joined: 2008

My name is Kelly. I am the manager here at Clare Park. I joined the team here in 2008 as an Assistant Centre Director and progressed to Centre Director in 2009.


I have worked with babies and young children since 1998, and this is my 2nd managerial role. I have two children, both of which attended the nursery, and holiday club.


I hold a CACHE level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education and achieved an NVQ level 4, and more recently, a Level 5 in Leadership and Management since joining the team here at Clare Park.


My passions for the nursery are providing varied and stimulating outdoor play for all children as well as making strong links with our local community. There is nothing I enjoy more than an extra curricular event, we have been very lucky to enjoy some fabulous events over the years ranging from Royal Weddings to Scarecrow celebrations!


My personal passion is providing children with awareness of our world and how we can protect nature and support our own wellbeing simultaneously. Our exciting new Friday Club for our preschool children, promotes skills and awareness of these important features of our daily life whilst also encouraging healthy lifestyles.

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