Busy Bees Hempstead

197 Hempstead Road, Hempstead, Gillingham ME7 3QG
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9.9 82 Reviews
  • Busy Bees Hempstead, Gillingham
Busy Bees at Hempstead provides the perfect environment to offer children the best start to their early education.

The nursery has light and spacious rooms, with separate areas for different ages, and fabulous resources to encourage children's development and ensure they enjoy each day spent there. The team also strive to create a welcoming environment where children are nurtured and prepared for the next stage of their educational journey.

Along with fun-filled nursery rooms, the nursery provides a comforting sensory room, so your child can relax and absorb their senses with colourful lights, the bubble tube and fine motor toys.

The enthusiastic staff work hard to make sure your child is happy and engaged during their time at the nursery. So no matter what they enjoy doing, there will never be a dull moment at Busy Bees at Hempstead.

The team understand how busy family life is, to help support you they provide nappies and wipes along with meals and snacks for your little one to tuck in to throughout the day. You can also book additional sessions through the easy online booking system, Pebble.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Claire Arkell (Centre Director)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 16

Total Places for Children

  • 76

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Full day £59.00,
    Am session £33.50,
    Pm session £29.00

  • Fees are inclusive of all meals prepared and cooked by their own in house Chef, Suncream, nappies and wipes

Opening Times

  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00

When Closed

  • Bank Holidays

Parking

  • Parking onsite, please park on the left hand side when entering the carpark.

Busy Bees Hempstead Reviews (82)

9.9

Busy Bees Hempstead has a Review Score of 9.9 (9.865) out of 10, based on 21 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Busy Bees Hempstead has 82 reviews.

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Review from Daysie L (Mother of Child) published on 5 March 2021 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I couldn’t be happier with how my son has settled in. He absolutely loves Busy Bees at Hempstead and all the staff. The app is brilliant and I love getting updates throughout the day, it gives me reassurance that my son is okay. I can notice a difference in his development and can tell that the nursery
focuses on development every day, and I really like the development updates through the app. The variety of food is really good, as well as the quantity. The nursery itself is very clean and well maintained with a wide range of toys and the garden/outside facilities are also to a high standard. I couldn’t recommend Busy Bees at Hempstead enough.
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Review from Laura B (Mother of Child) published on 20 October 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery is brilliant. As a first-time mum going back to work it just puts your mind at ease. No question is too silly, no phone call to check on them is too much. It’s really been the making of our son.
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Review from G M (Mother of Child) published on 13 October 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The nursery has been amazing with my little boy. He absolutely loves it there, and has learned so much since being there! The nursery staff make you feel at ease when they are first settling in as it can be daunting! But within a couple of sessions, he absolutely loves it there! Very friendly and professional
environment!
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Review from Rebecca W (Mother of Child) published on 5 October 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
When my little boy started at Busy Bees Hempstead it was just after lockdown and because of this, he was shy, clingy to me as his mum and was unsure of anything new. Spending a couple of weeks with the girls at Busy Bees changed all of this and he is now so confident, happy and drags me up the path
to get to the front door in the morning. He gets so excited to go and he loves it. I couldn’t be happier with the service and the way all the staff treat the children. He eats so well when he’s there and his table manners at home have improved so much. His language and social skills have also improved massively and I couldn’t recommend this nursery enough.
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Review from Selena R (Mother of Child) published on 5 October 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my children attend Busy Bees and they both love it. Even with the new restrictions, the staff makes the children feel welcome and reassure the parents that the children will be fine even when the children are shedding a few tears. Both of my children love the staff and the activities that they
do there.
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Review from S F (Mother of Child) published on 24 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
This is a great nursery with a homely feel. The staff are excellent and always go the extra mile. My little girl is 11-months-old and I thought she’d be hard to settle in but she has settled in no problem thanks to the staff. My little boy came to this nursery 4 years ago and the same staff are still
there now looking after my little girl. I would recommend this nursery to anyone!
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Review from D T (Mother of Child) published on 21 August 2020 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since my daughter joined the nursery they have been very supportive of her and accommodating of her throughout her settling in. She really enjoys being at the nursery and has made lots of friends really quickly. Overall I have been happy with the service and care that this nursery have provided.
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Review from N S (Father of Child) published on 1 April 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I couldn't be happier with Busy Beest at Hampstead. My daughter's development has improved massively thanks to her key workers. All the staff have been brilliant. I wish she could stay for longer but they have got her so ready for big school.
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Review from K T (Mother of Child) published on 1 April 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Really good, nice knowing there's no problems with my son. I love all the teachers. Very supportive and they are always so positive.
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Review from C M (Mother of Child) published on 6 March 2020 Submitted via Postal Card • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My experience of Busy Bees has been nothing but excellent. The carers in the nursery are knowledgeable, experienced and fantastic with the children. My son is very happy whilst being in the care of the nursery. His development has grown massively and it's encouraging to see.
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Review from Abbie M (Mother of Child) published on 28 October 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We cannot recommend Busy Bees at Hempstead enough. After changing from another nursery at the beginning of September, Busy Bees have excelled all of our expectations! Our 2year old son loves it here and the staff are not only very friendly, but they also love what they do and it shows! We cannot thank
the staff in Kindergarten enough, they are head and shoulders above the rest.
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Review from Poppy B (Mother of Child) published on 29 May 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter is in the wobbler room and has been coming here for a few months now, the staff were amazing at answering all my questions and reassuring me that my daughter would soon settle in. It only took a couple of weeks and she settled in perfectly. I love seeing her big smiles and how happy she
is when I pick her up. All the staff are warm and welcoming and the nursery has a homely atmosphere. Every time she comes home she has learnt something new. The nursery always seems to have a wide range of toys available and lots of interesting activities going on. I would definitely recommend. I couldn't imagine sending her anywhere else now.
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Review from Hazel S (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My baby has been coming here since he was 5.5 months old. He's been pretty ill a few times due to a health condition and the nursery have been amazing. It takes me a lot to trust people and as soon as I walked in here I knew it was somewhere I could leave my baby.
His key workers in wobbler room are
fantastic and I feel confident that they treat him with respect and as an individual. I'm glad I found this nursery because the others I'd visited had made me worry about leaving him. Thanks to the manager and the team. He loves coming here.
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Review from Charlotte B (Mother of Child) published on 28 January 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter has been attending since she was 8 months and I am very pleased with how she is doing and how the nursery is with her. All the staff have made her settle well and she comes home each day very happy, which is lovely! I am glad we chose Busy Bees, as choosing a nursery is a very difficult
task.
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Review from Goncalo S (Father of Child) published on 28 January 2019 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Good staff, always helpful and understandable very good price and timelines. My daughter loves to be around.
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Review from David H (Father of Child) published on 14 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
The decision of where to place your child is always a difficult one, you can never be sure what type of care your child will receive, but at Busy Bees at Hempstead, we have been amazed at the level of dedication every staff members shows each child. Our daughter loves going to the nursery and they do
a good amount of both indoor and outdoor activities with the children during the day and provide a good setting to prepare children as they go on toward school age.
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Review from Daisy R (Mother of Child) published on 6 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Absolutely amazing!! My little boy loves going in and I love seeing the smile it puts on his face!! The members of staff are absolutely wonderful and really do put you at ease!! The food is outstanding! I will definitely recommend to everyone!!
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Review from Roya G (Mother of Child) published on 11 June 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son struggled with separation anxiety and took a while to settle into the nursery. But staff were so helpful, understanding and patient with both me and my son. They really went out of their way to make him feel welcome and to also assure me that he was getting better with each session. They made
lovely cards showing pictures of my son playing and happy which made me feel reassured that he was being well cared for in a safe and happy environment.


Great nursery with lovely staff and I would definitely recommend to any parent.

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Review from Jade D (Mother of Child) published on 8 June 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5
I'm removing my last reviews of this nursery, please.
Don't bother with this nursery if you own a car as you find it IMPOSSIBLE to park, yummy mummies in their cars think they can park everywhere and will block you in, they also allow huge commercial vans in that block you and staff and parents speed
out of the car park, my car was damaged and staff blamed me and upset my ASD child, only bother if you are a wealthy mum as that is what this nursery attracts. They also left the floor mopped and wet and caused my daughter to slip and bruise her face and brushed the complaint under the carpet, they were at fault, food is a menu which is not a children's menu and daughter often refuses to eat and comes home hungry. There are some lovely members of staff but we won't be back. Very disappointed.
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Review from Tara C (Mother of Child) published on 29 May 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My 2-year-old twins have been going to Busy Bees at Hempstead for the past 7/8 months and they absolutely love it there! Knowing that they're safe and happy makes me happy, and the fact that I have a struggle getting my son in the car when I pick them up speaks for itself! The progression I've seen
in both of them since they joined is amazing, and I love that they have such a variety of food.
All the nursery staff are so friendly, would highly recommend!!
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Current Review Score: 9.9 (9.865)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.9 (9.865) out of 10 for Busy Bees Hempstead 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 21 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 21 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 4.865 for Busy Bees Hempstead is calculated as follows: ( (223 Excellents x 5) + (24 Goods x 4) + (5 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 252 Ratings = 4.865
  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 Hempstead is based on 21 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 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 + 0.025 = 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 76 number of registered child places is 15.2, which has been reached with 21 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 (1)

Meet the Team (1)

Claire

Claire Arkell

Job Title: Centre Director Joined: 2014

Hello my name is Claire Arkell and I am the Nursery Manager at Hempstead Busy Bees.


I have been with Busy Bees since they acquired the Kinder sites in March 2014.


I have been in childcare now for 11 years and hold a NVQ 3 in Children's Care Learning and Development. I have worked in a number of nurseries and for the last 9 years have been working at Management level. Along the way I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience which I reflect in my day to day practice, using this to guide the staff team and share my experience.


I attend regular training to improve my practice including, First Aid and Safeguarding.


It fills me with pride when you can see how the children flourish and develop in our care and become the individual people with shining characteristics that they are.

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