Busy Bees Lightwater

63-65 Macdonald Road, Lightwater GU18 5XY
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6.9 53 Reviews
  • Busy Bees Lightwater, Lightwater
Busy Bees Lightwater is located on a quiet residential road in an Edwardian building which was formerly a hotel. The building is creatively purpose-designed, with three main rooms – Mice, Woodpeckers and Badgers – for Babies, Toddlers and Pre-School children. All rooms were refurbished in October 2016.

There is an outside play area which can be directly accessed from all rooms. This can be used all year round, with a large sun shade on the decked area and a covered area to allow children to get fresh air and experience time outside in all weathers.

The garden also features a Hobbit Hole, Mud Kitchen, large grass area, large sand pit and an area where children can grow vegetables and flowers.
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Type of Service

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

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Chloe Chase (Centre Director)

Admission Information

  • 3 months to 5 Years

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 8

Total Places for Children

  • 50

Age Range

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

Funding & Fees

  • Per week full time: £388 0-2 years, £379 2-3 years, £344 3-5 years

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 & Christmas

Parking

  • There is on site parking available for easy drop off and pick up.

Busy Bees Lightwater Reviews (53)

6.9

Busy Bees Lightwater has a Review Score of 6.9 (6.881) out of 10, based on 3 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Busy Bees Lightwater has 53 reviews.

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Review from Zara G (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Very happy with the service and my child really loves the staff and children. She enjoys all activities and I get given a good handover to what she has eaten as well as the activities she's been doing and what they've been learning about.
Would generally like to say thank you.
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Review from Toni J (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Busy Bees Lightwater is a friendly and safe environment where our children have thrived whilst making some wonderful friendships. We have been extremely happy with Busy Bees Lightwater and with the manager.
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Review from Sophie F (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Wonderfull nursery! My daughter is always so happy when I collect her and she has built a great bond with the staff. Everyone is polite and happy to see her.
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Review from Angela H (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child comes home each day happy and usually having learnt something new.
He’s made lots of new friends and is having a fantastic time developing!
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Review from Hannah C W (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have been part of the nursery since 2015, I feel the nursery has had its ups and downs especially in regards to management, staff changes and adjustments but has finally settled and has really benefited from a stable system.


Overall our children are incredibly happy and we feel they have learnt

an incredible amount especially from the pre-school staff.


The nursery is a very happy and almost family-like environment.
I love the bond my children have with the staff.


Very happy parents!!

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Review from Rachel K (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son really enjoys attending Major Minors, Busy Bees nursery, he’s been going since he was 11 months and is now 2 1/2. The staff are really lovely, the kids get to do lots of different activities and spend a good amount of time outside. I feel he’s really developing well and as a parent, I’m kept
very well informed. There are lots of themed days, special events and opportunities for parents to get involved.
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Review from H A (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
A great nursery with a warm, caring and friendly staff team, who are very supportive in settling your child into daily activities/routine.
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Review from Johanna H (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have been delighted with the care our daughter has received at Busy Bees Lightwater.
She has attended since she was six months old and gradually has increased the number of days she spends there. She loves every minute, it’s a real home from home. The staff are kind and caring and they take great
pleasure in seeing the progress the children are making. We really value the part that the nursery staff have played in our daughter's development.
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Review from Karen S (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
The nursery is a great environment to help develop children, there is a lot of variety in the activities they do and target key development milestones. I've noticed an improvement in both my children since they have been at the nursery. I have already recommended friends as well!
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Review from Amy W (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are really pleased with the nursery, the staff are so attentive and caring towards our daughters. I feel it’s a very safe environment for them to grow and learn.


They have developed so much since being there, with friendships, learning and what they eat. I have already recommended this nursery

to a close friend and would recommend this nursery again.
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Review from Lakshmi R (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been attending Major Minors at Lightwater since he was 12 months old. Though he took a while to settle, the staff made sure he was always handed over to a familiar adult so he can get adjusted to the new environment quickly and without much struggle.


The team have always been very helpful

with early drop-offs and change of schedules to suit working parents needs. On instances where he has been slightly unwell, the staff have been very cooperative in administering medicines and keeping me informed of his progress to put my mind at ease.


He is 30 months now and I must admit he has completely come out of his shell and he has been moulded into a very confident little one. His communication is very good and he has learnt to express his feelings very well. Thanks to the staff who worked with him to make this happen.

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Review from M L (Father of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Busy Bees at Lightwater gives my child a warm welcome and keeps him occupied with new activities. It is a friendly and happy environment that provides a great mix of education and play. The outside play area is a bonus as the children love playing out in the garden. Overall, we could not ask for a better
pre-school for our child.
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Review from Rebecca W (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are very impressed with the nursery having made the tough decision to move our son from another nursery where he had been attending for just over a year. We absolutely made the right decision and have noticed how much happier he is since moving.
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Review from Joanne A (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter had been at Busy Bees Major Minors since she was nine months old and she’s just turned three. It’s the best nursery we could have chosen. The staff are friendly and encouraging. Not only to the children but also to parents. They’ve helped with development and learning from day one. The nursery
is organised and lots of activity’s planned from little kickers to theatre bugs.
She’s since moved into pre school in the last two months and just come on leaps and bounds all thanks to the wonderful pre school teacher.
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Review from Naomi (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My child has been attending the nursery for around 12 months and I am very happy with the level of care he receives.
There is always a variety of activities for him to do which aids his development. The quality of food is very good and cooked on site. The team are always very supportive of the individual
needs of my child and provide a friendly, caring environment. I always receive a detailed handover at pick-up time so I understand what he has been doing, what he has eaten etc.
I would have no hesitation in recommending the nursery to friends and colleagues.
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Review from Nadine (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Both of my children have enjoyed their time at the nursery. The staff are very kind and caring and are engaged in the development of the children. The outdoor space is good and it's great for the children to be able to free-flow from inside to the outdoor classroom and garden. I really like the fact
that the meals are freshly prepared onsite each day - this is a big benefit of the nursery.
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Review from Alison D (Mother of Child) published on 5 November 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My son has been very happy at Lightwater Busy Bees. The nursery has grown his development and confidence and he has made some good friends. He is always happy to come to the nursery.
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Review from Gemma C (Mother of Child) published on 26 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter loves going to nursery. She started at 10 months old and is now in the preschool class. She goes 2 days a week. She loves the staff and is very happy there. It's great to drop her off knowing she'll have a great day and be well looked after. I love how friendly it is. I feel my daughter
learns so much when there and the preschool class is fantastic. I would definitely recommend it to my friends.
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Review from L H (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Both my boys have attended this nursery over the last five years and both have absolutely loved it, I would definitely recommend it to anyone locally!
The staff are genuine and kind and show very real concern, care and great interest in the children and their development. There are always lots of events
and thought going into what the children do daily. The in-house chef has always made a difference to me as my fussy eaters were given hot meals throughout the day, we also liked the flexibility of the nursery and the hours they offer.
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Review from Abigail D (Mother of Child) published on 20 March 2018 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I have nothing but praise for this nursery setting. There was no other choice when I was looking for a nursery for my daughter as my son had previously been in the setting.
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Current Review Score: 6.9 (6.881)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 6.9 (6.881) out of 10 for Busy Bees Lightwater is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 3.6 out of 5 from 3 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 3.3 out of 5 from 2 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 3.556 for Busy Bees Lightwater is calculated as follows: ( (12 Excellents x 5) + (12 Goods x 4) + (4 Satisfactorys x 3) + (8 Very Poors x 1) ) ÷ 36 Ratings = 3.556
  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 3.325 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Busy Bees Lightwater is based on 2 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 = 3.125
    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 50 number of registered child places is 10. 2 Positive Reviews ÷ 10 = 0.2
  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)

Chloe

Chloe Chase

Job Title: Centre Director

Hello, my name is Chloe and I am the Centre Director here at Lightwater. I am very passionate about providing a welcoming and stimulating environment for all of our children, to support each individual child's learning and development. My Team describe me as a very good listener, hard working and a very bubbly person, and I am always up for a challenge.

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