Busy Bees at Stratford East Village

Cons: (1) High staff turnover was handled poorly, with delayed or non-existent communication regarding key worker replacements. (2) End-of-day feedback was always generic and repetitive. (3) Toilet training was a major miss. Despite our child having minimal accidents at home, he consistently came home with 4-5 wet or soiled outfits daily until we had to intervene and explicitly remind staff to take him to the toilet every hour. Basic supervision after bowel movements was also lacking, nearly always leaving him unwiped. (4) General hygiene was poor-dirty sleeping mats, grubby cushions, unwashed toys, and broken coat hooks. Unsurprisingly, this culminated in a severe pest infestation and a 6+ week closure

Both of my boys attended Busy Bees at Stratford East Village and we've had such a lovely experience. What stood out to us was how genuinely cared for they were as individual children. The staff really understood their personalities and needs. They were especially wonderful and patient with my toddler and helped him understand, regulate and express his emotions which made him feel seen and understood. They've supported both boys through so many milestones, building their confidence, encouraging their curiosity and helping them grow into the bright, happy little boys they are today. Knowing your children are somewhere they're truly known, loved and cared for meant so much to us. We'll always be grateful for everything they've done for our boys.

We put our daughter in nursery at 9 months as I had to start work. We looked at a few options and narrowed down on little bees in Stratford. As a first time mom I had a lot of anxiety and was very particular that certain things were done in a certain manner and was worried how my daughter as an infant would be looked after. I have to say from day one and till we moved out of the area the staff and management have been incredible. They handled each and every question and concern of mine with patience and were very prompt in responding. My infant settled in so well and the staff are so caring, kind and professional. With time I saw how excited my daughter now a toddler was looking forward to each day and her key worker and other staff. I'm so happy we chose this nursery and I cannot recommend them enough. Special mention to Sehar and Sana and ofcourse the entire staff in the room. The food, app updates and care provided by the nursery is great. I would highly recommend the nursery.

Our daughter has spent the last 16 months at Busy Bees, and we couldn't have asked for a better start to her early years. The staff are incredibly caring, and her key worker built such a wonderful bond with her. Communication with parents has always been excellent, and it's clear the nursery is professionally managed and exceptionally well run. What has impressed us most is how every member of staff (even other rooms) knows our daughter's name and genuinely cares about the children. She found separation difficult at first, but thanks to the patience and support of the team, she grew into a confident little girl who would happily run in and greet the staff with hugs. We're only leaving because we're moving house, and we would wholeheartedly recommend Busy Bees East Village to any family looking for a nurturing, safe and happy environment for their child.

our son spent almost 2 years at the nursery and we did not have problems and we liked the staff and the location. the place is very convenient for us as close to our apartment and in our way to the tube. also our little one will join the same nursery soon.

Sending a child to childcare can be a daunting experience, but the entire team made both her initial settling-in period and her recent transition from the baby room to the toddler room incredibly smooth. The communication from management ahead of transitions is thoughtful and thorough, helping us as parents feel prepared and reassured about what to expect. What has truly stood out to us, however, is the immense care and passion with which the staff speak about the children. Both the baby and toddler room teams have incredibly friendly, welcoming, and attentive. Drop-offs can occasionally be difficult, but the staff always step in with exactly the right support-whether that means offering extra cuddles, helping her settle at breakfast, or letting her spend a few comfort moments with familiar faces. This has given us total confidence leaving her, even when she's upset. Our daughter is thriving in their care and we could not be happier.

Thank you for making my sons time enjoyable

The long opening hours, combined with the welcoming, warm staff, means we're comfortable leaving our daughter from 8:30 am to after 6 pm, allowing both me and my husband to do a full day's work. We tried picking our daughter up earlier, and she told us it was too soon: she was having a great time!

Our daughter has been attending Little Bear's in East Village for three months in the baby room. We could not be happier with the nursery. From the amazing, hard-working staff to the variety of fresh meals offered, we couldn't ask for a better place to send our child. Our daughter has settled in very quickly and now cannot wait to go to nursery every morning.

The staff within the room are warm, experienced lovely people who have made our child feel very welcome and happy. They are very accommodating to work together for children to reach individual milestones and have been of tremendous help for our child to learn to walk, use cutlery, socialise gently and share with other children, go up/ down stairs and slides (they have one in the baby room).

Two months on and we have no regrets in choosing Little Bear's and although my child can't speak yet I'm pretty sure she feels the same.

My son was at Little Bears in East Village from the age of around 10 months to just under 4 years of age. He has always been happy there and I have felt that he was in safe and caring hands. He made some lovely friends there and enjoyed the large outdoor play area. There were some changes in management and changes in staff which was unsettling for a while, but over recent months things have stabilised and I feel there is a caring, competent and empathic team in place.

We receive daily feedback about her progress and activities, which provides us with peace of mind and keeps us connected to her journey. It's clear that the team at Little Bear's is dedicated to creating a positive and supportive environment for every child.

We recommend!

Since attending Little Bears my son has really come a long way, he is confident & intelligent making progress each week with colours, numbers & shapes. He enjoys spending time with the members of the staff reading books & singing songs.

Our son has attended Little Bears for the last year. He was 1 year when he joined and has just celebrated his 2nd birthday. I was incredibly nervous to leave him when going back to work, but the team at Little Bears soon put me at ease. Over the next few months it was clear my son, the other children, and the staff had developed a close bond. And it wasn’t long until he would excitedly toddle into the Baloo Room every morning. He has developed so much during his time at Little Bear. We are now moving out of the area and very sad to be leaving Little Bears. It’s been a pleasure.

Our son has been attending Little Bears in Stratford for the last six months and is in the toddler room. The staff in the room are very attentive and loving, making sure that he feels safe, settled and looked after. There is a great array of different activities, including a coach who comes in once a week to play athletics with the children, which I think he really enjoys. Overall, we have been happy with this nursery.

We feel so lucky that they had this great start to their life at Little Bears

Our daughter started at this nursery in the baby room and moved all the way through to preschool. It was a safe and nurturing environment and we never felt we needed to worry. I am thankful we managed to find this nursery and that our kid has spent the first few years of her life growing and learning here. There is a really good range of activities with large outdoor space and lots of outdoor equipment. She loved the football coach activities and the music and movement classes and watching the baby chicks hatch. Management was very good at addressing any issues. We were really sad to leave as our daughter was so settled and enjoyed it so much (only left because we moved out of the area).

My son has been attending Little Bear’s Nursery in East Village for over 9 months now. He absolutely loves it, the nursery has a lovely, warm and inviting culture, which was something really important to us when choosing a nursery. The settling-in was quick and the staff made it feel stress-free! Whilst at work my partner and I were able to have peace of mind, knowing that he was in good hands. My son has now moved to the toddler's room and again, they all made him feel so loved! Daily feedback is great, every day there is a new activity or experience planned and he seems to be really thriving from the variety. Little Bears really cares about the children’s learning and development and ensures parents are involved too! The admin team are very efficient and kind. Our regular catch-ups with his key worker are informative and reassuring, and the general communications from the team at Little Bears are also exemplary. We feel so lucky to have been able to secure a place there.