40 Years of Busy Bees

WELCOME TO BUSY BEES

Nursery in
Hempstead

Rated Good by Ofsted

7 Reviews

Busy Bees

READY TO TAKE YOUR FIRST STEPS?

Book your visit today Use our funding calculator

New parent? Call 0330 333 8133

Existing parent? Call 01634 261156

Opening Times:

From 08:00 to 18:00 Mon - Fri

Looking for a safe environment where your child can get the best start in life? Busy Bees at Hempstead might just be the perfect place! 

With its spacious childcare rooms, excellent facilities and welcoming atmosphere, our nursery takes a nurturing approach to children's development. It's split into three separate areas, one for each age group: babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers. This means children can learn, play, and have fun with others at a similar stage in their development journey. 

Each of our rooms is equipped with age-appropriate toys, books, and other resources, all designed to inspire little ones to engage with and want to learn more about the big world around them. We're also fortunate enough to have a special sensory room, where the children can relax and engage their senses with colourful lights, the bubble tube and fine motor toys. 

Our friendly team is keen to make sure the children are happy and engaged while they're with us. There’s never a dull day at Busy Bees Hempstead - whether the children are exploring our outdoor space and learning about taking safe risks, or learning about reading and writing from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. 

Come and see our Hempstead nursery for yourself - we can't wait to welcome you to the Busy Bees family. Book your visit today. 

Pebble flexible childcare at Busy Bees at Hempstead

We understand that parents and carers lead busy lives, and we want to do everything possible to help. That’s why Busy Bees at Hempstead offers the flexibility of booking additional sessions for when you need them.​ Find out more about our nursery session booking app, Pebble.

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Busy Bees

Busy Bees at Hempstead

197 Hempstead Road

Gillingham

Hempstead

Kent

ME7 3QG

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Claire Arkell - Centre Director

Claire Arkell

Centre Director

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Nursery Facilities at Busy Bees at Hempstead

Here's a snapshot of just some of the wonderful facilities we offer at our Day Nursery in Hempstead. Click on each facility to find out more.

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Car Parking
We offer ample parking on-site for your safety and convenience.

Buggy store
A safe place to store your pram while visiting the nursery.

CCTV
Our nursery is fitted with CCTV for the safety and security of our team and the children in our care.

Secure Access
Our entrance ways are fitted with an intercom system and all access points are safe and secure.

Nappies and Wipes inclusive
Fees are all-inclusive to include nappies and wipes.

Formula Milk provided
Fees are inclusive to include formula milk if required.

Meals and Snacks Provided
All meals, drinks and snacks are prepared on-site by our chef and NHS accredited.

Outdoor Facilities
Our outdoor environment offers space to explore and take safe risks with the support of our team, aiding child development.

Sensory Room
Our Sensory Room is a relaxing space providing a unique sensory experience with activities and equipment to explore, engaging and stimulating children’s senses.

Parent Room
Our parent room is a dedicated safe space for us to get to know your family and you to speak in confidence with our nursery team about your child's nursery life.

Smart Board
Our Interactive Smart Board is used daily to bring learning to life and provides children with a hands-on approach with technology.

Funded Childcare
We offer government funded places for children aged 3 to 4 years, please speak to the Centre Director for more information.

Teacher
We have a fully qualified Teacher in our pre-school room who delivers exciting learning opportunities, whilst ensuring statutory and legal welfare requirements are met for every child.

Foundation Class
The foundation class nurtures each child's natural curiosity within a structured framework providing pre-school children with an early introduction to school life.

ParentZone
We keep families informed through ParentZone, an online learning journal platform, which can be accessed via a smartphone app.

UP
Exclusive to Busy Bees, UP is a learning and development app used by educators in our nursery and parents at home. Search ‘UP by Busy Bees’ on the app store to find out more.

Book Extra Sessions Online
We offer online booking for extra ad-hoc sessions at this nursery with Pebble.

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Food at Busy Bees at Hempstead

Here, at our Hempstead day nursery, we encourage the children to enjoy a nutritious diet. During your child's day with us, they'll be able to enjoy regular snacks, meals, and drinks throughout the day, to keep their tummy full and them happy and healthy. It's all included in your nursery fees too - no additional payment needed. 

Developed by our team and accredited by expert child nutritionists at NHS Startwell, our seasonal menus are full of favourites, as well as delicious new dishes for the children to try. Everything is freshly prepared on the day by our on-site nursery chef. 

Is your child affected by food allergies, or do they have specific dietary requirements? We can account for any specific needs when it comes to food and drink, and provide a safe alternative. Simply speak to your Centre Director to find out more. 

Here's just a selection of the many goodness-packed dishes your child might enjoy on a typical day with us! 

Breakfast

Fresh fruit with a selection of cereal or porridge. 

Morning Snack

Fresh fruit with wholemeal toast or baked goods. Served with a cup of milk or water. 

Lunch

Vegetable nuggets with root vegetable mash and reduced salt and sugar baked beans. Peaches with a mixed berry sauce for dessert. 

Afternoon Snack

Fresh fruit or vegetable sticks. Served with a cup of milk or water. 

Early Evening Snack

Vegetable sticks with a selection of sandwiches (hummus and cucumber, and cheese savoury). Served with a cup of water. 

See food menu
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Our Fees

We believe in an open and transparent approach to nursery fees. 

Click the button below for weekly, daily, and session rates for our exceptional childcare. 

Did you know Busy Bees also offers government-funded childcare places for three and four-year-olds?  If eligible, you could be entitled to up to 1140 hours of funded childcare each year for your child. Find out more on our ‘Funding Options’ page. Or alternatively, speak to your Centre Director to learn more. 

Download fee sheet

Preparing for School

In order to best prepare the children for the next big chapter of their lives, Busy Bees do all that they can to support and celebrate the transition. All of the planned activities and experiences which take place within our Busy Bees Nursery in Hempstead are designed to provide a foundation of skills that will help them grow in becoming confident and capable learners.

Learn more about how we support the journey from nursery to school by taking a look at our "My Journey to School Tracker". To read more and learn about the other ways our expert team supports the transition to school level, take a look at our Starting School page.

Busy Bees Nursery Hempstead Location

You'll find our nursery in a leafy setting on Hempstead Road. We're next door to Hempstead Neighbourhood Community Hub, and just under a 10-minute walk from the heart of the village. Coming from Gillingham? We're a 15-minute drive from the town centre. 

Hempstead Infant School is nearby too, which means we're conveniently placed for any parents with older children who attend the school. Our on-site car park provides lots of space, away from the road, for safe pick-ups and drop-offs. 

What if you want to visit us via public transport? That's fine - the Infant School bus stop (served by the 113 bus) is only a minute's walk away from us. 

Having difficulty finding us? Download the what3words app on your smartphone and use the following three words to find our Busy Bees Hempstead nursery.

Find the exact location of Busy Bees at Hempstead by using our What3Words:

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Book a Tour

Our friendly, expert team of staff are always happy to welcome you and your child for a tour of the facilities on offer at our nursery in Hempstead. Book a visit today to arrange a personal tour to see Busy Bees Nursery Hempstead for yourself.

Reviews

Teena P.

13/12/2023

"Great service "


Kirsty L.

01/08/2023

"Facilities really need a refurbishment. The staff do what they can but it would look so much nicer if it was given a makeover. The staff are super lovely and friendly. There’s always a warm ‘morning’ when we arrive and lovely updates when we pick him up. "


Rachel N.

02/02/2023

"Very good nursery "


Harriet C.

07/01/2023

"It’s a lovely nursery. All the staff are so friendly and smiley. My daughter has been there a year now and she loves it. She has learnt so much and is on track developmentally. I love seeing what she has been up to on her online learning story. She talks about the staff all the time and jusy generally loves being there. "


Farah K.

21/09/2021

"Warm, welcoming friendly staff who always have a smile! My son even asks to go to Nursery on a Sunday which shows he is looked after and happy in his time there! "