Full-day nursery in Elstow, Bedford
Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow
Progress Park, Elstow, Bedford, MK42 9XE · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted report card
- InclusionNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Behaviour and routinesNeeds attention
- Children's welfare and well-beingNeeds attention
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- SafeguardingStandards met
What does this mean?
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each nursery a report card. Each area is graded on a five-step scale: urgent improvement, needs attention, expected standard, strong standard, exceptional. Safeguarding is either met or not met. There is no single headline grade, and we never make one up.
Official records
- Ofsted registrationRegistered since June 2002Reference EY152150Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Inspections on record2 inspectionslatest 28 April 2026Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Registered places112 placesthe most children it may care for at onceOfsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Food hygiene rating5 (Very good)inspected 13 January 2026Food Standards Agency · checked 13 November 2026
Inspection history (2)
Fees
Fees, hours and ages: not published yet
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Estimate a monthly cost with the council area's typical day rate
Hours and ages
Opening hours and ages: not published yet.
Getting there
Progress Park, Elstow, Bedford, MK42 9XE · More nurseries in MK42
Buses
2 bus stops within 400 m, including Elstow Park and Ride and Interchange Park.
Parks and playgrounds
- Springfield Playground12 min walk
- Playground12 min walk
NaPTAN, Department for Transport, checked 13 November 2026 · © OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In Bedford there are about 3.6 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
Reviews on Toddly
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Write a reviewAbout Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow
Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow is a full-day nursery at Progress Park, Elstow, Bedford, MK42 9XE, in Elstow, Bedford. It is registered for 112 children. Its Ofsted report card (April 2026) grades inclusion Needs attention, curriculum and teaching Needs attention, achievement Needs attention, behaviour and routines Needs attention, children's welfare and well-being Needs attention and leadership and governance Needs attention; safeguarding standards met. It has a Google rating of 2.9 from 13 reviews (October 2026). It is run by Busy Bees Nurseries Limited.
Run by Busy Bees Nurseries Limited (company), which runs 300 nurseries.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford ElstowThis nursery | Report card 2026 | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | This nursery |
| Warren Childcare CentreFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.4 miles |
| The Lodge PlaygroupFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.5 miles |
| Ladybirds Pre SchoolSessional pre-school | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.8 miles |
| Banana Moon Day NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.0 miles |
| Habitat PreSchool LtdSessional pre-school | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.0 miles |
| Stepping Stones Preschool CIOSessional pre-school | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 1.1 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Springfield Primary School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: Goodinspected June 2022 0.5 miles
- Elstow School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: Standards maintainedinspected February 2025 0.7 miles
- Camestone School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: School remains Goodinspected September 2022 0.7 miles
- Bedford Road Primary Academy Primaryages 5–11Ofsted: Report cardinspected December 2025 1.1 miles
- Balliol Primary School Primaryages 2–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected July 2022 1.1 miles
- Greys Education Centre ages 5–16Ofsted: Goodinspected February 2024 1.1 miles
- Grange Academy ages 5–18Ofsted: Report cardinspected June 2026 1.1 miles
- Cauldwell School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: Report cardinspected November 2025 1.2 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
What is Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow's Ofsted rating?
Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow was inspected on 28 April 2026 and given an Ofsted report card. Report cards grade each area separately rather than giving one headline grade: inclusion Needs attention, curriculum and teaching Needs attention, achievement Needs attention, behaviour and routines Needs attention, children's welfare and well-being Needs attention and leadership and governance Needs attention. Safeguarding standards met.
How many children can Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow take?
Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow is registered with Ofsted for up to 112 children at any one time.
Who runs Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow?
Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow is run by Busy Bees Nurseries Limited, which runs 300 nurseries.
What is the nearest station to Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow?
Bedford St Johns is the nearest station we know of, 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Busy Bees Day Nursery at Bedford Elstow?
You can call 01234 330220 and visit www.busybeeschildcare.co.uk.
Tools for parents in Bedford
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
- Funded hours checkerWhich schemes you qualify for
- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in BedfordFees by age in Bedford
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Rating and review themes: Google · 30 October 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- Contains Department for Transport NaPTAN data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Food hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Read reviews on Google
Last checked 30 October 2026 · Ofsted URN EY152150 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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