Busy Bees Selly Oak

A cardboard-box pirate ship, animal yoga and children choosing between indoor and outdoor play give Busy Bees Selly Oak a recognisable character in its August 2024 nursery day. The emphasis was on children taking part, making decisions and gradually doing more for themselves. Everyday routines carried learning as well as care.

At its 29 August 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. There were also two clear improvements to make: staff needed to pronounce words accurately, and the youngest babies needed an environment that gave them fuller opportunities to explore and learn. Those points matter alongside the positive judgement.

Busy Bees Selly Oak has capacity for 96 children, accepting ages from 3 to 60 months. Its address is 39 Oak Tree Lane, Birmingham, B29 6JE. Full-time attendance and morning or afternoon patterns are offered, giving families different ways to organise their week.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, its everyday meaning can be seen in play, conversation, movement and growing independence. In August 2024, activities combined children's interests with experiences planned by adults, rather than relying entirely on either free play or adult direction.

Imaginative play had a practical, hands-on character. A cardboard box became a pirate ship, while children made treasure maps using tea and coffee to colour the paper before taking part in treasure hunts. The activity connected making things with talking about an imagined adventure. Children had something concrete to create and a story to develop around it.

Animal yoga gave older children a playful reason to stretch and move their bodies. Younger children pressed toy animals into play dough and compared the marks with animal-print discs, bringing matching and observation into an activity they could handle themselves. Babies joined in nursery rhymes. These were different experiences for different stages, rather than one activity applied across the nursery.

Counting songs with actions supported early number learning in August 2024, and children recognised numbers on clocks. Conversation also ran through ordinary experiences: describing fruit gave younger children opportunities to extend their vocabulary. The pronunciation improvement is relevant here because adults' everyday speech provides the examples children hear and practise.

Outdoor and Community Life

In August 2024, children could decide whether to play outside or indoors, with staff deployment supporting that choice. For a child who preferred outdoor activity, access was part of the nursery day rather than dependent on everyone making the same decision. Both environments supported exploration, although the youngest baby room offered fewer opportunities to engage with the full curriculum.

That distinction deserves attention. Freedom to choose activities across the setting did not mean that every age group had an equally effective environment. Parents choosing care for a young baby should give the baby's own space as much attention as the older children's activities.

Relationships provided the foundation for care in August 2024. Children formed close connections with their key person, and staff comforted those who needed reassurance. Expectations about behaviour were explained to children, with kindness towards friends reinforced through everyday rules. This made the approach more than simply stopping unwanted behaviour: children were helped to understand the reason for a boundary.

At the August 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good learning progress and that children with SEND or English as an additional language received effective support through assessment, individual plans and work with other professionals. Staff also used words supplied by families in children's home languages and brought children's countries of origin into activity planning. The current Centre Director also holds the nursery's SENDco role, providing a named responsibility within the management structure without making a blanket promise about individual provision.

Independence was practised in small, useful steps in August 2024. Children washed their hands, managed toileting and learned to wipe their noses. Lunchtime helpers prepared tables for friends; older children carried their lunch plates, while younger children received help to feed themselves. These routines linked preparation for school with things children could actually do during the day.

Parents received updates about development in August 2024 and could participate in occasions including Mother's Day and graduation celebrations. Staff also helped families support children at home. Freshly cooked meals were part of the nursery day at that time.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates throughout the year and closes on bank holidays. This gives families a year-round opening pattern rather than one tied to school terms.

Attendance choices include full-time childcare and morning or afternoon sessions across the working week. These are different booking patterns, so the choice is about the part of the day a family needs as well as which weekdays fit. Enquiries can be made through the Selly Oak contact form or the central enrolments team on 0330 333 8133.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare options include 30 Hours working families funding, 15 Hours universal funding for children aged 3 and 4, and 15 hours for 2-year-olds receiving support. Eligibility determines which scheme applies to a family. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• The youngest babies' environment. In August 2024, the baby provision needed stronger opportunities for curiosity and learning. During a visit, ask how the youngest children's space now supports exploration and what they can reach and choose independently.
• Language modelling. Accurate pronunciation was an August 2024 improvement point despite the emphasis on conversation. Ask how staff reinforce clear speech during songs, play and everyday exchanges.
• Your attendance quotation. Full-time, morning and afternoon patterns give families different options. Ask for a written breakdown showing your session times, funded-hours arrangement and the treatment of meals and non-food consumables for that pattern.

Busy Bees Selly Oak suits families considering full-time attendance or separate morning and afternoon sessions within a year-round nursery. Its August 2024 day included imaginative making, active play and practical steps towards independence, with children able to choose outdoor activity.

The decision is more specific for parents of the youngest babies: the environment improvement deserves close attention, alongside the language-modelling point. The dated Good judgement provides useful context, while the child's own age and intended attendance pattern should shape the final choice.