Busy Bees Derby Silvertrees

Books, balancing and children choosing their own activities give Silvertrees its clearest character. At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, with children enjoying stories independently and alongside staff, and preschool children making purposeful choices about their play.

Busy Bees Derby Silvertrees takes children aged 3 to 60 months and has 84 places in total. Its address is 40 Ashbourne Road, Derby, DE22 3AD. Morning and afternoon attendance options sit alongside full-time childcare enquiries, giving families more than one way to shape their week.

The strongest examples from September 2022 were practical: younger children testing their balance on wooden blocks, older children discussing books together, and an experiment that made handwashing understandable. The reservations were equally specific. Conversations did not consistently include quieter children, and mathematics needed clearer planning and more consistent delivery.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, this brings language, physical development and early understanding into play and ordinary routines, rather than making learning depend on formal lessons.

In September 2022, books were accessible across the nursery. Younger children spent time looking through them themselves; preschool children discussed pictures with friends. That combination gave children opportunities both to explore at their own pace and to practise putting their ideas into words. Staff also explained the activities set out for older children, who then selected something to do and became absorbed in it.

The Gruffalo supplied a concrete link between stories and counting in September 2022: preschool children handled acorns and fir cones in a tray connected to the book. Number work also arose through discussion of calendar dates. However, counting received more attention than extending children's understanding of comparisons such as size and length. The improvement required was a clearer mathematics curriculum that staff could use consistently.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play in September 2022 included a track made from differently shaped wooden blocks. Younger children tried walking along it, with adult help for those less confident about balancing. Older children used larger climbing equipment and practised jumping, while staff supervised and reminded children about spacing near the swing. These were concrete opportunities to practise movement and judge space.

Relationships and Communication

In September 2022, communication between home and nursery included a teddy that children took home in turn for a weekend. Families contributed photographs and accounts of its adventures to a scrapbook, giving children something personal to share with others. Photos on a family app also helped parents follow their children's learning, and staff offered ideas for continuing activities at home.

Conversation was an important part of the September 2022 day, including extended exchanges about children's favourite television characters. But children with less developed speech, and those who were naturally quiet, were sometimes left outside those exchanges. For parents of a quieter child, participation matters as much as the amount of talk happening around them.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described individual support for children with additional needs, including picture cards to explain what would happen next. Those cards made the sequence of the day easier to understand; the finding belongs to that inspection date.

Children explored hygiene in September 2022 through glitter, water and soap, watching how the glitter moved as they washed their hands. Staff connected the experiment to germs and introduced vocabulary during the activity. Nursery rules also gave children reasons to listen and share resources, connecting expectations to their play together.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and Christmas. Its childcare enquiry form includes full-time requirements and separate morning and afternoon choices for weekdays.

Families can make an enquiry through the branch contact form or telephone the central enrolments team on 0330 333 8133. Visits can be booked by choosing a date online or through that team. The branch telephone number is 01332 366 663.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare options on the branch enquiry form include 30 hours for working families, the universal 15 hours for children aged 3 and 4, and 15 hours for supported two-year-olds. Eligibility determines which option applies. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Quieter children. The September 2022 concern was that some children were not drawn into conversations. During a visit, ask how staff include children who communicate less readily.
• Mathematics beyond counting. September 2022 improvement work concerned clearer planning and consistent teaching. Ask for an example of how play develops comparisons, quantities and size alongside counting.
• Your attendance and funding plan. Morning and afternoon options are included in the branch enquiry route. Ask for a written plan matching your chosen sessions to funded hours, with meals and consumables shown separately.

Silvertrees suits families considering morning or afternoon attendance as well as full-time childcare, with an across-the-year opening pattern. Its September 2022 examples give substance to the Good judgement: books children could explore themselves, active outdoor play and practical ways to connect home and nursery. The deciding questions concern how quieter children participate and how mathematics develops beyond counting. Those are useful priorities for a visit.