Busy Bees Hartham Park

Children choosing songs with wooden discs and preschool children helping decide their next activities give Hartham Park a recognisable character: children's preferences shaped the day in October 2022. At its 5 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Busy Bees Hartham Park Outstanding, praising teaching tailored to individual interests and the progress children made. The strength of that judgement lies in the examples beneath it, from investigating garden creatures to learning to manage everyday tasks independently.

Based at Pinder Lodge, Hartham Park, Port Hill, the nursery has capacity for 44 children aged 3 to 60 months. It opens throughout the year, with bank holiday and Christmas closures. Full-time care and morning or afternoon attendance are among the patterns families can request.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: here, the October 2022 examples show learning through conversation, stories, physical exploration and everyday independence. The October 2022 examples connect learning with play and everyday routines.

In October 2022, older children investigated creatures outdoors, lifting stones to look for worms and recording their discoveries on a worksheet. Younger children experimented with bubbles and water, while babies explored the sandpit by touch. These examples show how the same broad emphasis on discovery took different forms for different stages of development. The garden supplied real things to investigate.

Language developed through practical play as well as books. In October 2022, staff introduced vocabulary about building while children constructed houses using sponges; children also used story characters to act out familiar tales. Words therefore had something concrete attached to them: an object, an action or a story they could revisit.

Children also had ways to influence what happened. During October 2022, toddlers selected wooden discs to communicate their song choices, and preschool council members discussed activities they enjoyed and wanted to try. Choice extended beyond picking up a toy. Even children who were still developing spoken language could express a preference through an object.

Outdoor and Community Life

In October 2022, children took turns playing with superheroes in the garden and included friends in pretend tea parties. The outdoor space supported social play alongside investigation, giving children opportunities to negotiate turns and join an activity already under way.

Family books and talking tins, used to hear different languages, helped children explore family backgrounds in October 2022; learning French was another example of language experience. Visits to a residential care home brought children together with older adults through stories and drawing. The significance is the shared activity: children had something to do with people from another generation, rather than simply learning about them in the abstract.

Relationships and Communication

In October 2022, babies explored sand by touch and received cuddles from practitioners when unsettled. Children played alongside friends and included one another in imaginative games. For a parent considering the early months of nursery, those small interactions are more informative than a general promise about happiness.

Parents participated in learning in October 2022, including coming in to share a topic about space. Staff passed on information about children's learning and offered ideas families could use at home. This connected nursery activities with family life, giving parents something specific to discuss or continue together.

Everyday independence also featured in October 2022. Children poured drinks at drinking stations, attended to personal care and, as babies, practised feeding themselves with spoons. These tasks made preparation for school part of ordinary routines, rather than a separate exercise reserved for the oldest children.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with SEND exceptionally well supported, with signing, detailed care plans and collaboration with other professionals helping meet individual needs. The practical detail matters: communication support and coordinated planning were part of the response to a child's needs.

In October 2022, the safety bee helped children learn what to do when someone was hurt and how to deal with hazards such as spilled sand. Safety was something children could practise themselves, alongside adult supervision. These findings describe care at that inspection date.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Pinder Lodge, Hartham Park, Port Hill, Hertfordshire SG14 1QS. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas.

Families can request full-time childcare or select morning and afternoon attendance on weekdays. Those choices allow parents to describe a pattern built around whole-day care or shorter attendance. The opening window and the chosen attendance pattern are separate practical considerations when organising work and family routines.

Enquiries can be made through the nursery's contact form or by calling the central enrolments team on 0330 333 8133. A branch visit can be booked by selecting a date and time.

Funding and Paid Extras

The funding 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 option applies to a family. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• The age of the judgement. The Outstanding inspection took place in October 2022. During a visit, ask how children's choices, individual learning plans and communication support work now, using those concrete findings as a starting point.
• Morning, afternoon or full-time attendance. All feature in the branch's booking questions, alongside a 7.30am to 6.30pm opening window. Establish the exact session boundaries and booking commitment before matching care to your working day.
• Funding and everyday costs. The branch's funding choices cover working families, universal funding and support for eligible two-year-olds. Request a written breakdown covering funded-hour delivery, additional hours, meals and consumables so the complete arrangement is clear before you commit.

Busy Bees Hartham Park suits families considering either full-time attendance or morning and afternoon care, with year-round opening supporting routines beyond school terms. Its strongest evidence is the October 2022 picture of children making choices, exploring real materials and practising independence, backed by an Outstanding judgement.

Children's participation in decisions and everyday independence give that dated assessment its substance. Morning, afternoon and full-time attendance broaden the practical appeal for families with different routines.