Busy Bees Fitzsimmons

Animal-footprint printing, water pipettes and the patient business of fastening a zip give Busy Bees Fitzsimmons a recognisable early-years character. In October 2024, children were practising movement, making choices and learning to manage everyday tasks through play. The emphasis was practical: small activities with a clear purpose.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 21 October 2024 inspection. The setting has capacity for 128 children, with an age range of 3 to 60 months, at 32 Portsmouth Road in Guildford. That is whole-nursery capacity, rather than the number of children sharing an activity or room.

Morning and afternoon attendance options sit alongside the nursery's weekday opening hours. For parents, the important distinction is between the hours the building is open and the attendance pattern chosen for their child.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that means learning through experiences such as talking, playing, moving and exploring, alongside support with relationships and independence.

In October 2024, babies had equipment to help them rise to their feet and practise walking. Older babies used toy animals to make printed footprints, choosing which animals to use. These were opportunities to exercise both physical skills and decision-making, rather than simply complete an adult-directed craft.

For preschool children, water play involved squeezing large pipettes and transferring water between containers. Getting dressed for wet weather brought another kind of practice: children persevered with zips and put on their own outdoor clothing. Those tasks connect hand control with the independence children need as they move towards school.

Books, puppets and action songs added language and movement to the day. In October 2024, younger children recognised familiar songs and joined the accompanying actions, while puppets extended their engagement with books. Mathematics included comparing colours, shapes and sizes, alongside building an understanding of number. Learning was attached to things children could handle, see and discuss.

The language work also had weaknesses. In October 2024, adults sometimes used substitute names for objects, and clusters of questions left children too little opportunity to respond. Correct pronunciation and a more measured conversation were improvement priorities. For families weighing the nursery's learning offer, the adult's contribution matters as much as the resources.

Relationships and Communication

In October 2024, key persons spent time with their children during activities, garden play and meals. Familiar adults were part of several parts of the day, giving children continuity across different experiences. Children also sought comfort and help from staff.

Support for families extended beyond nursery activities. At that time, staff offered toilet-training packs and bags of resources for difficult life changes, including bereavement. These gave parents something practical to use at home, rather than leaving support at the level of a conversation.

Children's home languages, family structures and cultural backgrounds informed celebrations in October 2024. The relevance was personal: activities connected with the children attending, helping them encounter both familiar experiences and differences between families.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and the planned curriculum ambitious for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Those are dated findings about this setting's practice.

Turn-taking needed more careful support. In October 2024, staff sometimes explained waiting through time concepts that younger children could not yet grasp. The improvement required was to make waiting understandable to the child, helping them deal with small disagreements more independently. For younger children, explanations of waiting need to match their understanding.

Sessions and Attendance

Busy Bees Fitzsimmons opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, throughout the year except bank holidays. Morning and afternoon attendance choices are offered across those weekdays; the enquiry process also accommodates full-time childcare requests.

New-parent enquiries are handled through the branch contact form or the enrolments team on 0330 333 8133. Visit bookings include a choice of date and time.

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 applies to the relevant scheme; these are not a promise that every family qualifies.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. For parents comparing morning, afternoon and full-time attendance, the useful comparison is the complete cost of their chosen pattern, with funded childcare kept separate from any privately paid hours.

• Language practice. Correct pronunciation and enough time for children to answer were October 2024 improvement priorities. During a visit, ask how staff now pace conversations and model words.
• Learning to wait. October 2024 practice sometimes relied on time concepts beyond younger children's understanding. Ask for an example of how practitioners help toddlers take turns today.
• The youngest children's day. The nursery accepts children from 3 months and has 128 places overall. Ask how many babies share your child's room and how care is organised within it.
• Your funding package. Morning, afternoon and full-time requests can lead to different attendance needs. Ask for a written breakdown showing how funded hours are delivered and how meals and non-food consumables are treated.

Busy Bees Fitzsimmons suits families considering morning or afternoon attendance, as well as those requesting full-time childcare. Its October 2024 account gives useful substance to the Good judgement: children practised movement, choices and self-care through ordinary play, with familiar adults involved across the day.

The decision deserves a close look at everyday interactions. Pronunciation, conversational space and understandable turn-taking were the areas needing attention. Families who value practical independence and continuity of care have clear strengths to weigh against those specific improvement points.