Honey Bees Staff Day Nursery

A hospital-based nursery with a clear practical purpose, Honey Bees Staff Day Nursery cares for children whose parents work at Kingston Hospital. It has 81 places at its Galsworthy Road setting. It was judged Good in February 2024, with Good judgements across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership; safeguarding arrangements were effective.

In February 2024, children were found confident, happy and emotionally secure. Strong relationships with staff and careful transitions between nursery rooms were central to that picture.

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the learning and development framework: staff plan experiences across communication, physical, personal, social and wider early learning, then assess children's progress and next steps. In February 2024, that framework was translated into purposeful activities rather than a fixed branded programme.

Language work had memorable detail. Babies learned animal names and sounds through puppets, while older children played What's in the box as staff modelled words, asked questions and extended vocabulary. Shared reading was equally active: each room had a cosy book corner, an outdoor reading area expanded the choice, and children predicted what would happen next during a prop-supported story.

Physical play carried its own progression. Babies had room to crawl and pull themselves up with walkers. Outdoors, children climbed, moved through tunnels, balanced on tyres and practised jumping and landing through an assault course. Staff also encouraged perseverance when a task became difficult.

Everyday independence was built through manageable routines. Younger children practised with handled open cups and prepared themselves for painting, while older children managed coats, zips and handwashing before meals. Children also helped tidy after outdoor play and waited for lunch, supported by clear modelling of polite language and turn-taking.

Parents consulted in February 2024 valued daily updates and practical ideas for behaviour and potty training at home. Leaders worked with external agencies so staff could access training and children could receive relevant interventions. Leadership and staff support were strengths at that time.

The nursery is within Kingston Hospital, Galsworthy Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7QB. It has 81 places. In February 2024, children attending were aged from birth to four. At that time, funded early education was provided for three- and four-year-olds.

• Activity challenge. Ofsted's February 2024 improvement point was to help some staff make planned activities consistently demanding and well paced. This gives families a concrete point to discuss during a visit.
• Hospital connection. The inspection described the nursery as caring for children whose parents work at Kingston Hospital. The current eligibility rules and any priority arrangements will matter to families considering a place.

Honey Bees combines the practical advantage of a Kingston Hospital base with warm relationships and purposeful early learning. The strongest evidence lies in the detail: language games, animated story work, progressive independence and a garden used for real physical challenge. The Good 2024 judgement gives families a recent external assessment, while the improvement point provides a useful question about how consistently activities stretch children. It will suit hospital-working families seeking a setting where relationships, language and practical independence are visible strengths.