Barts Busy Bees

Makaton signing in everyday play gives Barts Busy Bees a clear communication thread: children have visual clues alongside spoken words to help express needs and understand others. Based at St. Bartholomew's Church Hall in Penn, this nursery combines that practical approach with an outdoor space used across the seasons. Communication extends home through Tapestry, an electronic journal sharing photographs, video and notes with families.

At its October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Barts Busy Bees Outstanding overall. That is a dated judgement, rather than an assessment of today's provision. The nursery has capacity for 48 children, with a current age range of 24 to 60 months. Morning, afternoon and whole-day bookings give families different ways to organise attendance.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides planning around children's development, interests and individual needs: activities are adapted for individuals and groups, rather than expecting everyone to learn in the same way. Alongside this framework, Makaton adds signs and visual meaning to everyday communication. Staff can also help families start signing at home, giving children a familiar way to communicate across both settings.

In October 2022, older children made dough using a recipe presented through photographs. They worked through the sequence themselves, then shaped the dough with their hands and tools. This joined practical independence with the finger movements, memory and concentration involved in preparing to write. The activity's value lay in the process as much as the finished dough.

Mathematics also appeared in ordinary play in October 2022. Children compared sizes, counted and recognised numbers, connecting mathematical language with things they were already doing. Songs, conversations and stories introduced vocabulary, while staff encouraged children to remember earlier topics and experiences. Signing allowed children who were not using speech to join in too.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play is part of the current offer across different weather and seasons. In October 2022, an additional outdoor learning area supported children who preferred learning outside. That observation adds useful context to the outdoor provision: the space served learning preferences as well as opportunities to play.

Everyday routines provided another strand of learning in October 2022. Children managed their belongings and retrieved their own lunches, while a tissue station linked nose wiping with disposing of tissues and washing hands. These were small, practical steps towards doing things independently. Children responded positively to a song used as a cue for tidy-up time.

Relationships and Communication

A key person is allocated before a child starts. During the opening weeks, observations consider wellbeing and involvement, alongside physical development and communication. This gives settling a defined process: staff look at how a child participates and feels, as well as what they can do.

Tapestry provides a continuing connection with home. Families can view journal entries, comment and contribute their own photographs or videos, helping staff understand interests beyond nursery. Relatives can also receive access. The journal can be retained when a child leaves and shared with their primary school, so the child's experiences need not disappear at the point of transition.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Support arrangements include a SENCO, speech support on site through the deputy SENCO, and individual plans where appropriate. Plans set short-term targets, teaching strategies and a review date; most are reviewed once a term. Parents are consulted before outside support is brought in. These mechanisms give families identifiable stages and people to work with when concerns arise, rather than relying on a general promise of inclusion.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and reported rapid learning progress for children, including those with SEND and those learning English as an additional language. In October 2022, support included individual work, small-group activities and collaboration with external agencies when needed. Children brought packed lunches at that time, and safety learning included understanding why grapes needed cutting into small pieces.

Sessions and Attendance

Barts Busy Bees operates at St. Bartholomew's Church Hall, Vicarage Road, Penn, Wolverhampton, WV4 5HU. Opening hours are 8.15am to 3.45pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The nursery operates during term time, with a separate holiday club during the main six-week summer holiday.

Booking choices include morning sessions of 8am to 11.30am or 8.15am to 12.30pm, an afternoon session of 12.30pm to 3.45pm, and a whole day from 8.15am to 3.45pm. The earlier morning start differs from the opening hours, a practical point addressed below. These choices matter for families fitting nursery around shorter working periods or other childcare commitments.

School Link offers collection from or delivery to St Bart's Primary School alongside nursery sessions. This is a transport arrangement, not an admissions advantage. Attending nursery does not guarantee a school place; families still use the local authority admissions process. An online registration form provides an enquiry route, and personal visits can be requested through a tour form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid attendance are both offered, including paid hours alongside early-years funding. Funding information covers working parents applying for 15 hours of funded childcare, with an option to increase to 30 hours from September 2025. Staff offer help with funding queries; the entitlement a family can use depends on its circumstances.

No daily supplement is charged. That statement should be read as the position on a daily supplement, rather than a promise about every separate item or service. The fees calculator covers privately paid attendance and topping up funded hours. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Morning timing. The 8am morning session starts before the stated 8.15am opening time. Confirm which start applies to the booking you want before arranging work or transport around it.
• Term-time planning. Regular nursery attendance follows term time, while the holiday club covers the main six-week summer holiday. Families needing care through school holidays should consider how those two arrangements fit their calendar.
• Support during settling. A key person is assigned before the start, and individual support plans can involve the SENCO and external professionals. At a visit, ask how those arrangements would work for your child's communication or settling needs.
• School Link arrangements. Collection and delivery connect sessions with St Bart's Primary School. Discuss the handover arrangements for your intended combination of nursery and school attendance.

Barts Busy Bees suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as a whole-day option, within a term-time pattern. Everyday Makaton, an allocated key person and Tapestry give the current offer a clear emphasis on communication between children, staff and home. The October 2022 Outstanding judgement provides a strong historical quality reference. The practical decision is how the session pattern, summer holiday provision and any School Link arrangement fit the family's week.