Bexley Bears Preschool

A large outdoor space gives Bexley Bears Preschool its clearest character. At the June 2022 inspection, children rode bikes, steered scooters, balanced on a tree swing and built their large-muscle skills outside. The setting, based at Hurst Community Centre in Bexley, has 34 places in total and was judged Good.

The same inspection found children happy to attend, confident in their communication and determined with tasks. This is an encouraging picture of a community preschool where active play and warm key-person relationships worked together.

In June 2022, staff planned a broad Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum around children's interests. In parent terms, the framework connects purposeful play with progress across communication, physical development, early literacy and mathematics, personal development and understanding the world.

The report's examples make that approach tangible. Children cut shapes with scissors, spotted shapes around them, counted while building and made pretend potions with water. Practitioners built language through purposeful back-and-forth talk, while repeated learning helped children retain ideas. Children also persevered with puzzles, shared resources and took turns.

Outdoor activity was a real strength at that visit. Bikes, scooters and a tree swing offered different challenges in steering, balance and coordination, rather than treating outside time as simply a change of scene.

Inspectors in June 2022 described children as at ease with familiar adults and developing social confidence. Praise helped them persist, and clear expectations supported considerate behaviour. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those receiving additional funding, made good progress from their starting points.

Safeguarding arrangements were effective at the inspection. Staff understood indicators and procedures, while recruitment processes supported staff suitability. Hygiene also entered children's daily learning through handwashing and tooth-cleaning routines.

Parents usually received updates through an online journal. The June 2022 inspection left two practical questions for families to revisit: how consistently individual learning priorities are explained to parents, and how leaders check that professional development reaches the whole team.

The preschool is at Hurst Community Centre, Hurst Place, Hurst Road, Bexley, DA5 3LH. It has 34 places in total.

• Current pattern. Ask which days and session lengths are sold now. This will show whether the preschool can cover the family's actual working week.
• Parent communication. Ask how practitioners share each child's current next steps and how families can contribute at home. This directly addresses the inspection's improvement point.
• Staff development. Ask how leaders now monitor training across the team. The answer should show what has changed since June 2022.

Bexley Bears Preschool suits families drawn to active outdoor play, close key-person bonds and a curriculum grounded in conversation and practical exploration. The June 2022 picture was positive and specific, from shape work and pretend potions to bikes and the tree swing. Families considering different combinations of days or session lengths will need to establish the current booking model, but the inspected educational and care practice provides a useful basis for that conversation.