Enchanted Wood Preschool, Standard Road 'Under Twos'

Babies have their own building at Standard Road, with space for sensory exploration, rest and the small steps towards independence. Enchanted Wood Preschool, Standard Road 'Under Twos' occupies 28 Standard Road in Bexleyheath, separate from the older children's setting nearby. Bunnies and Fawns are the youngest groups. That separation gives this nursery a clear identity within the wider Standard Road provision.

At its May 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, children's welfare and wellbeing, and behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines to be at a Strong standard, with safeguarding standards met. These are area judgements, rather than an overall grade. The nursery has capacity for 40 children, with children accepted from nine months.

The practical shape is term-time care, with an all-day session and separately charged early and late extensions. For parents, the combination to weigh is a setting centred on babies and toddlers alongside a timetable that follows term time.

Rooms and Ages

Bunnies caters for children aged nine to 18 months, with sensory play and spaces for exploring, resting and learning through the prime areas: communication, movement and relationships. Fawns covers 18 to 30 months. Older groups belong to the main building, so their room descriptions should not be read as the daily offer at the Under Twos address.

In May 2026, family photographs were displayed on trees around the nursery, while greeting songs included children's names. These were small, concrete ways to connect nursery life with familiar people at home. Staff sat close to babies at their level, talking gently and responding to them. The emphasis was on interaction rather than expecting very young children to fit an older child's routine.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care; here, its prime areas translate into sensory exploration, communication and physical play. Topics follow children's interests. That gives activities a starting point in what children are already curious about, rather than relying only on a fixed sequence of themes.

During May 2026, babies explored paint and made handprints, while toddlers experimented with cotton buds for making marks. An air pump launching a foam rocket introduced cause and effect through something children could operate themselves. Tongs and toy fish gave toddlers a practical challenge requiring careful hand movements and repeated attempts.

Language also featured in ordinary care. In May 2026, staff sang and talked during nappy changes, used signs and pictures when naming objects, and brought puppets into storytelling. Children could encounter words through several routes: hearing them, seeing a cue and using an action. Low steps, climbing frames and mats provided different opportunities for moving, from crawling to climbing.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds extended outdoor learning: each age group has two sessions a week, spending the morning in the Forest School area. Outside classrooms accompany the age groups, alongside a shared garden surfaced with artificial grass. Outdoor activity therefore has both dedicated teaching space and room for play.

Football Coaching is also part of the Standard Road enrichment programme, adding coached football activity alongside the outdoor sessions. The strongest detail for the youngest children remains the balance between exploration and rest, rather than the length of the enrichment list.

Relationships and Communication

In May 2026, children's familiar home routines, preferences and interests shaped their settling experience. Knowledge of each baby extended beyond their key person. For a family introducing childcare for the first time, that matters: everyday care depends on adults recognising the individual child, including when someone else takes over an activity.

Parents received updates through daily diaries, private electronic messages and reviews across the year in May 2026. Staff also shared advice about potty training and eating. The combination connected immediate information about the day with discussion of longer-term development, giving parents more than a brief account of activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that children, including those with SEND, made excellent progress and benefited from adaptations to learning and care; its next step asked leaders to maintain high standards and deepen the impact of their work for disadvantaged children, children with SEND, those currently or previously known to social care, and those facing other barriers to learning or wellbeing. Speech and language checks took place when children started, with observations and assessments used to identify concerns; staff discussed these with families and followed up advice to seek help from health professionals.

In May 2026, coloured cloths and visual cues helped children anticipate routines, while some children received additional adult support during physical activities. Emotion stories and puppets gave children ways to explore feelings. These examples show how support could be woven into the ordinary day, rather than confined to a separate activity.

Sleep followed babies' individual patterns in May 2026, with close supervision. At meals, children were seated securely and supervised, and food and snacks accommodated dietary needs. Toothbrushing practice with toy dinosaurs made oral care something children could try for themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The Under Twos building is at 28 Standard Road, Bexleyheath, DA6 8DP. Both Bunnies and Fawns have an All Day session from 8.30am to 4pm. Standard Road operates during term time and closes for school holidays, so the calendar is a significant part of the childcare decision.

An Early bird session runs from 8am to 8.30am, and Late collection from 4pm to 4.30pm. Both carry an extra charge. These extensions offer some room around the core day, but families still need to match the finishing time and holiday closures to their own commitments.

In May 2026, children were preparing to move to the sister nursery a few doors away. This is a nursery transition, with the older children's building separate from the Under Twos provision.

• Term-time calendar. The all-day session and early or late extensions operate within a term-time setting. Families needing care during school holidays should weigh that closure pattern before choosing it.
• Visits through the waiting list. Visits are offered only to families on the Standard Road waiting list. Join through the registration form, then use the visit to discuss how your baby's sleep and home routines would fit the day.
• Moving between buildings. Fawns spans 18 to 30 months, while the setting has an Under Twos identity. Ask how the timing of a move to the older children's building is agreed for your child.
• Funding and the complete cost. Request a current written quotation showing how funded hours would fit your attendance, and who pays for meals, nappies and other consumables alongside any early or late extension.

Standard Road Under Twos suits families seeking term-time All Day sessions, with an Early bird session or Late collection for those needing extra time. Its separate baby and toddler building, sensory play and substantial outdoor sessions give the day a clear shape. The May 2026 area judgements support a positive assessment, backed by concrete examples of communication, individual routines and adapted activities.

The decisive practical constraint is the term-time calendar. For families whose schedules fit it, the emphasis on babies' relationships, movement and everyday independence makes this a setting worth considering carefully.