Jack And Jill's Preschool

Garden investigations, practical problem-solving and careful preparation for school gave this sessional preschool its character at its July 2021 inspection. Ofsted judged it Good, with effective safeguarding. Children settled happily and moved confidently between the indoor and outdoor areas.

The setting has 52 places at St Peter's Church Hall, Pickford Lane, Bexleyheath. It provides early-years childcare rather than later wraparound care.

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes learning here: play, conversation and adult-guided activities build communication, physical development and the foundations for later literacy and mathematics. In July 2021, staff responded to children's interests as well as planning deliberate teaching. An interest in the sky led to telescope work, while one-to-one reading encouraged engagement with books.

The garden carried much of the most memorable learning. Children searched beneath logs for worms and insects, discussing what they found. They identified colours and shapes in wood, then used hammers and nails to develop coordination and concentration. Indoors, making play dough brought weighing, sharing and turn-taking together.

Ofsted's improvement point was precise: staff needed to give children enough time to explore their interests and make more of learning during activities. That is a useful focus for families assessing how freely child-led play now develops.

In July 2021, staff knew children well, assessed progress effectively and encouraged independence, thinking skills and confident speech. Children with SEND received coordinated support involving parents and other professionals; staff also followed activities set by a speech-and-language therapist.

Safeguarding arrangements were effective at that inspection. Staff understood how to recognise and respond to risks, children were carefully supervised, and recruitment and vetting arrangements were clear. The second improvement point concerned more consistent health and hygiene practice, including helping children stay hydrated.

School preparation was practical. Older children signed themselves in, met teachers from future schools and learned about uniforms and new learning environments. This supports familiarity with the change, but it does not confer priority for a Reception place.

The preschool operates from St Peter's Church Hall, Pickford Lane, Bexleyheath, DA7 4RS. It is registered as sessional day care with 52 places. Families can obtain the current session pattern and a nursery-specific written quotation directly before planning attendance.

• Exploration during activities. Ofsted asked leaders to help staff give children more time to pursue their interests. The balance between adult direction and extended child-led play is important to establish.
• Health routines. More consistent hygiene and hydration support was also an inspection priority. Current drinking-water and everyday health routines deserve attention.
• Sessional fit. The setting's sessional format makes its current timetable central to whether it matches work and travel arrangements.

Jack And Jill's Preschool is best suited to families seeking sessional early-years care with a strong emphasis on practical play, outdoor investigation and preparation for school. The 2021 evidence shows warm relationships, purposeful SEND coordination and children confidently choosing between indoors and the garden. Parents should balance those strengths against the age of the inspection and establish whether the two specific improvement points have been addressed.