Lilly Brook Pre-School

Lilly Brook Pre-School is a 32-place, term-time sessional setting for children aged two to five at Bickley Park Cricket Club in Bromley. Ofsted judged it Good in September 2023 and found safeguarding arrangements effective. Inspectors saw happy, active learners whose friendships and communication were supported deliberately.

Purposeful play gives this pre-school its character. In 2023, children engaged readily with play, conversation and practical tasks. Practical water play supported physical coordination, while staff extended vocabulary through commentary and children confidently used words such as puncture. Younger children joined focused rhyme time. This is the Early Years Foundation Stage in practical form: play and adult interaction build communication, physical development and the foundations for later learning. Spoken language connected the day’s activities: adults added words during play, while rhyme time gave younger children a focused way to hear and practise sounds. New vocabulary therefore grew out of experiences children were already exploring.

Outdoor activity included bikes, steps to slides and ball games, giving children several ways to practise balance, coordination and movement. Inspectors also saw sand timers helping children share resources and take turns, giving everyday play a clear social purpose. Turn-taking tools and cooperative play pointed to positive relationships between children.

Healthy routines were woven into the day too. After washing their hands, children exchanged a ticket for a snack and discussed healthy choices. The routine linked self-care, independence and early decision-making through something children could understand. It also gave staff a natural point for conversation, reinforcing the inspection’s wider emphasis on language. For a child, that turns an ordinary snack routine into a manageable sequence with a reason behind each step.

Warm relationships and strong friendships were central to the 2023 inspection picture. Attentive adults helped children feel settled enough to explore, speak and collaborate. Ofsted's SEND evidence showed coordinated action: outside specialists contributed to individual planning without delay, while extra funding was directed towards the support children needed.

Safeguarding was effective at that inspection. Staff received regular training, understood their responsibilities and completed daily premises checks. Parents received activity and care updates, including sleep times, through the Spaces app, helping home and pre-school share useful information.

Leadership also had substance behind it. New colleagues followed a structured onboarding process, while coaching and feedback continued once they were in post. Inspectors also found that leadership gave the team a clear example to follow. The inspection's improvement points were specific: deepen staff understanding of intended learning and use questions that challenge children's thinking. Those are meaningful next steps because the underlying curriculum and relationships were already secure. Children also learned healthy routines through handwashing and snack choices, while staff used active play to support physical confidence. Together, these details show care, learning and independence working alongside one another throughout the day, rather than being treated as separate priorities.

The setting is at Bickley Park Cricket Club, Bickley Park Road, Bromley, BR1 2AS. The official record describes it as open during term time and closed in school holidays. The setting is recorded as open Monday to Friday, but an opening schedule is not a booking model. Families need a current written offer from the pre-school covering bookable session patterns, funding, meals and consumables before comparing schedules or total costs.

• Session structure. Confirm the current session timetable and minimum booking pattern. The official record gives an opening window, but that does not establish which sessions families can buy.
• Day-to-day costs. Obtain a written quotation covering funded hours, private hours, meals and consumables. This makes comparisons clearer without assuming how this setting applies entitlements or extras.
• Teaching development. Ofsted asked leaders in 2023 to make good teaching consistently high quality and sharpen questioning so children explain ideas and think more deeply. Discuss what coaching and monitoring have changed since then.

This is a compact pre-school with a convincing inspection-era picture of language-rich play, active outdoor experiences and thoughtful SEND support. It best suits families seeking a term-time, sessional environment for a child aged two to five, provided the current timetable and practical cost structure fit their needs. The careful use of rhyme, vocabulary, physical play and turn-taking gives children a joined-up experience rather than a collection of disconnected activities.