Brightsparks Day Nursery and Preschool Eltham

Golf tees tapped into fruit and vegetables, cars tested on ramps and flower soup made in the garden: practical exploration gives Brightsparks Eltham its character. These April 2024 activities put small movements, experimentation and imagination into children's play.

At its April 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that coordination between families, staff and other agencies supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. There were also two clear priorities: allowing children longer to answer questions and helping them understand the effects of their behaviour on others.

The nursery has 58 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. Here, the April 2024 activities illustrate how play can bring together language, movement, mathematical ideas and investigation.

In April 2024, number songs introduced younger children to counting, while dinosaur play gave older children opportunities to compare shapes and sizes. Stories included pauses for children to supply missing words. These are concrete ways to practise ideas through familiar play rather than treating learning as a separate task.

Physical experiences included low-level equipment for climbing both outside and indoors, bicycles in the garden, and mark-making with paint and chalk. Children also explored play dough, with staff helping them decide whether it needed more ingredients. Movement and hands-on experimentation were woven into the day.

In April 2024, settling arrangements were tailored to individual children. Staff caring for the youngest children learned about routines at home, giving them a practical starting point for supporting the change to nursery life.

The special educational needs coordinator worked with families, practitioners and external agencies. One example involved helping children with SEND join play with other children: support was connected to everyday participation, rather than confined to separate activities.

Harris Academy Greenwich, Middle Park Avenue, London SE9 5EQ is the nursery's address. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and five days at Christmas.

In April 2024, the nursery received early education funding for children aged two, three and four. That is a dated account of participation, rather than a promise of a funded place now.

• Time to think. In April 2024, questions sometimes came too quickly for children to prepare an answer. On a visit, look for pauses that let children develop and express their own ideas.
• Understanding others. The April 2024 improvement priority concerned helping children connect their actions with other people's feelings and safety. Ask how practitioners explain those connections during play.
• Your attendance and costs. The nursery opens across the year, with bank holiday and Christmas closures. Which booking pattern and funded-hours arrangement would fit your family, and what would the written quotation include for meals and consumables?

Brightsparks Eltham suits families who value practical play, outdoor movement and settling that takes account of home routines. The April 2024 examples give those preferences substance, from garden bicycles to experiments with ramps. The same assessment identified useful questions about conversational pacing and social understanding, which deserve attention alongside the Good judgement.