Bright Kiddies

A canopy-covered outdoor area and individual learning plans give Bright Kiddies its character: play has room to spread outside, while support is organised around each child. Based in the Sea Scout hut beside Durrington Park in Worthing, it takes children aged two to five and has capacity for 30 children. That is the whole setting’s capacity, rather than the size of a teaching group.

At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated Bright Kiddies Good and judged safeguarding effective. The practical detail behind that judgement matters: children used turn-taking timers, explored counting activities and handled increasingly independent personal-care routines. There was also a clear teaching priority: questioning needed to stretch children’s understanding further.

Morning and afternoon sessions sit within a term-time opening pattern, with a separate breakfast option.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play and supporting children’s development. Alongside it, In The Moment Planning uses children’s interests and observations of their play to shape what happens next. Activities are tailored to the interests of individual children and aspects of development that need attention. The practical value is a day that can respond to a child’s curiosity while still having purposeful learning behind it.

Free play is balanced with some structure. Imaginative play includes transforming an ordinary box into something entirely different, while adults help children practise sharing, negotiation and expressing feelings. Choices matter here: children are encouraged to decide how to play and to find words for their ideas. Those experiences make communication part of everyday activity, rather than something reserved for a separate lesson.

In June 2024, a tray of soil and toy insects prompted exploration with magnifying glasses and introduced insect vocabulary. Number activities connected written numbers with collections of objects, with tasks adjusted for different abilities. These are concrete examples of how play can introduce language and mathematical ideas together. However, adults sometimes missed opportunities to take an activity further; extending learning through better questions was the improvement required.

Yoga, Beefit and Artventurer sessions add activities intended to support confidence, movement skills, creativity and wellbeing. These activities complement the EYFS framework for learning, development and care. Their shared emphasis connects physical activity and creative expression with children’s developing sense of themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

The large outdoor play area has a canopy, giving children covered space for outdoor play in different weather. Garden time happens daily, with watering flowers, feeding birds and puddle play among the experiences described. That gives outdoor activity a regular place in the day, rather than reserving it for occasional special events.

In June 2024, climbing equipment and obstacle courses gave children opportunities to practise balancing, jumping and climbing, with adult support adjusted to their abilities. Books also travelled into the garden for shared reading. Outdoor space therefore served more than physical play: it could be a place for a story as well as movement.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, and an All About Me questionnaire gathers information about home life and concerns before they start. A Stay and Play session introduces the child and family to their key worker and provides time to discuss care routines. Nappy changing can be part of that conversation. The sequence gives families a specific route into the setting, with personal information gathered before everyday care begins.

During the first month, the key worker completes a Settling me in form. Tapestry is the online learning journal used to record experiences and progress, and parents can contribute news or learning from home. Together, these arrangements let the child’s life outside preschool inform what staff understand about them inside it.

Communication also includes termly newsletters, a closed parents’ group and daily board updates. Regular progress discussions cover development and next steps. For families, this provides both brief everyday information and opportunities for a fuller conversation, rather than relying on a single type of update.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO works with families, key workers and other professionals. When additional help is needed, a One Page Profile sets out how to support the child’s care and learning, followed by meetings to review strategies and next steps. Visual prompts and basic signs are used, with PECS available as another communication resource. These are specific support mechanisms, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that cooperation between families, staff and professionals supported children with SEND through a coordinated approach to learning. Current arrangements include working with Speech and Language Therapists and Early Help Workers, with parental consent sought when involving other professionals. This gives families an identifiable process for raising concerns and bringing outside advice into preschool care.

Theraplay is offered for children who need it: structured play led by an adult, intended to support social skills, confidence and emotional wellbeing. Prescribed medication can be administered after a Care Plan and Medication Form are completed, with additional training undertaken where needed. Care is therefore planned around the child’s particular requirements.

Safeguarding responsibilities include lead and deputy lead roles. Trainees working towards childcare qualifications help alongside regular staff and are supervised whenever they interact with children. In June 2024, adults also explained personal-care steps during nappy changing, while children practised handwashing and toileting themselves. These everyday routines formed part of preparation for greater independence before school.

Sessions and Attendance

Bright Kiddies opens Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 3pm, during term time, and closes for school holidays. Morning Session runs from 9am to noon; Afternoon Session runs from noon to 3pm. Breakfast Club runs from 8.30am to 9am and is a non-funded session, while Lunch Session runs from noon to 1pm. These are separate named booking options, so the opening window should not be treated as one standard session.

Flexible session arrangements are also offered. Families can contact the preschool by telephone on 07443344669 or email at bkpreschool@outlook.com. After initial contact, a prospectus explains sessions, fees and what is provided; once a place has been secured, a starter letter covers the key worker, start date, uniform and term dates.

Getting There

The address is 2nd Durrington Sea Scout Hut, Pond Lane, Worthing, BN13 2RH, adjacent to Durrington Park. The neighbouring car park is free, and the building has a ramp, wide doors and step-free access, practical details for families using a pushchair or needing easier physical access.

Funding and Paid Extras

Bright Kiddies accepts privately paying families and offers funded childcare through 2 year funding and 3 year entitlement, including up to 30 hours. Its attendance pattern is term-time, and additional paid hours are offered alongside funded sessions; Breakfast Club is specifically non-funded. Families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen arrangement through the sessions and fees page.

Mealtimes include fruit and snacks, with children encouraged to make choices together around the table. This brings food into the social life of the day as well as its care routines.

• Term-time attendance. School holidays are closures, and the day ends at 3pm. Families whose work continues through holidays or later afternoons need to weigh that timetable against their care requirements.
• Learning challenge. In June 2024, questioning did not consistently extend children’s understanding. At a visit, ask how adults now build on an activity when a child is ready for more demanding ideas.
• Funding and everyday supplies. Breakfast Club is non-funded. Ask how your chosen funded and paid sessions are combined, including the treatment of meals, snacks, nappies and other consumables in the written quotation.
• Settling and individual support. Stay and Play, the first-month settling form and One Page Profile provide a structured starting point. Use the show-around to discuss how those arrangements would work for your child’s communication, personal care or support needs.

Bright Kiddies suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon preschool sessions, with an early breakfast option and individual planning around their child. Daily garden play, Tapestry communication and the route from key-person observations to a One Page Profile give its offer substance. The June 2024 teaching priority remains a useful question for a visit. For families who can work with its holiday closures and afternoon finish, the appeal is a clear combination of play, personal care and organised support.