The London Borough of Bexley has a strong track record of supporting the development and quality improvement of early years education and childcare provision. Giving children the best possible early learning experiences coupled with a comprehensive range of early help support is a high priority. Our commitment to training and developing the workforce, improving practice, and supporting the development of new provision reflects this.

The Local Authority has a duty of care under the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure there is sufficient good quality childcare for parents. It is essential that the Local Authority understands the demand for capacity across the borough and what our parents need. We also have a number of statutory requirements in relation to childcare sufficiency that include:

• providing information, advice and guidance to parents seeking childcare
• providing information, advice, guidance, and access to training for existing and potential childcare providers
• securing sufficient early education places for all eligible children 9 months plus if their parents want to access funded childcare and enough high-quality childcare places for eligible 2-year-olds receiving additional forms of support (Play2Learn). From April 2024, this offer is for 15 hours for 9 months plus to 3 years old.  In September 2025 this will increase to 30 hours for working families, bringing it in line with the existing offer for 3- and 4-year-olds. (see below)
• meeting our duties under the Equality Act 2010 when securing early learning places

Bexley has a team of Early Years Support Officers, Advisers, Area SENCOs and Specialist Officers available to assist providers in delivering high-quality childcare by helping them to meet all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. Providers are regulated by Ofsted or Childminder Agencies, where required, but the Local Authority monitors them and helps them to maintain and improve their quality of provision.

It is our aim to always meet the needs of parents where possible and to have the tools in place that enable them to source the childcare that best suits their needs. We also have a duty to ensure there is adequate provision for children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in the borough and that parents can access this for their children.  We know that approximately 6% of children in Early Years settings in Bexley have been identified as having a Special Education Need or Disability (SEND), with the main area of need being speech, language and communication difficulties. Early Years settings screen children for communication difficulties and have identified that approximately 47% will need some additional support at some stage in their early learning.  Bexley Early Years Team can support parents with finding the right setting for their child, and provide information, advice, guidance and training to settings on meeting their needs, securing extra funding and referring to other professionals as needed. 

The Department for Education has invited Bexley to participate in its national Safety Valve Programme. The programme is aimed at addressing the increase in demand for Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and the associated costs it places on the Council’s High Needs Budget. Through this programme, Bexley Early Years will offer early speech and language intervention to children requiring support to help reduce the need for Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), including Early Talk Boost and WellComm.

In the 2023 Spring Budget, the Government announced plans for reforms to childcare to support parents to return to and stay in work. By September 2025 eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week, for 38 weeks per year, from the term after their child is 9 months old to when they start school. The first phase of this expansion happened from April 2024, when eligible 2-year-olds of working families will be able to access 15 hours of funded childcare. In September 2024, this extended to eligible 9-month-olds. 

In addition, from September 2024, the Government gave a commitment that all primary school-age children who need it will have access to wraparound childcare from 8am to 6pm during term time.   In Bexley, we are working with schools and private providers to secure provision in all parts of the borough that need it.  The Wraparound Lead for Bexley is Joanne Smith (wraparound@bexley.gov.uk) 

View handbook for the Wraparound programme

In October 2024, the Government announced funding of up to £150,000 each, for Schools to utilise unused space to start up or expand School Based Nurseries provision.  This will increase the number of early education places and support the expanded childcare offer. 

View information on School Based Nurseries Grant

In addition, in November 2024 the Government announced funding for Free breakfast clubs in schools from April 2025.  They are starting with 750 early adopter schools to test out the methodology. 

View information on Free Breakfast Clubs

Bexley is a small Local Authority located in Southeast London with a population of approximately 246,500 people (according to the 2021 Census) and is comprised of just over 6,000 hectares. 

Bexley has a range of childcare provision across the borough offering a variety of flexible childcare options to parents. New providers continue to register. At the time of publication Bexley has: