1. The Bexley Context
a. Introduction
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 3 and 4-year-olds if their parents want to access funded childcare and enough high-quality childcare places for disadvantaged 2-year-olds accessing the 2-Year Offer (Play2Learn). From April 2024, this will expand to 2-year-olds of working families, and in September 2024 to 9-month-olds of working families (see below)
- meeting our duties under the Equality Act 2010 when securing early learning places
Bexley has a team of Early Years Support Officers and Advisers 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, 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.
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, which will be transformative for parents, children, and the economy. The aim is that, 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 is in April 2024, when eligible 2-year-olds of working families will be able to access 15 hours of funded childcare. In September 2024, this will extend to eligible 9-month-olds. In addition, from September 2024, the Government has given a commitment that all primary school-age children who need it will have access to wraparound childcare from 8am to 6pm during term time.
b. Locality Information
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:
Data provided by Ofsted. Figures are correct as of February 2024.
Bexley's population data including the number of PVI's providers and childminders
The table below shows:
- the Wards in Bexley with population data from the last 20 years of census reports
- the number of private, voluntary and independent providers (PVI) per Ward
- the number of Childminders per Ward
Data provided by the Office for National Statistics.
| Name | Population Census - 29 April 2001 | Population Census - 27 March 2011 | Population Census - 21 March 2021 | Number of PVIs | Number of CMs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in Bexley | 218,307 | 231,997 | 246,472 | 92 | 301 |
| Barnehurst | 11,055 | 11,306 | 11,678 | 4 | 15 |
| Belvedere | 14,587 | 15,947 | 17,690 | 7 | 14 |
| Bexleyheath | 13,734 | 14,092 | 15,617 | 5 | 14 |
| Blackfen & Lamorbey | 16,079 | 16,166 | 16,726 | 3 | 18 |
| Blendon & Penhill | 15,065 | 15,774 | 15,631 | 7 | 27 |
| Crayford | 13,159 | 14,237 | 16,281 | 7 | 12 |
| Crook Log | 14,345 | 15,012 | 15,259 | 12 | 21 |
| East Wickham | 14,652 | 15,210 | 15,913 | 5 | 14 |
| Erith | 8,784 | 11,052 | 13,102 | 8 | 14 |
| Falconwood & Welling | 14,936 | 15,608 | 16,573 | 9 | 22 |
| Longlands | 8,964 | 9,776 | 10,079 | 3 | 13 |
| Northumberland Heath | 10,397 | 10,608 | 11,143 | 2 | 15 |
| Sidcup | 13,379 | 14,418 | 15,421 | 6 | 9 |
| Slade Green & Northend | 10,178 | 11,260 | 12,749 | 4 | 21 |
| St Mary's & St James | 9,433 | 10,035 | 10,747 | 2 | 7 |
| Thamesmead East | 14,246 | 15,731 | 15,926 | 7 | 47 |
| West Heath | 15,315 | 15,765 | 15,936 | 1 | 14 |
c. Support For Families in Bexley
- parents and carers can access support and find information about childcare by visiting our Early years education pages and can search for childcare by proximity, type, or funded service by visiting the Family Information Directory
- parents of children with additional needs can find support services and information by visiting Bexley Local Offer website
- parents can also contact the council directly by calling 0208 303 7777 (8am to 5pm Monday to Friday) and requesting to speak to the relevant team or person
Children's Centres
Bexley Children’s Centres aim to improve outcomes for young children, ensuring they are happy, healthy, and ready to begin school. The Centres also provide help and support to families around parenting, health, well-being, and employability. The services they provide are designed for parents and carers who may be expecting a new baby or have a child under the age of five.
Centres offer a range of services, including:
- pre-school education and access to early education and childcare (on some sites)
- access to health services, including health visiting and midwifery care
- adult learning opportunities to help parents/carers progress into training or employment
- access to play opportunities that are available to everyone, such as Stay and Play
- access to services delivered by private providers that are available to everyone with small fees attached
In Bexley, you can access Children’s Centre services from one of our Children’s Centres and also from venues across the borough, including libraries, leisure centres and community buildings. This means that families have more choice and can access services nearer to their homes.
Children’s Centres welcome all Bexley families who are expecting a baby or who have a child under five. Our main centres are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm with some timetabled sessions on a Saturday. We have a dedicated Children's Centre Team who are available to support you in accessing services and information. They will also deliver sessions across the borough together with some of our partners.