Sure Start Children's Centres

Children's Centres in Bexley

Bringing Services Together

A Children's Centre brings together a wide range of service for children from birth - five years and their families/carers. The Centres create a one-stop shop within the community for parents and providers of childcare and family support.

Parents with young children often have difficulty travelling to different places to access services, the aim is that Children's centres provide a whole range of information and activities. By bringing together a range of services for children and families/carers, from early education and childcare to health and family support, the Centres will make it easier for parents to access services for their children and themselves and help more families benefit in the critical early years of their children's lives.

Examples of service provided by a Phase 1 Children's Centre include:

Childcare for children from birth - 5 years from 8am-6pm, 50 weeks of the year to support working parents and others.
Early education led by a teacher for children aged 3 and 4 years.
Child and family health services e.g. ante natal and post natal support.
Family support e.g. advice and support with parenting skills, dads clubs, learning courses etc.
Links with Jobcentre Plus e.g. support in accessing training and employment.
Bexley Family Information Service e.g. details of playschemes for older children.
Services for Children with Special Educational Needs and disabilities.*

*All Children's Centres are fully inclusive settings with support for children with Special Educational Needs and disabilities and are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all children.

But activities will vary at each centre according to local community needs.

Will every ward have a Children's Centre?

Children's Centres will be developed in 3 phases to cover every ward in Bexley.

The first phases have seen the development of 12 Children's Centres. These are:

West Street Children's Centre, Erith
North End Children's Centre, Slade Green
St Augustine's Children's Centre, Belvedere
Greenmead Thamesmead Children's Centre, East Thamesmead
North Cray Children's Centre, North Cray
Danson Children’s Centre
Brampton Children’s Centre
Sidcup Children’s Centre
St Michaels, Wrotham Road Children’s Centre
Normandy Children’s Centre
Falconwood Children’s Centre
Barnes Cray Children’s Centre
Northumberland Heath Children’s Centre

Ward	Description
Danson	This is a designated Children's Centre, the new building will be completed in spring 2009.
Sidcup	This is a newly designated Children’s Centre that has been created in the grounds of The Adult Education College for Bexley and is run by New Foundations. New Foundations provide full/sessional day care for young children, as well as a range of Children’s Centres activities in local venues. For further information please email Claire.jenkins@bexley.gov.uk
St Micheal's	This is a newly designated centre. The centre will work closely with the new full day care provider (Clever Cloggs) based at Welling School.
Normandy	This is a newly designated Centre at Normandy Primary School.The new Children’s Centre building is now complete and an exciting programme is running. Please email Vanessa.o’callaghan@bexley.gov.uk for details.
Crayford	This is a newly designated Children's Centre at Barnes Cray Primary school. A new Children's Centre area will be created when the rebuilding of the school is complete, but in the meantime the Children’s Centre is using rooms within the school. This is the programme they run at Barnes Cray Children's Centre programme for the spring term is as follows:- Monday..... Baby Play, Sing & Sign, babies 6 months - 2 years 10am Toddler Play, Sing & Sign, toddlers aged 2-4years 2pm For Play, Sing and Sign please phone for more details. Sessions lasts for about 45mins and the course runs for 10 weeks. Places are limited Tuesday.. 1.30pm toddler group (toddlers 1-3yrs old) no need to book, just turn up! Wednesday.. Midwifery 9am - 4pm ( drop in between 1 and 2pm) Thursday.......Baby group 0-1years............9.45-11.15am no need to book, just turn up! Friday...Music & movement,...9.15 - 10am, no need to book, just turn up For more information contact Barnes Cray Primary School Tel - 01322 523232 and ask for Bernadette Barton or Denise Waller
Falconwood & Welling	Falconwood Children's Centre is based in Falconwood Community Centre, this is a newly designated Centre. There is a pre-school on this site, as well as morning mother & toddler groups, a twins club held every second week and a child health clinic.
Northumberland Heath	This is a newly designated Children's Centre at Northumberland Heath Primary School. A new Children’s Centre is soon to be built next to the school that will also provide a full day care nursery for babies to 5yr olds.

The identification of sites for Phase 2 schemes has taken into account other key developments in the Borough such as Building schools for the Future and School Organisation proposals etc.

How do I find out more information?

For general information on Bexley Children's Centres, contact Bexley Family Information Service (FIS) on Tel: 020 8856 5398 or email to fis@bexley.gov.uk.

All Children's Centres across the Borough are looking to encourage parents, families and other members of the local community to become involved in the development of services. For more information contact your local centre.

Sure Start Children's Centres

For further details on children's centres, please contact Jane Vong jane.vong@bexley.gov.uk

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