About St Peter Chanel Nursery & Pre-School
Welcome to St Peter Chanel Nursery & Pre-School — a warm, caring early years setting in Sidcup, proudly serving families across Bexley. We offer a secure, stimulating environment where children aged 2–4 grow in confidence, curiosity, and independence.
Our Story
A Trusted Preschool Since 2008
Founded in 2008, our nursery and pre-school have built a strong reputation for quality and care. Many of our dedicated staff have been with us for years, offering consistency and deep experience that helps every child settle and thrive.
From 2018 to 2022, we were proud to be rated Outstanding by Ofsted — a reflection of our commitment to excellence.
Seamless School Transition
Part of the St Peter Chanel Catholic School Community
As part of St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School, we’re based on the same site and share strong links. Our children benefit from a smooth, supported transition into Reception, and most of our pre-schoolers continue their learning journey within the same trusted school family.
Recent Developments
New Trust, New Facilities — Same Values
In 2022, we joined the St Oscar Romero Catholic Academy Trust. This led to a change in our Ofsted reporting structure — now combined with the primary school. In the most recent 2023 inspection, our setting was rated Good overall, with Outstanding for Personal Development.
We’re currently undergoing a full refurbishment of our nursery building, with modernised facilities opening in September 2025. Throughout this process, we’ve retained our trusted team and continue delivering high-quality care.
Funding & Places
We believe St Peter Chanel is one of the best nursery and pre-school settings in Sidcup and Bexley — and we invite you to come and see what makes our learning environment so special.
Get in touch to arrange a visit or ask us about funded places.
Funded Childcare Places Available
We welcome families eligible for 15 or 30 hours funded childcare, supporting access to quality early years education for all.
Our Ofsted History
St Peter Chanel Pre-School was rated Outstanding by Ofsted from 2018 to 2022, when we were registered and inspected as a standalone early years setting.
In 2022 we became part of our academy trust, and our registration changed: the Pre-School is now inspected by Ofsted as part of St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School, rather than separately. This is why our old standalone listing on the Ofsted website shows as “closed” — the Pre-School never closed; only the separate registration did. Same team, same setting, same care.
At the school’s most recent inspection in 2023, Ofsted rated us Good overall, with Outstanding for Personal Development. You can read the full report on the Ofsted website.
Our staff team has been together since the Pre-School opened in 2008 — the same educators who earned our Outstanding rating are the ones welcoming your child today.