Cub Headingley

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff identify children's individual needs quickly through assessments and daily observations. Regular progress checks are promptly completed. This helps them understand what children know and can already do, as well as their emerging needs, so that support can be tailored effectively. Leaders take rapid action to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing by working in partnership with parents. Staff adapt teaching by using 'first and then' boards. They use visual cues, giving children time and space to process information. This helps to aid transitions within routines. These reasonable adjustments help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged children and those facing other challenges to take part fully in learning and routines alongside their peers.

A highly effective key-person system supports continuity of care and emotional security. Children confidently seek out their key person when requiring support and reassurance, particularly during times of transitions, which helps with emotional regulation for all children, including those with SEND. This ensures that children feel safe and are ready to learn. Leaders monitor children's progress closely. They have excellent working relationships with parents and review support for children regularly. This helps to ensure that children make progress, while improving children's engagement, communication and independence. Leaders and staff work sensitively with parents. Where appropriate, they know when and where to seek advice from external professionals.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders and staff work together effectively to plan an ambitious curriculum that inspires children through rich experiences, exciting themes and enthusiastic teaching. Leaders review the effectiveness of the curriculum in conjunction with room leaders, ensuring a fully inclusive curriculum. Staff adapt activities and resources based on planning led by children's interests and insights from parents. Staff then use this information to plan what children need to learn next. This encourages all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning, to access what they want in ways that meet their individual needs. Staff plan activities well, for example those inspired by the nursery's 'artist of the month'. They set out resources that interest children, such as flowers and sensory items. This provides an effective balance between children's self-chosen play and exploration, adult-led activities and high-quality interactions. This allows children time to return to resources to repeat and practise skills and experiences, helping them consolidate their learning.

Children have access to outdoor play where they explore climbing, running and taking risks in a controlled way. This helps children become resilient, confident learners. Children have access to a bike track, where they fine-tune their skills on wheeled toys while being encouraged in their endeavours by sensitive staff.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children make excellent progress from what they know and can already do. They develop an early love of books. This is demonstrated through them sharing books with staff throughout the day. This helps children to make rapid progress in their speech, language and communication. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. They benefit from targeted intervention plans, enabling them to make good progress. Transitions to the next room are carefully coordinated and discussed with parents so that they know what to expect. This helps children to continue their learning successfully.

Children's overall wellbeing is central to the setting, helping them become confident learners. Children develop independence quickly and from an early age. They are encouraged to tidy and are given praise and encouragement while doing so. Children show that they have a sense of pride in their achievements and environment. They listen attentively to stories, ask thoughtful questions and grow into articulate learners.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children behave very well throughout the setting. Leaders ensure that staff provide consistently effective support and guidance. This helps children to develop positive attitudes towards learning and others. Staff are excellent role models. They show kindness, respect and calm interactions. This consistent positive modelling helps children to use polite language, take turns and show consideration towards others, even from a very young age. Staff build warm, open relationships with children, who rarely become upset. When children do need support, staff respond quickly. They offer reassurance and help them re-engage in play.

Leaders respond promptly to non-attendance. For instance, they promote the importance of regular attendance with families from the home visit onwards. This ensures that parents understand the attendance policy. Staff support children during times of transition during the day. They help children to adapt to routines, for example by singing a song when it is time for them to wash their hands. This helps to manage children's expectations about what is going to happen next and contributes to the harmonious environment.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders have a clear ethos of supporting and guiding parents, offering advice when needed to promote security and consistency for children. Positive working relationships are established from the point of registration. This enables leaders to signpost families to external agencies and professionals for additional support, if needed. The setting also provides in-house guidance when parents need help with aspects of parenting, such as accessing advice from a sleep consultant. This helps to build trust and highly effective partnership working with parents.

Staff are nurturing and responsive, supporting children's development and guiding their learning. The on-site chef works closely with parents to provide healthy meals that meet children's individual needs. For example, he uses an app to share information about raw ingredients and snacks. Children with allergies, food intolerances or special dietary requirements are fully catered for, and robust systems prevent cross-contamination. Leaders have developed weaning strategies with specialist input, and all staff working with the youngest children understand the importance of safe and appropriate weaning. Sleep arrangements are carefully managed so that children can rest safely in a calm, soothing space and wake refreshed, ready for their next learning opportunity.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are passionate, committed and dedicated to their roles. They set very high expectations that promote high-quality care and education. Regular supervision and reviews of practice help identify individual and team development needs. The plus-one staffing system enables staff to spend more time with children, deepen their understanding of each child's learning journey, close gaps and intervene quickly when needed. Staff are valued, listened to and supported, with their wellbeing treated as a high priority. Leaders use purposeful supervision to work collaboratively with staff and drive improvement.

Staff can access on-site mental health first aiders, and an open-door culture supports each staff member's professional development. Ongoing development is strengthened through training, networking with other agencies and professionals, and access to courses through the local authority and professional bodies. This helps staff to keep their knowledge current and relevant.

Leaders use their strengths to drive improvement and identify clear priorities for further development, such as engaging in the Maths Champions programme to strengthen mathematical understanding across the setting. Their well-structured induction programme sets high expectations for professionalism, supporting staff to work consistently and helping children make significant progress. Leaders also prioritise strong engagement with parents. Partnerships with families are positive and well established, benefiting both children and their families.