Little Cubs Academy Greenwich

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy the time they spend at the setting. They separate from parents well and have strong relationships with staff. This shows they feel safe and secure. Children's independence is promoted well. For example, they are encouraged to find their own name and hang their bags on the correct pegs as they arrive.

Children are developing a love of books and stories. For example, the younger children enjoy looking at picture books, making noises of the animals they can see. Older children enjoy talking about their favourites books and listen intently to staff as they read. They go on regular outings to the local library which increases the variety of books children have access to. This helps to develop their knowledge, imagination and vocabulary.

Children's behaviour is good. They are supported with turn taking and are developing their social skills. For example, children wait their turn as they each have a go at pouring sand into a container. They are also eager to join in with group activities. Children have fun using musical instruments when they sing, and enjoy listening to music as they dance.

There are high expectations for children's behaviour. Children receive praise and encouragement when they are kind and helpful, such as putting away their toys. This promotes their confidence and gives them a sense of achievement.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Staff know the children very well and consistently engage in positive interactions with them. Babies have strong bonds with their key person and are supported with their physical development as they learn to move and climb around the room. Staff also support children's language skills by singing enthusiastically and using musical instruments. However, the presence of continuous background music is distracting. In addition, this does not create an ideal environment to support children's language development. For example, it makes it difficult to ensure that children are hearing the correct pronunciation of words.
• Staff provide children with a variety of opportunities to build their knowledge across the areas of learning. Children have the freedom to move around their environment and make their own choices during play. For example, younger children enjoy engaging in sensory experiences, such as exploring sand, water and play dough. Older children have the independence to make their own decisions and talk excitedly about the activities and trips they go on. All children have regular opportunities to take part in art activities. However, this specific area of learning is not implemented as well as all other areas. There is sometimes too high a level of adult direction, which restricts the encouragement for children to explore their own creative ideas.
• Staff's teaching is good. They create positive learning opportunities which enables children to develop positive attitudes towards their learning. As a result, children make good progress in their development. However, on some occasions, staff deployment and groups sizes, particularly in the baby room, mean that staff are not always aware of the learning opportunities that arise. This means learning is not being fully extended, and opportunities for children to reach their full potential are missed.
• Staff provide children with many opportunities to gain new skills and knowledge about the wider world. They engage in regular outings and trips, such as boat rides and visits to a farm and museum. This allows children to engage in different experiences and provides new learning opportunities, while also enhancing their physical development.
• Staff support children in learning about how to stay healthy due to the nutritious balanced meals that are provided. Older children enjoy using real food as they role play in the home corner. For example, they pretend to make vegetable soup as they mix ingredients together. This shows the previous learning that has taken place as children have a secure awareness of different food choices.
• Partnership with parents is very positive. Parents make comments on the friendly atmosphere and approachable staff. Parents also report on their children being well prepared for their transition to school.
• The setting has a designated special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The SENCo has implemented effective strategies which supports children to make progress in their development. The SENCo is confident in liaising with external agencies to provide additional support for children with SEND.
• The manager places a strong emphasis on supporting staff's emotional well-being. As a result, staff morale is very high, and they report on the level of support they receive from the manger. The manager identifies the strengths of the setting and is confident in providing staff training to make continuous improvements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff teaching to help children to have more freedom in deciding how to use materials to experiment and express their creativity
• review staff deployment and group sizes to best support children's learning
• control distractions, such as background music in the baby room, so that children can hear and focus when others speak to them.