Little DISCoveries Day Nursery and Preschool

Little DISCoveries Day Nursery and Preschool
Unique reference number (URN): 2801435
Address: Amenities Hub, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0BA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 17/07/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited
Inspection report: 15 July 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Strong standard
Achievement Strong standard
All children and babies make the best possible progress from their starting points across all
areas of learning. From the earliest age, children develop their personal, social and
emotional skills. Children are highly confident and show increasing levels of independence,
such as serving their own food and drink at snack and mealtimes. This ensures they are
very well prepared for their next stage of learning or school.
Children demonstrate confidence in mathematical concepts, such as when they explore the
eco-garden and specific activity areas. For example, children measure the amount of water
for the carrots and count the number of plastic nails required before hammering them in.
Babies settle quickly and understand routines such as washing their hands before lunch.
Children develop excellent focus and attention skills across the setting and demonstrate
resilience, completing tasks they find difficult.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
Leaders foster a warm and inclusive environment where children show that they feel safe,
valued and able to thrive. From the earliest age, staff build warm, trusting relationships with
children and their families. They use their understanding to shape routines and approaches
so that every child feels supported and included.
Key-person arrangements are very effective. They enable staff to support children's evolving
needs and behaviours, which helps children to feel secure and able to learn. Across the
setting, carefully planned routines meet the needs of all children and provide consistency
throughout the whole day.
Staff are positive role models for behaviour. Children follow their example by showing
kindness, sharing resources and turn taking with each other. They demonstrate consistent,
highly positive attitudes to learning. To support daily transitions, staff effectively use songs
and visual aids. Children eagerly respond and join in to help to carry out tasks, such as
tidying up. Children manage their emotions well, and staff are attentive to ensure that
children are consistently supported.
Leaders and staff work seamlessly with parents and carers to encourage regular
attendance, ensuring children benefit from the rich learning environment and opportunities
available. Leaders carefully and consistently monitor children's attendance and have robust
procedures to follow up on absences. As a result of well-embedded routines and
expectations, children show that they feel emotionally secure, interact positively with others
and are confident in their approach to learning.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders work collaboratively and effectively in partnership with families to promote an
inclusive approach. This ensures leaders and staff recognise and have a comprehensive

understanding of the changing needs of all children who attend the setting. They place
consistently high priority on children's welfare and wellbeing.
Staff work effectively to help children settle swiftly and build secure attachments, helping
children feel emotionally safe and secure. This enables children to develop positive
relationships with their peers and engage positively in their learning, which they demonstrate
consistently through their interactions and behaviour.
Staff are skilful at teaching children about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles and
weave information throughout rich conversations. For example, when children are outside in
the eco-garden, they develop their interest in how to grow food and the importance of eating
fruit and vegetables. Children share their ideas about why they need to wash the carrots
before handing them to the chef in the setting. Staff carefully plan and adapt experiences to
include children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff use
sensory activities to aid exploration. All children have daily opportunities to develop their
physical skills and spend time outdoors to support their mental wellbeing.
Leaders and staff place great value on promoting independence skills. Children are
encouraged to regularly wash their hands and self-feed, where age- and stage appropriate.
Staff follow rigorously reviewed, robust safe-eating practices during snack and mealtimes,
ensuring children's safety. Staff are highly responsive to any change in children's needs.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
Leaders have developed and embedded an ambitious and inclusive curriculum that fully
prepares children for their next stage of learning in all areas of development. Staff are
passionate about getting to know children through a robust settling-in process, which
continues as children transition from room to room. As a result, staff make accurate
assessments of children's starting points. They use these to implement tailored approaches
that support children's development effectively. Staff make swift, highly effective teaching
adjustments during play so that all children, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities, can access the curriculum well.
Staff and leaders continually reflect on how they can further improve teaching and learning
throughout the day. They have high expectations for what children can achieve across the
setting. The interactions between staff and children are highly effective across the setting
and are a particular strength. Staff engage and interact purposefully with children, taking
every chance to extend learning. Children are encouraged to explore and problem-solve,
with staff attentively responding to their ideas and introducing new concepts. For example,
when children are outside in the eco-garden, they develop their interest in how to grow
vegetables, such as carrots. Staff help extend children's knowledge, for instance around
why the vegetables are ready to be harvested.
Early mathematical language and concepts are embedded in daily routines and play from
the earliest age. For example, toddlers count the number of plastic nails during construction
play and learn about concepts such as more and less during window-cleaning play activities.

Inclusion Strong standard
The setting ensures that all children thrive, including those with special educational needs
and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. Staff identify, assess and understand
the individual needs of children extremely well, skilfully adjusting adaptations as needed to
promote their next steps in learning. Progress is rigorously and closely monitored to ensure
that all children achieve well, in readiness for their next stage of learning or school. Leaders
are vigilant in ensuring staff have a secure understanding of how to support children's needs
consistently, such as using Makaton signing to support communication. They identify any
emerging needs swiftly and make suitable adaptations to the environment or daily routines.
For example, staff use a 'now and next' approach to support children with communication
and regulation. This helps make a sustained and positive difference to children's
experiences.
Leaders ensure that funding is used appropriately to reduce any gaps for disadvantaged
children. For example, they purchase resources related to children's individual interests,
such as role-play outfits. Leaders and key staff work in close collaboration with external
professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This ensures that evidence-based
approaches and interventions are timely and impactful, which parents and carers value.
Staff consistently share observations and information about children's progress with parents,
offering guidance and support. Parents speak very highly of these positive relationships,
noting that their children are happy and safe, feel included and receive highly attentive care.
Leaders and key staff acquire a vast range of useful information prior to children starting at
the setting and sustain excellent partnerships with families. As a result, children settle swiftly.
The staff team and children represent a very diverse community which is celebrated and
embraced across the setting, such as through the sharing library. This helps all children and
their families feel valued.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders demonstrate an ambitious vision for the setting and are very passionate about their
roles. They have a detailed overview of the setting and ensure they consistently provide
high-quality care and education for all children. Leaders regularly reflect and review
provision with the staff team to identify areas for development and implement targeted plans
to address any priorities effectively. All staff make a positive contribution to improvements to
provide the best possible outcomes for children.
Leaders and staff have consistently high expectations for all children. They work seamlessly
in partnership with parents and carers to promote children's learning and wellbeing. Parents
speak extremely highly of the setting, recognising and valuing the support they are given as
families, such as to help them continue their children's learning at home. Staff form highly
effective relationships with parents and carers and share children's progress through a
secure online platform. Leaders provide robust, tailored transitions for children when they
move to the next room or prepare for school. Children are very well prepared for times of
transition. Leaders are extremely proactive in promoting an inclusive culture, celebrating the
diverse community which the setting serves, including those who are harder to reach. For
example, leaders provide weekend opportunities, such as visiting a botanical garden, to
support consistent and continual engagement with parents.

Leaders work with a range of external professionals, such as speech and language
therapists, to ensure support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) is timely and effective in meeting their needs. Staff feel valued, and leaders support
their mental wellbeing and workload consistently well. Staff complete regular and tailored
professional development, such as Makaton training to support children with SEND. This
has a significant and positive impact on children's learning and enables staff to continually
raise the quality of their teaching and care.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children and their families are warmly welcomed by staff, who take time to engage with
parents and carers. They seek any updates, which enables them to meet children's needs
throughout the day. Children quickly build trusting relationships with staff, including their key
persons, and know their needs will be met. As a result, children develop a secure sense of
belonging and confidence and demonstrate through their behaviour that they feel safe,
secure and valued.
Children enjoy a rich range of learning experiences. Activities in the well-managed
environment capture their interests, encourage exploration and develop their confidence.
Children eagerly make choices and enjoy their play, such as making biscuits and using play
dough. They use tools, such as a rolling pin and cutters, to develop their small-muscle
movements and recall a story they shared together earlier, linked to the activity. Children
count with staff, name shapes and colours as they play and increase their knowledge
around early mathematical concepts. Children use role-play outfits as they play with trains
and tracks and pretend to go on a trip to London. They share their experiences and use
tools to mend the track, interacting pleasantly with their peers and staff.
Children learn new vocabulary as they play, repeat words and are supported to increase the
complexity of their sentences. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
(SEND) and those who may face barriers to their learning are given extra time and support
with their communication. Leaders promote regular attendance and closely monitor this, to
support children's development and enjoyment of learning.
All children, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, are supported by
a rich and ambitious curriculum that is highly engaging and tailored to their interests. As a
result, children thoroughly enjoy being at the setting, remain deeply engaged and make the
best possible progress from their starting points.

Inspector:
John Stafford
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2801435
Address:
Amenities Hub
Francis Crick Avenue
Cambridge
CB2 0BA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 17/07/2024
Registered person: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Cambridgeshire
Next steps
Leaders should continue to embed the inclusive curriculum so that extremely high
standards in the curriculum and teaching are sustained and built upon.
Leaders should continue to consistently prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing so that
leaders' actions have a transformational impact on children, enabling them to thrive in the
setting and beyond.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinators, children,
parents and carers during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 15 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 5
Total number of places
126
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.

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