Cub Headingley

Cub Headingley
Unique reference number (URN): 2859120
Address: 2 Shire Oak Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 2TN
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 11/09/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: KME Headingley Ltd
Inspection report: 11 August 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children thrive at this inclusive setting. They receive an extremely high standard of
education and care. Leaders and staff are passionate about providing the best possible
outcomes for all children, including for those children who face barriers to their learning,
such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, all children
make excellent progress from their starting points.

Inspector:
Vicky Wood
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2859120
Address:
2 Shire Oak Road
Headingley
Leeds
LS6 2TN
Each child is provided with a tailored programme that meets their individual needs,
regardless of what they know and can already do. For example, staff closely observe babies
in their play to identify patterns and learning preferences. They use this information to
provide an extensive range of stimulating and educational activities that contribute to babies'
positive wellbeing and involvement, creating independence and anatomy. As a result, babies
settle extremely quickly and demonstrate a strong sense of security and a sense of
belonging. Older children are encouraged to be independent outside, where staff skilfully
support children to go from crawling to running, climbing and balancing with increasing
confidence. They freely access and have autonomy over their own learning and are strongly
encouraged to be collaborative in their play and learning, with sensitive adults modelling
language, play and behaviour. Children are keen to share their ideas and thoughts, and this
enables all children to develop skills for their future learning.
Next steps
Leaders should maintain their high standards and build on existing successes so that the
highly effective support provided results in a transformational impact on children's
wellbeing, achievement and independence.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff and the special educational needs coordinator 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.

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 11/09/2025
Registered person: KME Headingley Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 18:00
Local authority: Leeds
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 11 August 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
82
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.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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