Little Cubs Academy Greenwich Nursery & Pre-School

An organic growing area, a mud kitchen and outings to Mudchute Farm give Little Cubs Academy Greenwich Nursery & Pre-School a clear outdoor character. Children have daily garden time, while a sensory room provides a calmer space for exploring sound, light and texture. Those two environments offer different ways to play and explore.

At its August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall, finding effective safeguarding and successful support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), while identifying improvements needed in creative freedom, staff deployment and distractions in the baby room. These are meaningful points for families weighing the care of younger children.

The nursery has capacity for 67 children, accepting ages from 3 months to 5 years. Its Greenwich address is 100 Old Woolwich Road, London SE10 9PN. Full-day bookings have a minimum attendance requirement of two days each week.

Rooms and Ages

Bear and Lion Cubs is the baby room, with music, games, messy play and outdoor exploration giving babies several ways to engage with their surroundings. Tiger Cubs, the toddler room, emphasises sensory development and interaction, making communication with others part of its purpose. The preschool room uses planned play to encourage independence, confidence and preparation for school.

The sensory room adds another physical space to the day. Its textures, lights and sounds give children things to investigate in a calming setting. For parents, the useful detail is the combination of active outdoor space and somewhere with a different atmosphere.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework guides learning here: staff observe children and shape activities around their interests and developmental needs. A child-led approach sits alongside it, with planning adapted to the individual child. Music and movement, phonics and stories, sensory exploration and role play provide concrete examples of how that learning takes shape.

In August 2022, younger children explored water, sand and play dough, while older children talked about their activities and trips. Books also featured strongly: younger children made animal sounds while looking at pictures, and older children discussed favourite stories. These experiences gave language a practical place in play.

Creative choice was less consistent in August 2022. Adults sometimes directed art activities too closely, limiting children's opportunities to decide how materials should be used. That matters because a child-led approach needs room for children's own ideas as well as adult planning.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden contains sandboxes, a mud kitchen and an organic fruit and vegetable growing area. Children spend time outside every day, with resources for imaginative and active play. Digging, climbing and growing give the outdoor offer substance beyond simply having a garden.

Regular outings include Greenwich Ecology Park, Greenwich Deer Park, Mudchute Farm and The Queen’s Orchard fruit and vegetable garden, as well as nearby woodland. The variety gives families a sense of the places children explore, although the frequency remains regular rather than a fixed weekly timetable. Connections with a local care home also create opportunities for children to spend time with another generation.

Daily app updates let parents follow their child's experiences and learning. Regular parent meetings provide another opportunity for discussion, and family activities and events allow parents to take part in nursery life. This gives communication several forms: everyday updates, conversations about development and shared experiences.

In August 2022, babies had close relationships with their key person, and staff helped them practise moving and climbing. Children separated comfortably from parents and received encouragement for helpful behaviour, including tidying toys. Turn-taking was supported through play, such as waiting to pour sand into a container.

The SEND arrangements in August 2022 included a designated special educational needs coordinator who worked with external agencies and used strategies to support individual children. The important mechanism was that link between support within the nursery and additional help from outside professionals.

An on-site chef prepares fresh meals, with breakfast, cooked lunch and tea, snacks, and vegetarian and vegan options included in the catering package. Food therefore forms part of the nursery day, with its charge structure explained below.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Full-day care is sold with a minimum booking of two full days per week, so the attendance commitment matters as much as the opening window. Families arranging a smaller weekly commitment should weigh that rule before choosing.

The nursery opens for 51 weeks of the year, closing for bank holidays and a week over Christmas. On Christmas Eve it closes at 4.30pm. That shorter day is a practical consideration for families coordinating work and collection.

Getting There

The purpose-built nursery is at 100 Old Woolwich Road, London SE10 9PN, with a large outdoor space. Maze Hill station is a short walk away, providing a named transport reference for families planning their route.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside privately paid hours. The universal entitlement provides 15 hours per week during term time (38 weeks) for children aged 3 to 4, while eligible children aged 2 to 3 whose parents receive additional government support can access 15 hours per week during term time (38 weeks); delivery is stretched across the year and funded hours are capped at 10 per day. Eligible working families can access 30 hours per week during term time (38 weeks) for children aged 9 months to 4 years, stretched across the year, starting in the term after the child turns 9 months, with a valid code required before that term and the same daily cap.

Total childcare costs combine core care with Everyday Essentials, a package covering catering, care products and community enrichment. Meals and non-food consumables are separate cost components for private and funded attendance; care products include wipes, suncream, hand sanitiser and nappy disposal. Fully funded sessions can be taken without additional charges, and families unwilling or unable to pay for Everyday Essentials can discuss that arrangement with the manager.

A non-refundable administration charge covers enrolment processing, settling sessions and a settling pack; for families accessing only funded hours, it is returned on the first month's invoice. Booking priority goes to full-time working families. For current prices, ask the nursery for a quotation.

• Baby-room learning. In August 2022, group sizes and staff deployment sometimes prevented staff from extending learning, especially with babies, and continuous music interfered with hearing speech clearly. During a visit, ask how staff now organise the room and manage background sound.
• Creative freedom. Adult direction restricted some art activities in August 2022. Ask to see how children choose materials and develop their own ideas within the current child-led approach.
• Attendance commitment. The minimum booking is two full days each week, with priority for full-time working families. This deserves careful consideration if your preferred routine involves shorter visits.
• Funded extras. Everyday Essentials adds catering, care products and enrichment to core care, while fully funded sessions can carry no additional charges. Establish which arrangement your proposed booking uses before accepting its terms.

Little Cubs Greenwich suits families comfortable with a two-full-day weekly minimum who value daily outdoor play, named community destinations and regular communication through an app and parent meetings. The garden and outings give its offer a recognisable character. The August 2022 concerns about baby-room organisation, background sound and creative freedom remain useful subjects for a visit, alongside the practical choice between core funded care and the Everyday Essentials package.