Hounds Owls Preschool

Inspection of Hounds Owls Preschool Hound Parish Hall, Woolston Road, Netley Abbey, Southampton SO31 5FR

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is outstanding

The manager and staff have very high expectations for all children to be challenged in their learning and development and to make the best possible progress. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive exceptional support that ensures they are fully included in all activities and experiences. Children are extremely active, enthusiastic learners. They develop excellent social skills and form close friendships. Staff successfully support children's confidence to talk and share their ideas with other children and staff during their play.

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The provision is outstanding

Children have excellent opportunities to learn about the world. For example, in response to children's interest in looking at the sky, staff initiated activities for them to make and use cloud-watching visors. Children learned about the shapes and names of the clouds and the meaning of new words, which successfully extended their vocabulary.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff focus very strongly on planning activities in the community to support children's excellent understanding of their local environment. They take children on regular outings to woodland areas, a library, a café and the post office, often using public transport. Last year, at the request of the local council, staff took children to plant bulbs and a tree in the local cemetery.

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The provision is outstanding

Children thoroughly enjoy taking part in music-and-movement activities. They listen attentively, and eagerly play musical instruments in time to music. They talk with their friends, share hand puppets and follow instructions that enable them to join in songs and action rhymes.

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need to do better?

n Managers and staff continually strive to improve outcomes for children. They implement numerous initiatives that are worthy of sharing with other early years settings. For instance, the support they provide to families of children with SEND goes above what is expected. n Managers work as part of the staff team. They actively coach and support staff to continually improve their practice. Recently, all staff completed training on 'attachment', which has enabled them to help less-confident children form positive relationships with others. Other training has successfully helped staff to develop their communication with fathers, so they feel more involved and share information about their children. n Managers focus strongly on supporting staff to work effectively in partnership with parents to involve them in the pre-school. Recently, staff asked children and their families to look for flowering spring bulbs during walks in the local

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need to do better?

area. Parents posted photographs of what they discovered, which staff discussed

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need to do better?

29 March 2023 with children to support continuity of learning. n Staff interaction and communication with children is exemplary. They consistently welcome and respond to children's emerging ideas during activities. For instance, children play imaginatively and involve staff in 'going camping'. Staff join in their play with enthusiasm and engage in conversations that successfully extend children's language development. Additionally, staff provide language sessions with small groups of children, which they use exceptionally well to reduce gaps in this area of their development. Children develop excellent listening skills and the confidence to talk in front of others before leaving to go to school. n Staff provide a range of rich experiences that help children develop the skills they need for the future. They make a wealth of books easily accessible to support their pre-reading skills. Staff identify a 'book of the week', and provide

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need to do better?

parents with a link to the book online, so they can read it to their children at home and support this learning further. These include books about internet safety, thanksgiving, the jubilee and classic fairy tales. n Staff are exceptional role models who inspire children to behave extremely well. They read books to children about having 'kind hands' and not hurting their friends, and lend the book to parents to help them support children's behaviour at home. Sometimes, staff take a small group of children onto the adjacent field to run around and 'let off steam', which helps them to refocus their attention and cooperate. n Staff support children's independence extremely well. They encourage children to help prepare fresh fruit and use tongs to serve themselves at snack time. Staff also encourage children to recognise and find their name on a picture card, which children use to register they have arrived at the pre-school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers give top priority to keeping children safe. All staff complete safeguarding training, which they regularly update. Managers consistently check staff understanding of child protection and that they know what to do if they are concerned about a child's welfare and safety. Managers take part in safeguarding webinars and always share any new information with staff to further develop their excellent awareness of different types of abuse. Managers have extremely robust policies and procedures in place to ensure that staff remain suitable to work with children. They make sure that staff fully understand and follow these procedures, which enables them to take appropriate action to safeguard children's welfare.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2618563 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10283016 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 57 Name of registered person Hound Owls Preschool Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07709052158 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Hounds Owls Preschool registered in 2021. It is located in Netley Abbey, Hampshire. The pre-school employs eight staff, including the manager. Of these, six hold relevant childcare qualifications from level 3 to level 6. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 4pm, during term time only. It receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the curriculum. n The manager and the inspector completed a joint observation of a group activity. n The inspector talked with children, staff and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector observed activities indoors and outdoors during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

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.

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Inspection activities

29 March 2023 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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