Little Owls Pre-School and Nursery

Woodland, changing seasons and children's own discoveries give Little Owls Pre-School and Nursery its character. In Witchampton, near Wimborne, its Outside Learning programme uses practical outdoor activities across the seasons, with green space, woods and a river in the surrounding countryside. This is a setting for children who enjoy investigating the world around them, rather than keeping nature at the edge of the day.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 24 November 2022 inspection. That judgement is dated, and the detail matters: children were absorbed in stories, imaginative play and practical tasks, while transitions between activities and staff confidence in extending group learning needed attention.

Little Owls caters for children aged two to five and has 16 places in total. It operates during term time, with morning, afternoon and full-day bookings, plus a lunchtime extension for morning sessions. The shorter patterns give families a choice beyond a whole day, while the term-time calendar is a significant practical consideration.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: here, play, conversation, stories and practical exploration provide ways to learn. Outside Learning adds a concrete outdoor programme, using the natural environment for hands-on activities. Its timetable rotates over two weeks, helping children attending on different mornings take part.

In November 2022, children combined train-track building with books and real objects in their role-play area. Adults talked with them about their activities and invited conversation, giving children opportunities to explain their ideas rather than simply complete a task. In the mud kitchen, sand became imaginary food. That combination of materials, language and pretend play gave children several ways into an activity.

Books had a recognisable place in the day. In November 2022, our favourite five meant a selection of stories revisited with the children, allowing them to become familiar enough to join in. Soft logs and a pretend fireplace provided a place to sit with a book, and children also selected reading material for themselves. Repetition and independent choice sat alongside each other.

The Marvellous me box, described in September 2022, travelled home for children to fill with objects connected to their lives. Books, family pictures, games and favourite foods became starting points for talking about themselves. The objects connected nursery conversations with home.

Later activities show how broad themes became specific learning experiences. In September 2023, Super Duper You used mirrors, constructed faces and family-tree pictures to explore identity and feelings. An October 2023 apple theme brought together baking, ordering by size, sharing equal quantities and mark-making. These were different uses of familiar objects, giving children practical reasons to compare, count and create.

Moo Music is an optional, separately charged activity; a March 2022 session involved singing, dancing and bubbles. Little Indie Art Club also brought an arts-and-crafts session that month.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outside Learning runs on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the first week of its rotation, then Monday and Friday mornings in the second. Children explore throughout the seasons and in different weather, so the outdoor programme has consequences for clothing as well as learning: waterproof layers, suitable boots, warm clothing and a named water bottle are part of the preparation.

Nature work has gone well beyond collecting leaves. In May 2024, children used rain catchers to compare rainfall beneath trees with rainfall in the open. Another activity that month involved washing rocks with paintbrushes to inspect them more closely.

Garden activities have connected sensory exploration with growing plants. In May 2023, children smelled herbs in a blindfold guessing game and measured sprouting beans, connecting sensory exploration with observation of growing plants. In June 2024, watering and weeding herb beds and seedlings gave them practical responsibilities for looking after their surroundings.

Community activity has had a local destination. In June 2024, children made a scarecrow for the Witchampton open gardens scarecrow trail, following instructions, taking turns and stuffing it with hay. That same month, families joined sports day.

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, with close key-person relationships and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities that involved outside agencies and helped them make good progress. These are inspection-time findings, rather than a current assurance about every child's experience.

In November 2022, staff and parents agreed ways of working that helped children settle. The key-person arrangement gave care a familiar relationship, while staff understood individual needs. Children also took on useful jobs, including preparing fruit for snack time and helping set up later activities. Small responsibilities made them participants in the day, with opportunities to contribute rather than only receive adult help.

The current Outside Learning arrangements include first-aid-trained staff, risk assessments and individual support during outdoor sessions for children who require it. Activities are planned so children with different abilities can participate. For families considering outdoor provision, that mechanism matters as much as the appeal of woods and open space.

School preparation has appeared through play. In June 2024, school role-play was used to help children preparing to leave become familiar with their next stage, alongside work on language, literacy and number. This was preparation for a change in daily life, giving children an opportunity to explore it through a familiar form of play.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Newtown, Witchampton, Wimborne, BH21 5AU. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email to office@little-owls.org or by telephone on 01258 840042.

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon; afternoon sessions run from noon to 3pm. A morning booking can be extended through lunchtime until 1pm, and full-day bookings are also offered. The extension is useful for a family wanting a longer morning while retaining a shorter day.

The daily routine combines child-led play with adult-led activities, circle time and stories. Snack comes during the morning, followed by outdoor play; lunchtime is followed by reading and further play. Outdoor Learning mornings use a different sequence, with snack before the main outdoor activity. The routine is flexible, rather than a promise that each day follows an identical timetable.

Funding and Paid Extras

Little Owls accepts 15-30 Hours funding and offers 2 Year Funding, subject to the relevant criteria. Attendance is term-time only. Paid sessions and the lunchtime extension sit alongside funded childcare, so families can distinguish the funded entitlement from additional booked time.

Snacks are an optional, separately charged extra, as is Moo Music. The hours and fees page sets out the session choices and extras. The optional status matters when comparing an attendance plan, because a session and an added activity are separate decisions.

• Term-time planning. Little Owls opens on weekdays during term time, with its day ending at 3pm. Morning and afternoon sessions provide shorter options, but families needing care through school holidays or later afternoons will need to account for that schedule.
• Outdoor preparation. Outside Learning rotates between different weekday mornings and takes place in changing weather. Match the rotation to the days you are considering, and be ready for boots, waterproofs and clothing that can get muddy.
• Transitions and group learning. In November 2022, some changes between activities lasted too long, and some staff needed greater confidence in extending group activities. At a visit, ask how routines now keep children involved and how practitioners adapt an activity when interest drops.
• Food and everyday supplies. Snacks are an optional extra with a separate charge. Before choosing a booking pattern, ask how lunch and non-food supplies are arranged for your child's sessions, including any funded hours.

Little Owls suits families seeking term-time morning sessions, afternoon sessions or full-day attendance, with an outdoor programme that changes with the seasons. The lunchtime extension adds another useful option. Its strongest character comes from practical exploration: woods, growing plants, familiar objects and children's own stories provide material for learning.

The Good judgement from November 2022 sits alongside clear areas for improvement in routines and group activities. Those questions deserve attention when choosing a place. For children who enjoy nature, imaginative play and hands-on discovery, the programme offers a concrete match, provided the term-time calendar and afternoon finish fit family life.