Squirrels Corner Pre School 2

Giant land snails, garden discoveries and a quieter room called The Nest give this Townhill community pre-school a recognisable character. In April 2023, children cared for the snails and compared them with those outdoors, turning an everyday encounter with nature into a lesson about differences and responsibility.

At its 27 April 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Squirrels Corner Pre School 2 Good and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. The pre-school has 34 places in total and provides care and education for children aged two to five at Townhill Park Community Centre in Southampton. Its current approach combines play, seasonal themes and close communication with families. Morning, afternoon and all-day attendance run during term time.

Rooms and Ages

The Nest gives two-year-olds a quieter setting for developing individual skills before moving into the larger room downstairs. The downstairs room serves children aged three to four, with activities intended to prepare them for school. That separation gives the youngest children their own space rather than placing every age in the same room.

Soft furnishings, dens, wooden toys and quieter spaces form part of the wider indoor arrangement. These are concrete features of the Hygge approach, which uses warmth and comfort in the surroundings alongside weekly themes linked to seasons, weather and events. The approach shapes both the rooms and activity planning.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning through play, including communication, physical development, relationships, early literacy and mathematics. Hygge sits alongside that framework as the setting's chosen approach. Its weekly themes give activities a seasonal connection rather than replacing the areas of learning children need to cover.

Building with bricks illustrates how the day brings those areas together: children can discuss where pieces belong, compare their sizes and cooperate in moving them. One activity can therefore involve language, movement, mathematical ideas and working with other children. The curriculum page explains this combination of child-led and adult-led play.

In April 2023, imaginative play included a pretend salon, while a train created in the garden prompted children to hand out tickets and use numbers. Stories also connected with earlier learning, including remembering the stages of a caterpillar's life. These examples show how conversation and counting fitted into play rather than being confined to separate tasks.

There were two clear weaknesses in April 2023: tidying and scheduled adult-led activities sometimes broke children's concentration, and quieter children were not consistently helped to contribute their ideas. Those points matter alongside the engaging activities. An interesting theme needs enough uninterrupted time, and a lively discussion needs room for less confident voices.

Outdoor and Community Life

All children can use the outdoor learning space, including in wet or cold weather, so suitable footwear and clothing are part of preparing for the day. In April 2023, outdoor equipment included large cable reels and a raised balancing beam, giving children opportunities to practise jumping and balance.

Community involvement extends beyond children's activities. Parent volunteers and local people run the management committee, and parents can help organise fundraising and influence how the setting operates. This offers families a practical role in the pre-school's life, with responsibilities as well as a voice.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person, with a covering key person for absences. The relationship includes help with settling and attention to the child's interests and needs. Having cover makes the arrangement less dependent on a single member of staff being present.

A Baseline Assessment in the first weeks establishes what a child already knows and can do through observation. Staff then record learning on Tapestry, an online Learning Journey containing photographs, observations and comments. Parents have password-protected access and can add experiences from home or respond to staff observations. That creates a shared account of learning rather than communication flowing only from the pre-school to families.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND received strong support, including individual help for complex needs, cooperation between the coordinator, parents and other professionals, and effective use of additional funding. Current staff roles include a lead SENCO and an ECAT lead for speech and language support. These are specific support mechanisms rather than a general promise that every need will be met in the same way.

In April 2023, staff used signs and visual prompts to explain the sequence of the day. Children also practised independence through handwashing, serving food and clearing their plates. These small routines gave them opportunities to manage practical tasks for themselves.

Families provide nappies and wipes, replenishing them daily, and send labelled spare clothing for messy or wet play. Donations of fruit and vegetables for snacks are welcomed, alongside voluntary donations of supplies such as tissues and cleaning materials.

Sessions and Attendance

Attendance is term-time only, across 38 weeks of the year. Monday to Friday, morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoon sessions from noon to 3pm, and the all-day option from 9am to 3pm. These are different booking patterns, so the pre-school can suit families seeking either a shorter session or a day covering both periods.

Breakfast club runs from 8.30am to 9am. After school club starts at 3pm, with finishing times given as 3.30pm or 4pm. Requests to change a child's hours must be made in writing and can be accommodated where possible.

Getting There

The address is Townhill Park Community Centre, Meggeson Avenue, Southampton, SO18 2FH. Enquiries can be made by email to squirrels.corner@outlook.com.

Parking is on the street or across the road by the park. Families are asked to respect neighbours' designated spaces rather than use them for pre-school parking.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including 30-hour funding for working parents of two-, three- and four-year-olds. The setting also describes 15-hour funding for eligible two-year-olds, depending on home circumstances, beginning in the term after their second birthday. Attendance follows the term-time calendar.

Nappies and wipes come from home. Fruit and vegetable donations for snacks are welcomed as donations, rather than presented as an attendance charge.

• Uninterrupted play and quieter voices. In April 2023, routines sometimes interrupted absorbed play and less confident children did not always contribute fully. During a visit, ask how activity changes are managed and how staff draw quieter children into conversation.
• Term-time coverage. The 38-week calendar and choice of morning, afternoon or all-day attendance suit different weekly routines. Families needing care through the holidays should weigh the term-time pattern carefully.
• After school club finish. The stated end is 3.30pm or 4pm. Confirm which finish applies to the attendance pattern you are considering. Changes to hours require a written request.
• Food and funded-place costs. Families already supply nappies and wipes, and snack donations are welcomed. Ask for a written quotation explaining meal arrangements and any charges alongside funded hours.

Squirrels Corner Pre School 2 suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as those wanting a 9am-to-3pm day during term time. The Nest, seasonal Hygge planning and parent contributions to Tapestry give the offer substance: younger children have a quieter room, activities connect with the year around them, and families can contribute to the learning record.

The April 2023 judgement provides a positive inspection position, tempered by specific concerns about interrupted play and participation by quieter children. For parents who value a community pre-school and can work with its term-time calendar, the quieter room and seasonal planning are attractions, balanced against the dated concerns about routines and participation.