Outdoor Owls Guildford

Outdoor Owls Guildford
Unique reference number (URN): 2767633
Address: Guildford Road, Shamley Green, GU5 0SQ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 16/01/2024
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: Outdoor Owls Ltd
Inspection report: 13 April 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 rapid progress through all areas of the curriculum. In particular, children
excel in their communication and language. They learn new vocabulary quickly and
consistently throughout the day. For example, they learn the names of birds round the lake,
such as mallard, stork and pheasant. Children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities or any other barriers to learning make swift progress. For example, children with
speech delay close their gaps in learning swiftly and effectively.
All children are incredibly well prepared for their next steps in learning and starting school.
They learn a wealth of personal, social and emotional skills on a daily basis. For example,
they learn self-regulation within the calming environment of nature. They learn self-belief
through challenging play such as tree climbing or navigating uneven ground. These skills
build their self-confidence and independence and give them a positive attitude to learning
and achieving.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard
The setting has an extremely positive culture. This filters through to create a positive
environment where children flourish. The uniqueness of the setting being fully outdoors
means that extra safety precautions and risk assessments are in place. All staff work hard to
teach children their expectations of them. All children understand and follow the rules in the
setting. During circle time, they energetically recall how to stay safe and the consequences
of not following the rules. All children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff and children's
relationships are secure and there is mutual trust between them. This allows children to fully
explore their environment safely. Staff expectations always reflect the age and stage of
development of the children they support. Leaders have high aspirations for all children. For
example, they actively promote consistent attendance and punctuality while remaining
flexible to families' needs.
Staff understand how to support children to get along with each other. The culture within the
setting supports children to play together collaboratively. There is a huge number of
opportunities on offer for children to work together to achieve outcomes. For example,
children problem-solve together to fill and decant a wheelbarrow with water. They persevere
together up and down an incline to water plants with the water they have collected.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
All staff know the children incredibly well. They are attuned to children's individual needs,
allowing them to respond to children's needs throughout the day. For example, some
children sleep only when they need it, and staff are quick to spot the signs of tired children.
The routine is created to be flexible and dynamic around children's needs.
Children and babies form secure attachments with staff. Staff attentively meet children's
emotional needs through a range of support. For example, they tailor support to suit each

child through hugs, talking or playing when children seek reassurance. This approach
supports children to identify, express and manage their emotions well.
All staff support children to develop a comprehensive understanding of their safety, health
and wellbeing while attending this outdoor setting. They teach children to respect the
boundaries in place in this unique setting. For example, children can recall why they have a
'no picking, no licking' rule in place as children confirm that eating plants could cause
'tummy ache'. Staff teach children about their physical development. For example, staff work
with children through their sequence of learning and children understand what skills they
have learned and what they are yet to learn. They test their skills out through tree climbing,
hiking and physical play.
Curriculum and teaching Strong standard
The comprehensive curriculum meets all learning and development areas of the early years
statutory framework. Leaders deeply understand the quality of the curriculum and teaching
that all staff deliver. They dedicate time to review what they want children to learn and how
best to teach it. They understand the impact of decisions to enhance or adapt the curriculum
on outcomes for all children. As such, any changes are undertaken in a measured and
managed way.
Staff expertly teach children purposefully and meaningfully. Every moment is used as a
teachable one. They take every opportunity to promote children's language skills. For
example, staff sign with children and use a range of rich vocabulary, including mathematical
words, to build children's vocabulary and communication skills.
Staff place a high focus on children's physical, personal, social and emotional skills. The
uniqueness of the curriculum allows for these areas of development to be supported in
tandem. For example, children build gross motor skills using a bow saw with support from a
teacher. They learn perseverance, resilience and problem-solving when the wood is difficult
to cut.
All staff assess children's development highly effectively. This allows them to explicitly tailor
their teaching to each child's needs. Equally, all staff are skilled at adapting their teaching to
support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or any other barriers to
learning, ensuring that any barriers to learning are removed or minimised.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders work together to monitor children's progress in detail. They diligently review the
support in place for each individual child, ensuring that it is targeted and effective in closing
any gaps in learning quickly. They work in partnership with the local authority early years
team and other external professionals to seek support and strategies for each child. For
example, they use specialist speech and language resources and assessments to adapt
and tailor support for children. Staff swiftly identify and assess children's individual needs
through a plan, do and review process, ensuring that any barriers to learning are removed.
Staff work with families to understand their child's needs. Any support is agreed together
and families take an active part in support plans.

Leaders understand how to use any early years pupil premium funding to ensure the impact
for disadvantaged children is maximised. Leaders actively train and support all the staff
team to understand how to support all children. Staff are proficient at using the tools
available to them to support their teaching. This means that children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities or any other barriers to learning make excellent progress in all
areas of their development and learning.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders are dedicated to providing unique experiences for all children. They spend time
rigorously evaluating the setting and the experiences for children. They do this with
accuracy and put plans in place to ensure they are continuously driving the quality of care
and education forward. Every decision is reflected upon in detail to ensure it will impact all
children positively. Leaders quickly identify children who may have special educational
needs and/or disabilities and any other barriers to learning. They work collaboratively with all
the team and parents to minimise any barriers and improve the outcomes and experiences
for all children.
Leaders actively promote the wellbeing of all staff. All staff have access to a variety of
schemes that support their wellbeing. Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing over undue
workload. As a consequence, all the team are extremely happy in the setting. This positive
and happy culture can be felt through the setting and creates a harmonious environment.
Leaders have high aspirations and expectations for all the team. There is a multitude of
training and progression available for staff. For example, leaders partner with the University
of Copenhagen to enhance their knowledge of the forest school curriculum. Many of the
staff team are trained in-house to progress into leadership roles or to undertake further
qualifications.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met

What it's like to be a child at this setting
All children thrive in this unique forest school setting. They arrive full of energy and
excitement ready for a fun-packed day of play and learning within the forest. Children learn
an abundance of skills through a wide range of outdoor activities. For example, they learn
how fire is made and the science behind it as they sit with adults around the fire circle.
Children are extremely well behaved. They understand the rules of the setting and how to
keep safe. For example, they know they must listen and stay seated while the fire is alight.
Children build trusting relationships with adults and children, and this allows them to explore
and investigate the setting safely. They spend time building their physical skills through
adventure walks, using tools and building structures. Children are valued as individuals and
their uniqueness is celebrated. They are free to seek out what interests them and test out
ideas in collaboration with their peers.
Children flourish in the positive environment and culture of the setting. There is a sense of
belonging in the forest for all children and adults, and they enjoy playing, exploring and
learning together. Families are welcomed warmly with their children, and they are invited to
attend play sessions with their children at different times throughout the year. Children's
families and the staff team work in partnership to enhance the outcomes and experiences
for children.
All children experience the curriculum and teaching with joy and delight that ignites their
learning. Barriers to learning are minimised effectively to ensure they do not impact on
children's learning and development. Children make great progress from their starting
points, and they are very well prepared for their next steps in learning, including starting
school. For example, they develop a love of learning that will support them through their
ongoing education.
Next steps
Leaders should sustain the setting's successful work to keep high standards. They should
focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of
disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those
who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face
other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator
and parents during the inspection.

Inspector:
Nicole Odell
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2767633
Address:
Guildford Road
Shamley Green
GU5 0SQ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 16/01/2024
Registered person: Outdoor Owls Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:45
Local authority: Surrey
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 13 April 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
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.

Total number of places
55
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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