The Lemington Centre Pre-School

A sheep sculpture gives this preschool a memorable connection to Newcastle’s cultural life. In July 2023, children’s decorated Baa-Baara became part of the Shaun the Sheep on the Tyne art trail, with a temporary home at the City Library. It was a concrete example of children contributing to something beyond their usual play space.

The Lemington Centre Pre-School has capacity for 24 children at Tyne View, Newcastle upon Tyne. At its 17 July 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, highlighting children’s progress in communication and their social and emotional development. The children attending then were aged two to four. That dated assessment gives parents a useful picture of the preschool’s educational strengths, alongside specific improvements to examine.

Funded childcare and additional paid hours are offered, with funding delivered during term time. Morning and afternoon attendance were advertised in June 2022; the practical detail needs to be read alongside that date.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children’s learning, development and care. Here, that means looking at play as an opportunity to practise language, physical skills and relationships, rather than treating activities simply as ways to fill a session.

In July 2023, staff made conversation part of block play, introducing vocabulary and building on children’s attempts to speak. The useful detail is the connection between an object, an action and a word: children could try language while doing something that interested them. Staff also helped children manage shared play, including protecting another child’s construction from being knocked down.

Food preparation brought practical learning into the day in July 2023. Children cut spring onions with scissors, while younger children received physical guidance when trying knives. Weekly food workshops introduced unfamiliar ingredients, and children took their dishes and recipes home. These experiences linked using tools with exploring food, then gave families something tangible to continue at home.

Outdoor and Community Life

Large outdoor painting easels were used in July 2023 to develop the physical control needed for later writing. However, some writing materials were introduced before children were ready for them, and attention faded. The distinction matters: offering a writing activity is less useful than matching its scale and difficulty to the child.

Outdoor engagement also needed work in July 2023, with some children losing interest in their learning. Farm visits formed part of the experiences at that time, but the outdoor area’s everyday use deserves as much attention as farm visits.

Baa-Baara’s July 2023 appearance at the City Library adds a different kind of community connection. Children helped decorate a sculpture that became part of a public art trail. This was a past project, with a recognisable destination and an audience beyond the preschool.

Relationships were a practical part of care in July 2023. Younger children played alongside their key person, using block building as a shared activity. A sensory area had also been introduced to help children manage their emotions, and staff training addressed the triggers behind emotional outbursts. These details show how adult attention and the physical environment were used together.

At the July 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including work with speech and language therapists, outreach workers and the local health visiting team. Integrated reviews helped bring professionals together around a child’s needs. For parents, the useful mechanism is that support involved people beyond the preschool staff.

Communication with families had a clear limitation in July 2023. Staff exchanged information about children’s activities, but more detailed and accurate discussion of learning and development was needed. Parents choosing this setting should distinguish hearing what a child has done from understanding what they are learning next.

School transition involved close work with primary teachers in July 2023, including community stay-and-play activities and liaison as children moved on. This describes preparation and communication around the change of setting.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Lemington Clinic, Lemington Resource Centre, Tyne View, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 8RZ. Enquiries can be made through the Healthworks contact form, selecting Pre-School, or by telephoning The Lemington Centre on 0191 264 1959.

In June 2022, the preschool advertised 15 hours each week through morning or afternoon attendance for children aged two to four, starting in the term following their second birthday. In July 2023, opening hours were 8.45am to 11.45am and 12.30pm to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Those hours describe the offer at that point, rather than establishing today’s booking arrangements.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding includes the 3 year old Universal Entitlement, the 2 year old offer funding and Working Families Funding, subject to the relevant eligibility conditions. The first two are delivered as 15 hours per week during term time; Working Families Funding is delivered as 30 hours per week during term time. Additional unfunded hours can be purchased, including top-ups to funded attendance.

Families supply a packed lunch when children remain over lunchtime, while snacks are offered mid-morning and mid-afternoon with a voluntary contribution. Parents also bring nappies, suncream and wipes; these arrangements apply to funded attendance as well as paid hours. Current prices come in the preschool’s written quotation.

• Outdoor learning and early writing. In July 2023, some outdoor activities lost children’s attention and some writing resources were too demanding for their developmental stage. On a visit, ask to see how these activities now accommodate children with different levels of physical control and concentration.
• Information about progress. July 2023 findings called for more detailed exchanges about learning. Ask how staff share a child’s next steps and incorporate observations from home.
• Term-time planning. Funded hours are delivered during term time, with morning and afternoon attendance advertised in June 2022. Before joining, establish how the current booking pattern fits your weekly routine and school holidays.

The strongest reasons to consider Lemington are the July 2023 picture of language development, professional support around children’s needs, and practical learning through food preparation. Baa-Baara adds a memorable example of children’s involvement in a wider Newcastle project.

It suits families seeking term-time preschool education with funded hours and paid additions. Its June 2022 offer included both morning and afternoon attendance. The decision should also give weight to outdoor engagement, developmentally appropriate writing activities and the detail parents receive about progress: all were specific areas for improvement in July 2023.