Orton Longueville Playgroup

Woodwork, woodland walks and Wednesday activities with residents at Longueville Court give Orton Longueville Playgroup a recognisable character. Children have practical things to make, outdoor places to explore and people beyond their own age group to meet. The garden has gated access to neighbouring woods, making that outdoor connection a physical part of the setting.

At its 11 May 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the playgroup Outstanding overall and across all assessed areas. That judgement belongs to that date. The current offer combines play shaped around children's interests with cooking, visiting animals and sports games, rather than relying on a named approach alone to explain the day.

Based at Woodside Lodge in Orton Longueville, Peterborough, the playgroup has capacity for 48 children aged two to five. Parents have a formal role in its running through an elected committee. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions operate during term time, with additional early and late attendance options.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, play and practical activities give children opportunities to talk, experiment and develop independence. Alongside that framework, the In the moment approach starts with what interests an individual child, then extends their play according to their learning needs. The practical implication is that an interest can become the starting point for a conversation or activity, rather than simply an interruption to a fixed plan.

Woodwork takes place on either Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Fridays, with the days changing each term. Its emphasis includes coordination, vocabulary and responsibility. Kitchen Activities run on the alternating days, and recipes change each half term: scones, pizza and savoury muffins are examples. Cooking brings maths and listening into something tangible, with a finished treat to take home.

Key Sports visits every Monday for sports games with small groups.

In May 2022, children mixed cornflour with water and experimented with materials including glue, mud and sand. They also helped decide the role-play theme through a children's committee. These examples show the substance behind child-led learning at that time: children made choices, tested materials and had a route for influencing their surroundings.

Outdoor and Community Life

Every Wednesday, key groups take turns visiting Longueville Court through the woods. Activities with residents include games, singing and arts and crafts. The rotating arrangement matters: Wednesday is the recurring visit day, rather than a promise that every child makes the trip each week. It gives the playgroup a continuing relationship beyond its own building.

Woodland Walks also take children into the bordering woods in groups of different sizes. Ark Farm brings larger farm animals during the summer term and smaller animals during the autumn term; spring experiences include watching ducklings hatch or butterflies emerge. These are concrete ways to encounter living things, with woodland exploration and animal visits offering different kinds of experience.

In May 2022, the garden supported growing fruit and vegetables, and children investigated how rain affected grass and paper. They put on outdoor clothing themselves and took responsibility as the day's special helper, including choosing a floor activity. Outdoor play was connected to both discovery and everyday independence.

Relationships and Communication

Each child belongs to a key group: Deer, Hedgehogs, Owls, Foxes, Squirrels or Badgers. A member of staff leads each group and serves as the family's first contact. Each group's leader supports both the child and their family. For parents, the useful feature is having a clear person to approach about their child.

Famly, the communication app, shares daily photographs and provides prompts for conversations about what children have done. That gives families something specific to discuss at home and supports children in recalling their experiences. The Peterborough START programme is also used to encourage independence ahead of the move to school; its role here is preparation for that transition.

Parents can participate beyond daily communication. The elected committee puts major decisions in the hands of families using the playgroup, with elections at the annual October AGM. Fundraising includes Christmas and Summer Fetes, and the proceeds support equipment, toys and subsidies for parties and trips. Joining the committee offers a practical way to influence the setting, as well as a responsibility for helping it run.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including individual learning targets and collaboration with families and other professionals. Current staff roles include a SENDCo, an assistant SENDCo, a designated safeguarding lead and first aid responsibilities. These roles identify routes for support; the dated inspection provides the judgement on how practice worked.

In May 2022, quieter children received language support through small communication groups, while songs and stories formed part of daily life. A den gave children who preferred an enclosed, quieter space somewhere to play. Those details matter because participation did not depend solely on being confident in a busy group: quieter conversation and a different kind of physical space were part of the provision then.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Woodside Lodge, Oundle Road, Orton Longueville, Peterborough PE2 7EA. Attendance runs Monday to Friday during term time, with closure during school holidays. Families can use the enquiries form for general contact or the separate waiting-list route to register their interest.

The AM session runs from 9.10am to 11.40am, and the PM session from 12.10pm to 2.40pm. Full-day attendance is another booking option. Lunch Club occupies the interval from 11.40am to 12.10pm, so families can distinguish the morning and afternoon sessions from the lunchtime addition when arranging attendance.

Early Drop off offers an 8.10am or 8.40am start; Late Pick up offers collection at 3.10pm or 3.40pm. These additions and Lunch Club must accompany a morning, afternoon or full-day booking and cannot be bought independently. Early and late additions can be arranged for a whole term or individually, subject to space.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is accepted, with funding usable against booked hours up to the eligible entitlement. The offer includes universal hours for children from the term after their third birthday, eligible working-family funding and early learning funding for qualifying two-year-olds receiving additional support. Funding runs over 38 weeks; additional hours beyond a child's entitlement are charged privately.

Working-family codes must be obtained before the relevant term starts and reconfirmed every three months. Families using that route therefore have an administrative deadline as well as an attendance decision. Current prices come in the playgroup's written quotation, and the fees and funding page explains the charge structure.

Fruit contributions for snacks are voluntary: families can bring fruit to share or opt into an invoiced donation. Invoices are issued at the start of each month and can be settled weekly or in full; fees remain payable during absence and holidays. Withdrawal requires four weeks' notice, which matters when planning a change of setting or the move to school.

• Term-time attendance. School holidays are closure periods. Families needing care throughout the year should weigh that calendar alongside the morning, afternoon and full-day choices.
• Choosing weekdays. Key Sports takes place on Mondays, and groups rotate through Wednesday visits to Longueville Court. At a visit, discuss how a proposed attendance pattern connects with these activities and the changing woodwork timetable.
• Lunch Club arrangements. The lunchtime slot is an addition to a main session. What should your child bring for lunch, and how are dietary needs handled?
• Parent involvement. The committee carries responsibility for running the playgroup, with annual elections and fundraising events. Consider whether this opportunity to contribute fits the time your family can give.

Orton Longueville Playgroup suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those combining sessions into a full day with early or late additions. Its strongest character comes from practical learning and continuing connections: woodwork, cooking, neighbouring woodland and activities with Longueville Court residents.

The Outstanding judgement from May 2022 is substantial, dated evidence of quality. The current activity timetable and parent committee provide separate reasons to consider the setting today. Families whose schedules fit the term-time calendar, and who value a role in the playgroup's running, have a clear basis for considering it.