2 to School Pre-School

School familiarity starts early at 2 to School Pre-School: children meet Reception teachers, take part in school events and, in their final preschool term, have a weekly school dinner. The setting sits on the grounds of Longridge C of E Primary School in Longridge, Preston. That connection gives its preschool day a recognisable character, with opportunities to become comfortable with school surroundings before moving on.

There are 20 places in total, with an accepted age range of 2 to 5. At its 11 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good overall and across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. The practical offer is term-time care, with morning and afternoon sessions as well as a full-day option and additional early, lunchtime and late sessions.

A volunteer committee runs this charitable setting. Daily diaries and half-termly coffee mornings keep parents involved.

Rooms and Ages

The rooms are organised by use rather than presented as separate baby, toddler and preschool departments. Main room combines resources children can select themselves with displays of their work and a reading area equipped with a book stand and comfortable seating; this gives children scope to choose both active play and quieter time.

Smaller room 1 supports exercise, movement, music, literacy and maths through activities using a whiteboard, and also accommodates sleep with individual blankets and blinds and curtains that darken the room. Smaller room 2 is arranged for domestic role play, with wooden kitchen equipment, a table and chairs, sofas and soft furnishings, giving familiar household experiences a place in imaginative play.

Low furniture and storage put materials within children's reach. Pictures on resource boxes help children recognise what is inside, while rugs create comfortable places for play or rest. The building is on one level, with wheelchair access through an entrance and an accessible toilet also used for changing.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning across communication, physical and personal development, alongside literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and creative expression. Here, activities include shape and number work, phonics, making things, singing, stories and exercise. Children also have walks around Longridge, taking some of their experiences beyond the preschool grounds.

In October 2022, children explored a pumpkin by removing and counting its seeds, discussing planting and experimenting with its contents. That example brought vocabulary, number and prediction into the same piece of hands-on play. During that month, a visiting sports coach also led recurring sport and yoga activities, including balancing poses that required children to consider their own space and other people's movements.

Learning Journey files record observations and inform planning. Children can review them with their key person, helping them recall and discuss their learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor provision includes balancing equipment, water and sand play, and surfaces of bark and tarmac. Access to the school's grounds adds playgrounds, a field, woodland, a wooden story circle and planting space. Resources go outdoors daily and are adapted for the children attending, extending play beyond the indoor rooms.

In October 2022, children planted seeds and bulbs in a garden plot and watched them develop. Growing vegetables made changes in plants something children could follow directly. The current preschool routine also includes participation in the school's sports days, Church assemblies and productions, giving children shared experiences with the wider school community.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with two introductory sessions lasting an hour each. A comforter can accompany a child, and families complete an All about me booklet to help staff understand them. An initial key person works with the family, but that allocation can change if a child develops a closer relationship with another practitioner. The adult relationship can therefore follow the child's attachment.

Daily diaries cover snacks, lunch and a snapshot of activities, with links to learning. Families can speak with practitioners at collection and drop-off, and arrange a separate conversation for something confidential or more detailed. Regular parents' evenings provide another opportunity to examine the Learning Journey and discuss progress. Different kinds of conversation have their own space.

Families can identify celebrations important at home through the registration form, bringing family traditions into preschool life.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised additional needs promptly, pursued specialist involvement to support children and parents, and maintained effective safeguarding arrangements. Current support mechanisms include a SENCO role, individual education plans, picture exchange cards and cooperation with outside professionals. These describe the steps available to support a child, rather than assuming the same response will suit every need.

The Graduated Approach organises next steps when concerns arise, while a Request for Guidance enables a local authority inclusion teacher to visit with parental consent. Planning takes account of individual targets, and transition arrangements can include reports, extra visits and a booklet to help a child understand the move. Parents are involved in discussing concerns and the next response.

Breakfast is included with the early session, session fees include healthy snacks, and families supply a packed lunch. Fruit is welcomed as a contribution, and snack drinks are milk or water.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Longridge C of E Primary School, Berry Lane, Longridge, Preston PR3 3JA. Opening hours run from 8am to 5.30pm on weekdays during term time. The school holidays sit outside that attendance pattern, so the calendar matters as much as the daily opening window.

Morning Session runs from 8.55am to 11.55am; Afternoon Session runs from 12.25pm to 3.25pm. Lunchtime Session bridges them from 11.55am to 12.25pm. Early Session runs from 8am to 8.55am, and Late Session from 3.25pm to 5.30pm. A Full Day option is also offered. This gives families a choice between shorter attendance and a fuller day, with distinct sessions around the main morning and afternoon blocks.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 01772 780809 or by email to 2toschool@gmail.com. Sessions missed through illness remain payable. Holiday absences are exempt from payment when the preschool receives written notice six weeks beforehand, a condition that matters when planning time away during a booked term.

Getting There

Parents can use the school's church car park or parking on neighbouring streets. The building's intercom controls access through the main entrance.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for eligible two-year-olds, with the 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds and the 30-hour entitlement for eligible three- and four-year-olds. Delivery is during term time; paid sessions can sit alongside funded attendance. The fees page sets out the session structure, and current prices come in the preschool's written quotation.

Moving on to School

The preschool describes a close working relationship with Longridge C of E Primary School, including contact with Reception teachers and regular time in school. In the final preschool term, children are invited to a school dinner once a week. Familiar people and surroundings can make the next stage easier to understand, but attending the preschool does not guarantee a Reception place: families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• The term-time calendar. Care operates during school terms, with several session options across the day. Families needing holiday care must account for that boundary; a visit can help them judge how the morning, lunch and afternoon routines fit their child.
• Thinking time and independence. In October 2022, adults sometimes moved too quickly for children to answer questions or manage personal hygiene themselves. Those were the improvement priorities: giving children time to form an answer and practise everyday care tasks matters alongside the activities provided.
• Everyday supplies. Packed lunches come from home, and the accessible toilet doubles as a changing space. On a visit, what nappies, wipes and other personal supplies should your child bring?

2 to School suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting a full day during term time. Its strongest practical combination is familiar adult relationships, detailed communication with parents and repeated contact with the adjoining primary school.

The October 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality benchmark. The improvement priorities give that picture useful balance: attractive activities need adults who leave children time to think and act for themselves. For families comfortable with the term-time calendar and packed-lunch arrangement, the school connection and hands-on learning make this a clear, purposeful preschool option.