Longford Pre-School Newport

Language, friendships and the everyday business of growing independent give Longford its character. This committee-run, non-profit pre-school in central Newport combines child-led play with activities organised by adults. Its home is Old Court, 129 High Street, and it accepts children from age two until school age, with capacity for 36 children in total.

At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found that children, including those with SEND, made good progress, with effective safeguarding arrangements. The practical examples are more revealing than the grade: children explored words in small groups, served themselves drinks and used imaginative play to recreate familiar experiences. There were also clear next steps: greater challenge in teaching and more opportunities to read and write throughout play.

Attendance can fit different family routines, with mornings, afternoons, a morning extending through lunch, full days and hourly bookings during term time.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care. Here, that means a balance between children's own choices and adult-led activities across its seven areas of learning and development. It gives play an educational purpose while leaving space for children to follow their interests.

In December 2023, communication sessions involved small groups practising speech sounds, contributing ideas and waiting for their turn. These are useful foundations for joining conversations as well as learning to recognise sounds in words. Activities were planned using observations of each child's development, rather than giving every child an identical task.

Everyday routines also became learning opportunities that December. Pouring a drink introduced ideas about weight and quantity, while a piece of cheese prompted discussion of shape. Such moments connect new vocabulary to something a child can handle and understand. Independence and language develop together.

Books and writing had an evident place in the day. In December 2023, children chose books for adults to share and experimented with letters while making Christmas cards. However, opportunities to practise literacy needed to extend further through children's other play interests. Enjoying a story and having reasons to use writing across the room are different things; Longford's next step was to connect them more consistently.

Outdoor and Community Life

Physical activity took place both inside and outside in December 2023, with resources helping older children develop strength and judge risk. The home corner provided another kind of practice: children acted out familiar situations, shared roles and pretended to serve meals. These concrete experiences gave them reasons to negotiate and cooperate.

Longford belongs to the Pre-School Learning Alliance and the Telford & Wrekin Early Years Team. Alongside that local connection, its committee structure gives the setting a community rather than commercial character. Parents and former parents take part in its management, with opportunities for families to contribute ideas and take part in fundraising.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has an allocated key person who follows their development and maintains contact with parents. A meeting takes place each term to discuss progress. For families, that creates a regular opportunity to talk about changes in language, confidence or play, rather than relying entirely on brief conversations around a session.

Settling arrangements are shaped around the individual child, drawing on parents' knowledge as well as staff input. The emphasis is on agreeing an approach together. That matters when a child needs time to build familiarity with an adult or adjust to being away from home.

In December 2023, staff helped children find ways to respond to anger and disagreements, using a consistent approach to sharing and turn-taking. Guidance for parents also included ways to support language development at home. Emotional skills were treated as things children learn and practise, alongside speech and early literacy.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that individual learning plans and targeted support helped children with SEND progress, and that assessments led to timely referrals for additional help. Information was also exchanged with other settings attended by the children, helping adults work towards connected learning goals.

The staffing offer includes two practitioners with Early Years Degrees, and staff undertake regular paediatric first aid and safeguarding training.

In December 2023, children explored healthy food choices, drinking enough, caring for their teeth and reducing the spread of germs. Nutritious snacks were provided at that time. For a session extending through lunch, children can bring a packed lunch from home.

Sessions and Attendance

Longford operates Monday to Friday during term time, across 38 weeks of the year. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, afternoons from noon to 3pm, and the All Day option runs from 9am to 3pm. Morning with lunch extends the morning booking to 1pm.

Hourly bookings provide another attendance option within the day. This combination gives families a choice between a shorter session, a lunch extension and a complete pre-school day. It also makes the 3pm finish an important practical boundary for parents arranging work or care afterwards.

The address is Old Court, 129 High Street, Newport, TF10 7BH, in the town centre. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01952 810280, by email at Longfordplaygroup@hotmail.co.uk or through the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered from the term following a child's third birthday, alongside 30 hours funded places for eligible children aged three and above. Two-year-old funding is offered through Telford & Wrekin's Talking 2's scheme, which supports eligible younger children. Attendance is term-time, so the funding offer sits within that calendar.

Private paid sessions are also offered. Children can bring a packed lunch from home; extending a morning session until 1pm carries an additional attendance charge. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the session and funding information sets out the attendance choices and funding routes.

• Challenge and literacy. In December 2023, teaching needed to stretch children further and reading and writing needed more space across their play. During a parent-and-child visit, ask to see how these two priorities now shape activities, especially for an older preschool child.
• Term-time calendar and finish. The 38-week year and 3pm end to the All Day session suit school-day routines. Families needing holiday care or a later finish will need an arrangement that covers those periods.
• Lunch and the complete bill. Children can bring a packed lunch from home; extending a morning session until 1pm carries an additional attendance charge. When comparing funded and private attendance, ask what the complete quotation includes for snacks and non-food consumables.

Longford suits families looking for a community-run pre-school with morning or afternoon sessions, a lunch extension or a full pre-school day. The key-person arrangement and termly discussions give parents a clear route into their child's learning, while the December 2023 findings provide concrete examples of language work and individual support.

The balance is straightforward: useful attendance choices and purposeful everyday activities, with greater learning challenge and literacy throughout play remaining the important questions to explore. Its term-time calendar and afternoon finish are central to the decision.