At Little Owls Pre-school & Reception, we know that children thrive in stimulating environments where they are free to play, explore, imagine and learn; this is how our Little Owls will learn to fly.
At Little Owls Preschool and Reception, we believe that children learn best through play, curiosity and meaningful experiences rooted in their own interests. Our approach promotes learning while nurturing a deep love of the natural world, finding joy in everyday moments and developing a lifelong love of learning.
Children at Little Owls grow together as a caring and respectful community. We encourage kindness, cooperation and responsibility, helping children to respect their environment and take pride in caring for it. Through shared experiences, exploration and play, children develop confidence, independence and strong social skills.
Our staff team is made up of qualified, passionate practitioners who are dedicated to meeting each child’s individual needs. Activities are planned and overseen by a qualified teacher to facilitate learning, with forest school and outdoor learning as regular features on their curriculum – we encourage messy play so can’t guarantee that your Little Owl will come home clean but we can guarantee they will be encouraged to develop in a way which is fun and immersive using the outdoors as much as possible. We provide a nurturing environment where children feel safe and valued, while also offering appropriate challenge to inspire curiosity, resilience and growth.
Attending Little Owls Preschool allows children to feel part of the wider school community from a young age. It supports the development of strong relationships with the Tawny Owls (our Reception cohort) that gently continue as they move through their primary years, creating a sense of belonging, continuity and confidence in their learning journey.
Joining
We know making a decision about a pre-school can be difficult; therefore, you are welcome to book a guided tour of the school to see us in action. If you already know you want to join us, click here for an application form.
Little Owls Nursery Application Form 2025-2026
To arrange a visit or ask us to send you an application pack please call our office on 01743 718493.
Sessions
Children may join from their third birthday but your 15 hours free childcare vouchers can only be used the term after they are three. To see our session times please click here:
Session times 2025-26
Please note we are a term time only preschool:
2025-2026 Term and holiday dates
2026-2027 Term and holiday dates
We accept childcare vouchers and tax free childcare.
Little Owls Nursery terms and conditions
Longnor’s EYFS Intent
At Longnor C of E Primary School, we believe that every pupil is unique; we celebrate and welcome diversity within our school community. Our ethos, ‘Together, we inspire a lifelong love of learning’ is woven throughout our school and a sense of togetherness and community begins as soon as a child starts attending our pre-school. In our early year’s environment, we ensure all children have the opportunity to develop and learn in a safe and nurturing environment where play and learning is combined and our values of Trust, Hope, Joy and Love underpin all. Our curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced to provide motivating first hand experiences whilst encouraging children to build resilience, ambition and a lifelong love of learning. Through practical learning experiences, we strive to equip children with the confidence to explore, be curious and have a natural enthusiasm towards wanting to learn and find out more. We are committed to giving our pupils the best possible start to their school life, teaching them skills that ensure wellbeing and success now and in the future.
We aim to:
- Establish a safe and secure environment that is nurturing, supportive, creative and holistic. One that is full of interesting and challenging activities in which learning can take place.
- Deliver a curriculum based on entitlement for all, that considers each child’s existing knowledge and experiences, and where the children can engage in first hand experiences.
- Give children opportunities to practise, revise and extend knowledge and skills in a consistent and stable environment.
- Enable children to develop characteristics of effective learning, which will enable them to become independent, resourceful and resilient learners now, throughout their education and whole lives.
- Provide a language rich environment which ensures children develop their vocabulary and understanding of language across the EYFS curriculum.
- Celebrate a wide variety of texts to enhance learning experiences and extend knowledge, language, vocabulary and promote reading for pleasure.
- Encourage awe and wonder for our natural world developing respect, beginning to understand responsibility to protect, nurture and improve.
- Work in partnership with parents and carers to encourage independent, resilient, confident and happy learners who thrive in school and reach their full potential from their various starting points.
Longnor’s EYFS Implementation
Our curriculum follows the https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68c024cb8c6d992f23edd79c/Early_years_foundation_stage_statutory_framework_-_for_group_and_school-based_providers.pdf.pdf Early years Foundation Stage. This document specifies the requirements for learning and development in the EYFS and provides the prime and specific areas of learning we must cover in our curriculum. We also use Development Matters to support the delivery of the curriculum.
The prime areas:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
The specific areas through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
A child’s individual learning characteristics determine the way they respond to both the teaching and learning taking place within the provision. The three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:
- playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
- active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
- creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
In our early years setting, we value high quality interactions with the children. Adults in the classroom spend quality time getting to know the children, playing with and alongside them, modelling play if needed and giving the children experience of language rich conversations. We have a Key Person system that ensures a strong bond and relationship is formed between your child and the adult that they are most drawn to. This system helps to ensure that every child’s learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs as well as ensuring smooth transitions and good communication links between home and school.
Through our knowledge of each child and formative assessments the EYFS team plan exciting and engaging activities that will move the children’s learning forward. This involves following class themes where we take advantage of cross curricular links in order to combine transferable skills and develop a wide-ranging vocabulary which underpins the children’s learning. Our pedagogy also includes following children’s interests and making the most of those focused moments where the teaching and learning can be maximised with the teacher. Each day creates its own unique blend of whole class, guided, adult-directed play and child-initiated play activities dependent on the nature and needs of the class of individuals.
A vital aspect in the development of essential knowledge and skills is the use of continuous provision. This gives the children an opportunity to develop taught skills throughout the year on a daily basis. Continuous provision practise and principles support children to develop key life skills such as independence, innovation, creativity, enquiry, analysis and problem solving. During the day, children will have opportunity to work independently, collaboratively with their peers and with members of staff. Play is highly valued in the development of children’s personal, social and emotional skills. It underpins all aspects of children’s learning. The environment is carefully planned and our outdoor areas are used all year round. The children’s learning is enriched and extended at Forest School and by attending a variety of educational visits such as, Theatre Severn, Home Farm and The Owl Centre.
Reading
- We focus on reading in nursery and reception by: listening to stories, poems and rhymes we believe inspire children’s imagination, develop their language, vocabulary and comprehension. We encourage children to bring in books that they have enjoyed at home to share and we also invite parents/family members in to be our ‘Mystery Reader’ and share a story with the whole class – Our Little Owls look forward to these sessions immensely!
- We offer phonics advice through our Twinkl Phonics workshop for parents when their children start in Reception. This is very useful for parents as it prepares them for when they listen to their child read at home which we encourage daily. Children always have a phonetically decodable book at their working level to take home as well as a class book to promote a love of books and reading. They are rewarded for reading at home regularly with a hot chocolate at our Starbooks Cafe.
- We read to the children several times a day, encouraging a passion for reading. The children can access books during continuous provision.
- We take a systematic approach to the teaching of phonics and reading through the use of Twinkl Phonics.
Writing
- Writing is considered a life skill to celebrate, not something that just takes place sitting down in a workbook. Children are encouraged to write using a variety of equipment both indoors and outdoors with evidence of this shared on their online Tapestry journals.
- Writing for a purpose is given high priority when planning opportunities for writing activities. Children make their own and whole class books, signs, information posters, invitations and letters. Tawny Owls even write Christmas cards to the people of the village and deliver them by hand!
- Expectations for writing are continually developed and extended throughout the year considering learning opportunities given and ability of the child. Progress is monitored and celebrated regularly by initiatives like our ‘Handwriting Hero’.
Mathematics
- Maths activities in the EYFS are practical and take place throughout all areas of the learning environment.
- Mathematics teaching for reception is taken from the NCETM and we use Numberblocks to aid the delivery of our lessons.
Early Learning Goals
At the end of the reception year we use the Early Learning Goals to assess your child’s level of development. If they are confident and secure within these goals they are assessed as expected. If they are working towards these goals they are emerging. These assessments are based on what the child can do independently.
Early Learning Goals
EYFS Impact
The impact of our EYFS curriculum is reflected in having happy, confident and motivated children transitioning into Year 1. During their time in the EYFS, children will become independent, resilient, enthusiastic learners ready to take on the new challenges of school and life. Their individuality is valued and the unique child has every opportunity to achieve, based upon their own personal strengths, interest and core values whilst learning in EYFS, and in the future.
From different starting points, children progressing from their first year in preschool to transitioning into Year 1 will make good progress academically, emotionally, creatively, socially and physically. Knowledge, understanding and skills will be promoted and eventually mastered to ensure children are ready and fully prepared to begin learning the National Curriculum programme of study in Year 1.
