Longparish Little School

Longparish Little School Longparish Playgroup is a small, friendly and very happy village pre-school in Hampshire. This is a snapshot of our day-to-day learning and play.

Longparish Little School is a small, friendly and very happy village pre-school for children from 2 years and 6 months. We welcome children from the village of Longparish and the local area including Andover, Whitchurch, St Mary Bourne and Hurstbourne Priors. Longparish Playgroup started in 1988 in the Sports and Social Club behind the Village Hall. In November 2005 we moved into our permanent home - a purpose built annexe of Longparish School with its own fenced off outside area.

Our school hall comes alive with energy during our physical play sessions. Through climbing, balancing, and exploring mo...
18/03/2026

Our school hall comes alive with energy during our physical play sessions. Through climbing, balancing, and exploring movement, our preschool children are developing essential skills that support their overall growth and wellbeing.

Activities that focus on balance, agility, and core strength help children build coordination, body awareness, and resilience. Whether they are navigating obstacle courses, climbing apparatus, or practicing controlled movements, each experience strengthens both their bodies and their confidence.

We believe in giving children opportunities to take safe, supported risks. These moments are incredibly valuable—they encourage problem-solving, independence, and a sense of achievement. As children challenge themselves and succeed, their confidence grows, helping them feel capable and proud of what they can do.

Physical play is more than just fun—it's a vital part of early development, laying the foundation for healthy, active lifestyles and positive self-belief.

A significant aspect of the Little School curriculum is our "Window to our World," where children explore the natural en...
04/03/2026

A significant aspect of the Little School curriculum is our "Window to our World," where children explore the natural environment and learn about the special occasions celebrated by our families. Recently, we've celebrated the Chinese New Year by making vegetable noodles for a tasty snack. We also enjoyed a dragon dance in the school hall and created our own dragon dance using the parachute. For St David's Day, we had fun baking delicious Welsh cakes together. Additionally, we've begun investigating the life cycles of various animals. We’ve watched chick eggs hatch and have been taking care of our ten adorable chicks. We're also eagerly waiting to see what happens with some frogspawn we collected. Furthermore, our local PCSO visited us to talk about their important role in keeping our community safe, which the children found really interesting. These experiences help enrich our learning and strengthen our connection to the wider world.

As an Eco School, it is crucial for the children to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy planet and to rec...
11/02/2026

As an Eco School, it is crucial for the children to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy planet and to recognise the small steps we can take to contribute. During our Forest School sessions, we inspect the school grounds to ensure that all litter is collected, and we then sort it to identify items that can be recycled. At snack and lunch times, we also organise our rubbish to maximise recycling efforts.

We are delighted to share that, thanks to recent fundraising efforts, we have been able to purchase a new fire pit, cook...
01/02/2026

We are delighted to share that, thanks to recent fundraising efforts, we have been able to purchase a new fire pit, cooking tripod and cooking pot. This exciting addition has allowed us to extend the cooking experiences we offer during Forest School. The children were absolutely thrilled to use the new equipment this week, working together to make warm, comforting porridge over the fire – a perfect way to keep cosy on a chilly day.
We would like to say a huge thank you to our wonderful families and the Parish Council for helping us raise the money needed. Their support has made a real difference and has already created memorable learning experiences for our children.
Cooking is just one small part of what happens during our Forest School sessions. The children also have enormous fun exploring the natural environment – from splashing in very big muddy puddles to extending them by digging channels that turned into a river and, eventually, a moat to protect a carefully built stick castle. Every week brings new adventures and child-led play.
These experiences play a vital role in children’s physical development. Activities such as using the rope swing, walking the slack line, balancing on wobble logs and climbing trees all help to build balance, coordination and large muscle strength in a fun and engaging way.
There are also plenty of opportunities for learning and discovery. Children safely use tools, go on bug hunts, identify birds, and investigate growth and life cycles, developing curiosity, confidence and respect for the natural world.
If you would like to find out more about our Forest School sessions, or the many other amazing things we do within our preschool, please call 01264 720455 to arrange a visit. We would love to welcome you.

We are excited to share some of the wonderful learning experiences available to the children each week at Little School....
21/01/2026

We are excited to share some of the wonderful learning experiences available to the children each week at Little School. Our programme includes Forest School sessions twice a week, along with woodwork and pottery classes, visits to the school library, Write Dance, cooking activities, and physical play sessions. We are currently accepting bookings for September. If you would like to come and explore the engaging experiences your child can enjoy, please call us at 01264 720455.

Last week at Little School was incredibly busy. Storyteller Amanda joined us at the river lookout, where she shared wint...
08/12/2025

Last week at Little School was incredibly busy. Storyteller Amanda joined us at the river lookout, where she shared winter tales and sang action songs to keep everyone warm. Through her storytelling, the children explored themes such as falling leaves, changing colours, animals getting ready for the colder months, and the importance of working together to stay warm. We also had a special visit from a Royal Mail post box that collected our letters destined for Santa at the North Pole. Additionally, we celebrated a family tradition for one of our families. In Hungary, St. Nicholas Day (Mikulás) is observed on December 6th, signifying the start of the Christmas season. On this day, children clean their boots and leave them out overnight for Mikulás, who fills them with sweets, fruits, and small toys. As a result, the children at Little School made sure their wellies were spotless and placed them by the door. They were overjoyed to find that Mikulás had left a gift in each of their wellies.

Thank you to Kerry and Lauren from the Raymond Brown group who came to help the children make some decorations using re...
03/12/2025

Thank you to Kerry and Lauren from the Raymond Brown group who came to help the children make some decorations using recycled materials that the children and their families have been collecting.

We were so pleased to start our pottery sessions last week. The children were so good at using the pottery wheel to crea...
01/12/2025

We were so pleased to start our pottery sessions last week. The children were so good at using the pottery wheel to create their own pots. We are looking forward to seeing how this develops over the coming year.

We were incredibly fortunate to win a Dragons Breathe Fire Lighter kit from Muddy Faces. This proved to be extremely use...
21/11/2025

We were incredibly fortunate to win a Dragons Breathe Fire Lighter kit from Muddy Faces. This proved to be extremely useful this week, as we needed to light a fire to keep warm in the chilly weather. The children were captivated by how the steel blade striker produced a spark that ignited the cotton wool. Thank you, Muddy Faces, for providing such an amazing new resource for the children to use during their Forest School sessions.

Longparish Little School fundraiser Christmas Quiz Wednesday 10th December. Come support your local preschool, have a f...
17/11/2025

Longparish Little School fundraiser Christmas Quiz Wednesday 10th December. Come support your local preschool, have a fun evening full of Christmas cheer.
Teams of up to 6 people £5 per person. There will mulled wine and mince pies, a raffle and a prize for the winning Christmas experts.
Longparish Community/ School hall 7.30pm.
Hope to see you there.

This week, as part of our Eco School curriculum, we have been learning about ways to help save our planet. When we leave...
15/11/2025

This week, as part of our Eco School curriculum, we have been learning about ways to help save our planet. When we leave the building to go to Forest School, we become electricity monitors to ensure all the lights are turned off, helping us save energy. On our way to Forest School, we always bring our litter pickers and collect any rubbish we encounter, preventing animals from ingesting it or becoming trapped. We also learnt about how to support children who are less fortunate than ourselves. We also baked and decorated some Pudsey biscuits, which we sold to our grown-ups to raise funds for Children in Need. So far, we have raised over £80 to donate to this charity.

This week, some of the children were deeply engaged in a process art activity that formed the basis of our Poppy Wreath....
13/11/2025

This week, some of the children were deeply engaged in a process art activity that formed the basis of our Poppy Wreath. The children were provided with a blank sheet of paper, paint, and a selection of interesting tools for applying colour. Once introduced, the activity was entirely child-led, allowing each child the freedom to explore the materials in their own way.

The focus of this experience was not on the finished product, but on the process of creating. Children experimented with texture, movement, colour mixing, and mark-making. Some chose to make bold sweeping strokes, while others concentrated on smaller, detailed patterns. They demonstrated focus, curiosity, and joy as they explored what the materials could do. The children also enjoyed using the mop bucket spinner to create beautifully vibrant pieces of art. Once dry, these pieces were carefully cut into poppy shapes.

Baking is favourite with the children and we have been busy learning how to use a variety of tools to assist us in the cooking process. In order to create some poppy biscuits this week we used an electric whisk.

The children the visited the church on Tuesday as they expressed their gratitude to the servicemen and women of the Army, Navy, and Royal Air Force for keeping us safe. We held a moment of reflection, where we thought about the people who protect us, while watching the flickering light of a candle. Several children shared photographs of family members who have served or are currently serving in the military. Additionally, we discussed the significance of wearing poppies as a symbol of remembrance and appreciation. As a meaningful gesture, we laid our poppy wreath that the children had crafted at the altar.

Address

Longparish School
Andover
SP116PB

Telephone

+441264720455

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