Empowering Teachers to Embed Learning Through Play with Confidence
At Longworth Education, we are a team of experienced teachers passionate about supporting educators to implement high-quality, evidence-based learning through play. We understand the pressures teachers face—and we’re here to walk alongside you.
A Social Enterprise, created by Teachers for Teachers
Longworth Education was founded to create practical, research-informed tools and professional learning that support teachers to strengthen their practice—without adding to their workload.
As a social enterprise, every aspect of our work is designed to improve outcomes for children by supporting the people who teach them.
Teacher wellbeing and sustainable practice sit at the heart of what we do
We build teacher confidence through in-school and in-classroom professional learning and tools like the P-BLOT™
We believe learning through play is essential, not optional
Meet the team
Collaborators & Learning Partners
Practice Based Coaching AotearoaMassey University & Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies
The P-BLOT™ was originally conceived and created through the doctoral studies of Dr Sarah Aiono, whose research explored the impact of two models of professional development to support effective teaching through play practices in the primary classroom. This work was undertaken under the expert supervision of Associate Professor Tara McLaughlin and Professor Tracy Riley at Massey University, whose guidance was instrumental in shaping both the research design and the conceptual foundations of the tool.
Longworth Education is grateful for the continued support, expertise, and research contributions of the Massey University Institute of Education’s Early Years Research Lab. The Early Years Research Lab’s commitment to strengthening early childhood and early primary teaching practice through high-quality research has informed and enriched our ongoing work with educators.
Our professional learning approach has also been influenced by international research in practice-based coaching (PBC). We acknowledge the pioneering scholarship of Dr Patricia Snyder and her colleagues at the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies. Their extensive research into practice-based coaching frameworks, and the ongoing work of the Early Years Research Lab in New Zealand, has shaped our understanding of how educators can be best supported to enact meaningful, sustainable change in their teaching practice.
Together, these national and international partnerships and bodies of research form the foundation of our work at Longworth Education and underpin our commitment to evidence-informed professional learning.
Our Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Respect for Indigenous Peoples
We honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and uphold its principles in our work. We recognise and respect the mana, knowledge, and enduring connection of tangata whenua to the land, and extend this respect to Indigenous peoples in all countries where we work.
Our approach is grounded in partnership, protection, and participation—and we are committed to ongoing reflection and learning.
What Drives Us
Protecting the place of play in education
Ensuring culturally affirming teaching and learning that honours the diverse identities of children, families, and communities
Supporting teacher wellbeing and reducing workload
Strengthening evidence-informed practice
Building long-term partnerships with schools and educators
Advocating for sustainable, child-centred pedagogy