Pre School/After School

In our pre-school we believe the voice of the child should be heard, we encourage them to speak openly and will take the time to listen. We treat each child as an individual and provide equality of opportunity within the setting.

We strive to encourage self-confidence and a positive approach to learning in all children.

We aim to ensure that no child is excluded or disadvantaged because of ethnicity, religion, culture, disability, gender, special education needs or ability.

Our Pre-School is registered for 20 children during the hours of 9.00am - 12.00noon. We offer PEAGS funded places aswell as some spaces for younger children in their Pre Preschool year.

PEAGS places are applied for through the EA website which opens at the beginning of January each year. Information on how to apply is always available nearer the time each year. 

Pre Preschool spaces are available by contacting us here at Childs Play.

Whilst lunch is not provided during these hours we do provide wrap around care. The option of staying on for lunch untill 1:30pm or staying for the entire afternoon ( up untill 6pm) is available upon request. This service has a daily / weekly cost which can be discussed upon request.

At Child’s Play Pre-school we want to support, inspire and encourage children to reach their full potential. We believe in providing a safe and secure environment where children feel valued and appreciated so they can flourish.

As with all Pre-school settings our ratio is 1 adult:8 children. Although we hold spaces for 20 children, we have 3 staff in attendance daily. This means that most days we have additional staff depending on that day’s attendance. We choose to do this to ensure we are able to take time to settle children into pre-school and reassure anxious children as this can be an overwhelming time for them. It also means that if children require some 1 on 1 additional help we have that option on a daily basis.

The Pre-school curriculum is used to ensure children are provided with a range of learning opportunities through play and other relevant experiences. It is used to develop and broaden children’s learning experiences and make them confident, eager and enthusiastic learners ready to start compulsory education.

‘Play that is well-planned and pleasurable helps children to think, to increase their understanding and to improve their language competence. It allows children to be creative, to explore and investigate materials, to experiment and to draw and test their conclusions . . . . such experience is important in catching and sustaining children’s interests and motivating their learning as individuals and in co-operation with others.’

Starting with Quality,

The Rumbold Report, HMSO 1990

At Childs Play Preschool we follow the Northern Ireland Pre-School curriculum. We are inspected by ETI, and social services on a regular basis.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

This area of learning is of the utmost importance for young children in all aspects of their lives. We promote development in this area by giving children the time they need to settle into a new environment. We allow children to make choices and help eachother, encouraging them to organise their own play, giving them independence at snack time and having them put on their own coats and shoes.

As practitioners we reflect a sense of caring, giving children encouragement and positive reinforcement as they play, interact with others and try to behave appropriately.

Language development

Children bring to the Pre-school setting their own experiences of using language. We value these existing language skills and use them to help children communicate confidently with adults and other children to express their own needs, ideas and feelings.

We encourage a love and appreciation for stories and books and use rhymes and rhyming words to promote language development. Children are encouraged to draw, make marks and ‘write’ cards and messages.

Early mathematical experiences

Mathematical concepts are important for everyday life and they develop slowly in the young child. In Pre-school we seek to extend, informally, the mathematical experiences the children have already had in the home environment. These may include setting the table, matching socks or putting away shopping.

Within Pre-school we provide children with the opportunities to sort, match, compare, classify, count and make patterns and sequences.

The Arts

Creative play helps to assist with a child’s emotional development, promote aesthetic awareness and is an avenue for self-expression. It involves taking risks and experimenting, coming up with new ideas, solving problems and coping with uncertainty.

They are given the opportunity to explore and share thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of art and design, music, movement, dance, drama and role-play activities where they are encouraged and supported by adults.

 

Physical development and movement

Children have the opportunity to enjoy physical play both indoors and outdoors within the setting. Physical development helps children to gain confidence and self-esteem as they discover what they can do, and enables them to feel the benefits of being healthy and active.

We provide safe and suitable spaces where they can experiment with different ways of moving. Children can enjoy outdoor play on a daily basis with a variety of balance bikes, scooters, tyre’s, skipping ropes, hoops and much more. 

The World around us

Children are naturally curious about their environment and the people around them and frequently ask questions.

To help children develop skills and concepts related to the world around them we provide opportunities, individually and in groups, to engage in a wide variety of interesting activities. These can include observing sand (properties of wet and dry, building and making models), observing water (how objects behave in water, what happens when colour is added, etc.) and using their senses to explore a range of natural and man-made materials.

 

Our After-School facility is for children from 4years-11years old. We also provide wrap around care for those children in our Preschool. 

Our breakfast club opens at 7:30am and breakfast is served up to 8.30am. Children are then walked or driven to school, Bridge, St Marys or Abercorn primary. Because of traffic on the Lurgan Road we are unable to offer our Afterschool services to Edenderry pupils.

On a daily basis we offer a wide range of activities, some of which include;

* Arts and Crafts

* Outdoor games

* Baking

* Role play toys - dolls, action figures, farm sets, cars ect.

* Board games

The out door area can be closed off to cars, with  railings and gates so the children can have a safe outside play area, the gates will be locked when the children are out.

Homework facilities are available for children p4-p7. Children will be given help by the staff but answers will not be given out by the staff.  

During school holidays we cater for the children by offering full day care.

Children are not allowed to use mobile phones in the after school, however if parents need to speak to the children, they can call the afterschool on 02840623362. 

A member of staff is always there to help the children and we remind them that a problem shared, is a problem halved.