Pre-school (ECCE
Scheme)
We participate in the Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) scheme. The ECCE scheme provides early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age.
The ECCE Scheme is
offered 5 days a week for three hours a day. The preschool opens at 9:15am and
closes at 12:15pm daily. The pre-school runs for 38 weeks of the year. The pre-school
calendar runs in line with the academic calendar of Scoil Choilm National School.
Check when your child is eligible for the ECCE Scheme here.
Call or email us today to register with us.
Pre-school
Curriculum
In line with
Ireland’s national curriculum framework, Aistear and Síolta, we aim to promote
an active hands-on learning experience for each child. We believe that children
learn best through play and real-life experiences. We aim to deliver an
action-packed curriculum for your children. Our weekly curriculum planning
stems from the children’s needs and interests. We believe that a child led,
interest-based curriculum results in the children having rich, interesting
learning experiences.
Find out more about Aistear & Síolta here.
Sample Daily Routine
09:15 - Arrival
09:15 - 10:15 - Free play
This provides opportunities for children to think independently and develop their decision making skills. It provides opportunities for children to discover what interests them, and what they are good at.
10:15 - 10:30 - Snack Time
There are many benefits to shared mealtimes. It is an unstructured time that allows natural conversations between children and adults. Sitting together eating can spark conversations about different foods and this can help foster healthy eating habits among children.
10:30 - 11:00 - Outdoor Play
Outdoor play is an excellent way for children to develop in many areas such as social skills, confidence building, spatial awareness, sensory awareness and decision-making skills. We believe that it is important for children to connect with nature and explore the outdoors for a minimum of 30 minutes per day. If the children want to stay outside longer, we will usually follow their lead. In our outdoor area we have many open ended materials and sensory materials for children to feel a sense of adventure and use their imagination.
11:00 - 11:45 - Planned Activity
Our planned activities are guided by the emerging interests of the children in the class. Planned activities are a great way for the children to use their problem solving skills and concentration.
11:45 - 12:15 - Circle Time/Song/Dance/Movement
This is the perfect way for the children to connect as a group. They learn to express themselves, share, turn take, respect and listen to each others ideas.