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Castle Gardens Primary School, Newtownards

Castle Gardens Pre-School

Parents/carers

As a staff team we are very conscious of the trust that you place in us when you consider enrolling your child at Castle Gardens preschool.

At Castle Gardens Preschool children are always at the heart of everything we do. We take pride in being allowed to share in your child’s first steps into the educational journey.

In our preschool we aim to support the development and ability of each child as an individual as every child is precious.

So that we can do the absolute best for every child in our care we strongly believe in a close partnership with parents. It is our aim to develop your child fully within our wonderful setting both indoors and outdoors, also with our excellent staff team.

This prospectus will hopefully give you a small glimpse into life at Castle Gardens Preschool. It outlines what we stand for and what we can offer your child as they begin their school career.

It is the passion of all the staff that every child who enters our setting will leave that little bit more creative, imaginative, explorative, and passionate about learning through play.

As a staff team we look forward to welcoming you into our Castle Gardens Family.

Necole, Adele, Susan, Zoe, Kerry, Carla and Samantha 

 

Who Are We?

We are a preschool in Castle Gardens Primary school in Newtownards Co. Down. The Preschool was established over 20 years ago and has had a few different locations until finding our permanent home within Castle Gardens Primary school several years ago.

In 2020 - 2021 the preschool had some major changes we changed the name from Chuckles Preschool centre to Castle Gardens Preschool and it now has a new staff team.

At Castle Gardens we are funded by the EA and governed by Social Services and ETI. All reports from both agencies can be viewed online. We are also registered with CAPS (Curriculum and Programme Support) and we have our own independent Early Years Specialist, Mrs Janice Mawhinney, who provides us with advice, training and support, at any time, if required. In addition, we have a Registered Social Worker, Ms Madeline Maxwell, from our local HSS trust who visits the centre.

At Castle Gardens Preschool we offer one preschool class (fully funded by EA) and over the next few years we are hoping to develop a separate PrePre class.

We operate out of two bright and very spacious classrooms which are both accessible throughout the day. The outdoor facilities we avail of include a large Playground, a private closed in courtyard right outside our doors, we are also able to use the school’s nature area and their grassy/woodland areas.

Begin within a primary school allows us the use of other wonderful resources, including the PE hall which we are able to use once a week throughout the year this also allows us to arrange physical development classes such as fitness Freddy, Yoga classes and many more. There is also the school library which we visit once a week for a story telling session.

All of these wonderful resources allow us to provide every child with a wealth of learning opportunities and experiences every day. We have 5 fully qualified members of staff and one volunteer who are all extremely passionate about childhood care and education.

As a preschool we are hoping to complete our forest school NI training this year and how future hopes is to become an Eco preschool this means keeping our area clean and hopefully move to paper free.

Our Aims and Objectives

  • To provide a safe, caring and stimulating environment which enhances child development and education.
  • Act as positive role models
  • Through the preschool curriculum NI guidance plan effectively for the needs of each individual child
  • To promote the way in which children learn through play and first-hand experiences.
  • Encourage children’s confidence and self-esteem and prepare them for the next step in their school career.
  • To see each child as an individual and to value the qualities they bring to the preschool
  • To build positive relationships with parents/carers and to work in partnership with them to get the best for their child.
  • To ensure continual improvement by continually reflecting on our practice as a setting and as a staff team.
  • Ensure that we continually implementing our policies and procedures reviewing them regularly to ensure they are up to date.

News

 

General Information

Staff

The leader/Manager            Mrs Necole Tate

The Deputy Leader              Miss Adele Mawhinney

Preschool Assistants           Zoe Birch, Susan Bell, Kerry Maguire   

Uniform

Yellow polo shirt with Logo

Navy Sweatshirt with Logo

Preschool Day

9am to 12noon (1pm for lunch club)

Communication

We use an app called Seesaw and a Facebook page allowing us to communicate with parents.  Here we will share photos of your child and what they have been up to in preschool (with your permission) and also keep you up to date with important information. We also provide a monthly newsletter to keep you informed of what lies ahead that month in preschool life.

Admission Criteria

Please view our latest admissions criteria online at www.eani.org.uk

Prospectus

 
 

Contact Us

Centre Leader / Manager: Mrs Necole Tate

Contact Number:07933360166

Email:  castlegardenspreschool@gmail.com