Early Years, Ballymena Nursery School

Ballymena Nursery School was designed and built especially for pre-school children. Our pupils move on to many of the primary schools in the area.

 

It was opened and is financed by the North Eastern Education and Library Board. The teachers are professionally trained and have qualified nursery assistants working alongside them.

 

They encourage parents to consider sending their child to Ballymena Nursery School during their pre-school year. Most children who are in their pre-school year are ready to learn in the environment provided, which meets the needs of children during their five day week, and lays the foundation immediately before they attend Primary School.

 

They recognise parents and carers as the children’s first educators and hope you become involved in settling them into the nursery. We aim to build a trusting relationship with the parents in order to create a nursery in which your child can feel secure.

 

The teachers are aware of each individual child’s development. The curriculum is thoroughly planned and provides attractive and stimulating play materials both indoors and outdoors. With their specialist training the teachers and staff can ensure that the quality and depth of experience meets your child’s needs thus providing an extension of the stimulation, care and experience of their good home.

 

Learning opportunities are provided which permit each child to develop his/her intellect, to communicate, to make choices, to develop a healthy body and lively mind, and to relate to others. The children are helped to form relationships with their peers and with adults outside the family circle thus promoting their confidence and sense of well-being. Your child will work and play with others, learning to share and take turns.

 

The provision of paint and craft materials, sand, water, dough and clay will encourage your child to be creative and expressive.

 

Books are widely available within the nursery and to borrow on a weekly loan. Stories and rhymes contribute to the child’s language. Learning to communicate is a complex task and opportunities are given for children to express themselves and extend their vocabulary.

 

Nursery School is the first step in a child’s education. Good experiences in the early years, provides a foundation to be built upon throughout the educational system. It is this foundation which we aim to lay.

 

 

In the nursery we aim to offer the best start to education for all of those children who have secured a place. This can only be achieved in an environment which offers fun, security, attention and affection operating throughout each of the areas of learning considered to amount to the education of the ‘whole’ child.

 

The staff in our nursery school plan activities to promote development in each of these areas as highlighted below….

 

 

Throughout the year, the children will experience several visits to and from the wider community. Parents are considered a cornerstone in our school and are often involved with the children in hands on ways.

They also have various visits from animals such as those from the TACT Wildlife Centre, the Hedgehog Sanctuary, The Bat Group & The Belfast Zoo. We arrange visits from Storytellers and Puppeteers, a Magician, the Police and Fire Brigade, and lots of others.

 

They go regularly on environmental walks and also on other educational school trips.

 

All of these added ‘extras’, serve to enhance the child’s overall experience.

 

You too will become involved in them. Believe us… they’re great fun!

 

 

The Parents’ Information board in the hall will keep you informed… Watch out!

 

The monthly newsletters will fill you in with lots of things also.

 

Besides catching up on your child’s progress with the staff each day, parent information sessions and parent / teacher interviews will help to keep both you and us better informed.

 

They value their parents, their input into the nursery and what they can tell about their child. Throughout the year you are always welcome to come into the nursery, to become involved and to get to know each other.

 

They hope to again have a very successful Parents’ Group. You can meet along with others for a cup of tea and a chat. Parents are invited to take charge of the format of the group, with the support of the nursery staff.

 

Professional assistance (e.g. Health visitors, Speech & Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists) can be made available for parents’ meetings on request. We hope also that those involved in the group will help us to add to the nursery in different ways.