Child Care - why do we do it! Child Care has a broad range of benefits for children, parents and communities.

For Children Child Care helps children develop and learn. Creative and valuable opportunities enable children to take part in new activities, develop their social skills and make friends within a safe and secure environment.

For Parents Access to childcare enables parents to return to work, extend their working hours or take up training. For Communities Child Care builds communities by creating new jobs and skills to boost the economy. It involves the wider community, often as volunteers.

Child Care and Education full and sessional day-care services for children under school age. This service provides 36 registered places with approximately 65 children per week currently attending. The facility is utilised daily by a mix of working parents, social service referrals, health visitor referrals, and self-referrals. Children are encouraged to mix and to develop at their own pace through individual planned programmes to achieve their highest potential.

Pre-school Education offers a 12 place playgroup for children in their pre-school year, funded under the Pre-School Education Expansion Plan. This group has had very positive inspection reports from both E.T.I and the Trust's Registration and Inspection Team. Staff within the playgroup aim to provide opportunities and experiences, which stimulate, challenge and support childrens learning. The Pre-school Centre is inspected by D.E.N.I. to ensure delivery of the pre-school curriculum, and the childs readiness for school.

In our pre-school area the children are offered a structured programme of activities which is aimed at encouraging children to develop Personally, Socially, Emotionally and Physically. The curriculum plan is based on seven areas of learning as detailed in the DENI Pre-school Curricular Guidance of an holistic approach through play and other learning experiences.

The Seven Headings Of The Pre-school Education Curriculum:

• Personal, social and emotional development
• Physical development
• Creative/aesthetic development
• Language development
• Early mathematical experiences
• Early experiences in science and technology
• Knowledge and appreciation of the development

Based on the above curriculum the staff will provide each child with opportunities and experiences to:

• Grow in self-confidence and esteem by encouraging independence and self-control
• Foster a sense of responsibility by forming relationships outside the family unit.
• Be self-expressive and creative through role-play, construction materials, music and art.