Early Years’ Service

Our baby room can cater for 10 children at a time from 6 months to 2 years. Our Baby Room strives to be a “home away from home”. We understand how hard it can be for parents/guardians to hand over the care of their baby for the first time. Our dedicated and experienced professionals try to make this adjustment as easy as possible. We provide a personal level of care and attention to all babies in our care.

Babies in our care enjoy fun and exciting days that include a variety of activities such as sand, art, water, singing, sensorial play etc. We also aim to go outdoors with the babies every day for some time. Children in our baby room (under 2 years old) have their own garden to play in where the older children won’t bump into them or knock them over, however they can still see and chat to the older children through the fence.

Our experienced, qualified staff work in conjunction with parents. Our baby room has a separate sleep room from their play room. The sleep room is the place where each child has their own cot. This room provides a soothing, calm, atmosphere where your baby may nap as they need it.

The play room, in contrast, provides a colourful and stimulating environment, where there is a vast variety of age appropriate toys and equipment which will meet every baby’s overall developmental needs in a homely, cosy environment.

Our Junior Preschool room can cater for 16 children at a time from age 2-3 years. At Catkins we understand that children learn and discover the world through play. Our Junior Preschool room has a happy and relaxed atmosphere where the children are encouraged to develop their physical, intellectual, social and emotional skills. The primary challenge for a child at this stage is to develop advanced communication skills and to explore social and behavioural boundaries. At Catkins we support and facilitate this development by providing a more structured environment while at the same time encouraging each child to express his/her own personality through imaginative and creative play.

At Catkins we constantly encourage development through various fun activities. Our curriculum strives to challenge each individual child and to promote self-esteem, concentration and positive behaviour.

In the Junior Pre-School room the staff work closely with each child to prepare them for the more advanced ECCE environment.

The ECCE Free Preschool scheme offers care for children for 3 hours per day, for age appropriate children. All children are entitled to 2 full academic years on the ECCE scheme. Children are eligible to start the ECCE scheme in the September of the year that they turn 3 years old. Our current ECCE hours are 9:30-12:30, for 38 weeks in the year.

We currently have three ECCE rooms, known as Buttercups (the one in the main building) & Daisies and Poppies (at the rear of the main building, in the prefabs) The one in the main building has changing facilities if the child is not fully toilet trained, and this rooms can cater for 22 children every day. Then we have one room each in both prefabs, these rooms can cater for 11 children each day. Our ECCE rooms provide a safe, caring, supportive, well-planned, resourced and stimulating environment where child grow and learn and develop from their emerging interests.

Ensuring that all children have ample opportunity to develop holistically and are confident and school ready at the end of their time at Catkins is the long term goal for the children in these rooms. Children enjoy a full programme of planned and spontaneous activities each day. The ECCE preschool concentrates on flexible child centred enjoyable group time where each child is encouraged to take part in all activities.

Poppies room

Buttercups room

Daisies room

Outdoor play is part of our daily routine for all children in our service and this is an opportunity for children to exercise, form social connections and play large muscle games. Both the indoor and outdoor environment have benefits to children’s learning, however the outdoors offers a unique environment that is significantly different to the indoor environment. The outdoors has greater space and allows for freedom of movement and is especially supportive of play.

Our outdoor space is an extension of the indoor rooms and features similar designated areas to the indoors. The outdoors includes various developmentally appropriate play areas that will promote a range of learning experiences and will ensure the safety of the children whist at the same time offering the opportunity to maximum skill development.

Each room has their own play garden covered in a variety of surfaces ensuring children are safe while running and playing in the outdoors. We have designated areas outdoors where children can freely choose what and where they would like to play with offering a variety of wheeled toys. The canopy areas in the garden also allows for the children to get outdoors every day for exercise even when raining.

Baby Room Garden

Poppies Garden

Buttercups Garden

Daisies Garden

Junior Pre Garden

The sensory room is located in the last prefab at the rear of the main building, and it is available to every child in the service. We are very fortunate to have this relaxing quiet space for the children, where they can go in small groups of 3-4 to gain the full benefit of it. This space is particularly beneficial for children who may have additional needs as it gives them a special place to escape and unwind and feel safe and secure.