Our Values at Úlla Beag : Through creating a nurturing, sensory and creative learning environment we will be able to provide individual care and attention that each child needs to meet their potential. We believe in inclusion and individualism. We foster this by providing a family setting where children of all ages can learn together and from each other. At Úlla Beag we follow the Aistear Early Years Curriculum 0-6 which is the Irish Early Years through to Senior Infants Guiding curriculum based on international leading child development theories and programs. This facilitates good transitioning from Preschool into Primary Education. We are members of Childminding Ireland; Early Childhood Ireland; Kindermusik International and Aura Yoga.
Our Curriculum :
At Ulla Beag we are an inclusive green school, placing high value on equal educational opportunities for all children, adapt a child centered learning approach and promote a creative learning environment. We use a Play Based learning approach delivered through the Aistear Curriculum. We place high value on nutritional learning running our own school garden with the children and outdoor play experiences. Aistear is an emergent curriculum where childrens’ interests are paramount and they influence our day to day planning. Research confirms play based learning is how children learn optimally.
While your child is at Ulla Beag we create a learning environment which provides your child with varied play opportunities to:
Develop their self confidence, self management ; independence, creativity, resilience, and problem solving skills . Develop active sports skills ; yoga and meditative skills, active listening skills through storymaking and story telling.( WB)
Learn about social relationships through individual small and large group play, learn about their environment around them, develop language, music, art, science, gardening and pre maths’ skills ; develop reasoning and language skills. ( ET)
Develop positive attitudes to themselves , others and a love of continual learning which promotes seemless transitions ; developing a sense of individual and group identity and belonging while meeting each individual child’s emotional, developmental and physical needs . ( ET,WB)
Some info on Aistear:
Aistear places significant importance on :
- Rights of the Child
- U will be supporting local enterprise.
- U will be involved as much as you want in the planning of our programmes; our family days; our website support & our charity events – such as big toddle in Sept for Barnardos.
- A creative mind through arts & crafts; blue sky thinking; story boards & mind mapping tools etc.
- A greener consciousness through developing sustainable living skills;
- A confident and proud child through the development of practical and traditional skills – knitting ; painting ; fishing; baking; cooking.
- Home made jam & home made pizza
- An independent being through age appropriate computer, language, reading and writing skills.
- Further Education support through Evening Classes
- Specific Support through Art Therapy , NALA Tutoring etc
- Group play
- Our Caring is Sharing motto
- Our meet and greet introduction to every day
- Our Farewell Story of today before home time
- A Homework Club ;
- A Book Club;
- Designated projects – such as boat frame building ; mural painting; designing your own t shirts etc
- Designing, drawing and printing out T shirt designs – then make & do ;
- Doing Geographical & Historical researches;
- Internet accessible Home Work Club;
- Internet accessible Book Club;
- Smart Board collaboration with native language tutors in our language camps. ….
- Parent & Toddler Support Group on line.
- In Spring –we will sow
- In Summer – we grow
- In Autumn – we harvest
- Then Winter – hoe , hoe , hoe!
- What do worms do ?
- What about millipedes ?
- Earwigs; busy bees; hornets; wasps – all to see
- our constant lodgers blue & black tits; sparrows; robins;
- & our visiting wood pigeons and magpies.
- Our two and four legged friends ; Hens, Cat & Puppy & frogs!
- Holistic Well being & Child Development
- Partnership with Parents and Continual communication
- Importance of Play in Child’s development.
- Siolta Quality Management Framework
- Continual learning and re-education of childcare professionals.
In Ireland and Internationally within the Childcare sector the focus currently is on Research Based practice- what is working for children and how this should be and can be incorporated into early education. Leading Organisations would be seen as Barnardos ; Ballymun Projects; Birmingham Child Development programs.
We take the primary learnings from Montessori; Steiner; Forest Schools; Learning Through Play ; Emotional Intelligence; Te Whariki; Kindermusik ; Yoga ; Regio Emilia and the main child development theorists Jean Piaget and Leo Vytgostsky. Taking these learnings we have developed a methodology and curriculum which allow us to implement and achieve Aistear’s guidelines in our daily activities, weekly plans and term programs.
We are working mums who have experience of the working mother and being a stay at home mum and understand the pressures and joys of both!
We will provide a family run service to provide a safe and secure environment where my kids and your kids can share a home from home experience, with a maximum intake of 15 children per day.
We will deliver an educational program which will incorporate industry best practice policy – Siolta Quality Framework and Áistear Early Years
Intertwined with these learning we focus on sustainable living skills, self sufficiency, creativity, learning and fun in a safe, happy environment.
We are situated in the middle of the countryside with views of Lough Derg from the Chalet.
We are driving a sustainable living focus within our family through growing and cooking from:
| Our Apple Orchard | Our Berry-Ville | Our Herb Garden |
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| Our Vegetable Garden | Our Mediterannean Glasshouse | Our Irish Native Flower Beds |
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| Our Re-Patrioted Plants | Our Little Forest Areas | Our Stream |
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We place a huge focus on getting outside everyday with play and practical learning in the gardens and orchard around us.
Our Unique Identifiers & Values are as follows:
Ú U the parent get to choose a convenient local family run service.
L Life long learning
Through the Pre School and After school sessions we will focus the Child’s development focusing on
L A Loving environment which we will deliver through:
A After School Session which will include:
B Beans, Berries, Bugs, Balls, simply Bundles of Fun!
E E-Learning through our website & classroom computers we will facilitate the development of computer skills throughout the sessions such as:
A Aistear & Siolta as a registered Childminder I will be following the Aistear Early Years Curriculum guidance; Siolta’s Quality Framework and OMCYA guidance on School Age Care.
G The Great outdoors…the theme running throughout our programmes:
The insect life around us ( many multi-legged creatures) ;
Our gorgeous birds
