Playgroup given top marks by inspectors

Playgroup given top marks by inspectors

13 February 2013

KIDS KABIN pre-school in Castlewellan has been described as outstanding by education inspectors.

The school, which has one full-time teacher and three part-time members of staff, was visited by the Education and Training Inspectorate on December 10 last year.

During the inspection it was found that the achievements of the 24 children, their provision for learning and understanding, along with the quality of leadership and management at the pre-school were all outstanding.

The report covers a broad range of factors in the children’s development from co-operating with their peers, understanding, expressing themselves and the development of their independence.

When it comes to leadership and management the report says the pastoral care is outstanding and the “playgroup has demonstrated its capacity for sustained self-improvement.”

Joanne Heaney, leader and manager of Kids Kabin, said it was a great privilege to receive such an excellent inspection report.

“Kids Kabin is such an integral part of the community and we work hard to help every child reach their full potential in all they do with us,” she said.

“To have the credit and recognition from the education department is a huge boost to our whole staff team, committee, parents and children and shows that the hard work we put in is paying off.

“Our children are very settled here in their pre-school year and are learning a great deal through the curriculum topics we plan on a weekly basis and this was outlined in the report and seen clearly by the inspectors.

“Our staff team work hard together and are dedicated to improving our practice, so being awarded with outstanding in all three areas of the inspection report has allowed us to celebrate the achievements we have made and has given us the confidence to know that what we do on a daily basis is making a huge impact to the early education of all the children that are enrolled here.

“We also want to take the opportunity to thank the local community, all the parents and children and our committee for supporting us in all we do and helping us to strive to be the best and it is with pleasure that we can now be noted as being one of the best pre-schools in Northern Ireland,” she said.