Quinagh Creche & Montessori school

l atmosphere creates a home from home environment for the children to feel secure in. We have a fire certificate which is maintained each year when our extinguishers and fire blankets are checked. We carry out a regular two week fire drill to alert the children of the importance of being aware of all the fire exits and fire evacuation procedure. Our insurance policy can also be found on display in the hallway. We have four main groups in our crèche:
• Baby Room
• Play group
• Preschool group
• Montessori

We also offer an afterschool service to our parents. Baby Room Age: 3months – 1 year
Ratio: 1:3
We try to form some routine in the babies day once they get settled in the crèche, each individual baby are all so different in so many ways. We have a special designed room to take care of 3 babies with all age appropriate toys, musical instruments, rattles, cushions and books. We have a large nursing chair in the room for the children to sit up in the adults arms for a story, cuddle or to have their bottle. For those beginning to explore on their feet we have push along toys and toys to encourage them to stand for small periods of time. The carer in the room will keep a daily log on each of the children in their group which will be available on the request of the parent/guardian. Each of the babies will have their own cot in the specified sleep room to sleep/rest at their own time if requested. Each baby will bring in a bag daily with their own belongings clearly labelled (bottles, soother or comfort toy). The bottles will consist of just water and we will add the formula as the baby requires the feed therefore we know what time bottle was made. Parents will supply nappies, wipes and cream for their child and also a spare change of clothes. Also we would ask you to provide a bottle of calpol/nurofen just in case your child requires it; you will be informed that day if your child had to be given calpol/nurofen. PlayGroup Age: 1 – 2 years
Ratio: 1:7
The routine in the wobblers group is a little more structured than one would think. Appropriate activities are introduced to your child’s development including their sense of independence and exploration. This is provided through structured play programmes. Arts & crafts, music, books, puzzles, toys and construction boxes are some of the activities on offer. There are also regular outdoor activities which take place in the garden. The children are encouraged to have one mid-day sleep after their dinner to avoid missing out on any play activities. If your child still requires a bottle of formula throughout the day we ask you to provide this clearly labelled with child’s name and it will be stored in the refrigerator. Parents are asked to provide calpol/nurofen, nappies, wipes and cream a change of clothes and a comfort or soother to remain in crèche for the child’s rest period. Each of the children have their own cot in the cot room clearly labelled with their name and our safe sleep policy is also carried out. Preschool Group Age: 2 – 3 years
Ratio: 1:7
The children are still very young so we encourage short work periods. We have a variety of activities on offer such as sand and water play, dress up and role play. The children are introduced to their numbers, letters, colours, shapes more challenging jigsaws and sorting exercises. The children also get to have a cooking lesson each week and bring home their baking. The children in this group also have a mid-day nap after their lunch. They each have their own mattress for rest time and a comfort or soother. At approximately 2 years we encourage toilet training. This process requires time and patience; the child must be physically and cognitively ready. The crèche and parents must work together to make this an enjoyable experience for the child. Child size toilets or potties are provided for the children. Montessori Age: 3 – 6 years
Ratio: 1:11
The Principles of Montessori Method of Teaching: 1. The Child
2. The Environment
3. The Directress
The Child
Montessori believed that “At the heart of any system of early childhood education should be the child”. The child enters the Montessori classroom from 2.5 years onwards. The child is given freedom to learn at his own pace in a secure environment. The child is not told what he should learn; he has a choice to select his own work from the shelf. The child learns to do everyday tasks for himself and therefore becomes independent and self-confident. The Environment
The environment is specially designed for the young children. It is laid out in such a way that the child is able to teach himself. There is specially designed equipment which is: Child sized Simple Attractive Self-correcting Accessible. The room should be: Attractive and neatly laid out Materials should be in good condition Children should have access to the material Furniture should be child-size, easy for child to move Child will return equipment to shelf when finished The atmosphere should be calm and relaxing

The Directress
The directress or teacher directs rather than teaches. This is because the environment is laid out in such a way that the child teaches himself. The teacher is an observer of the children. Each child may be at a different stage of learning so the teacher must record the progress. Then she presents the child with new material to work with. She treats the child with respect, patience and keeps order throughout the room. The directress is a friendly helper and guide. She helps the child to help himself. There are different areas in the Montessori room
• Practical Life: the practical life exercises develop the child’s independence and successful completion of these tasks build up self esteem and confidence. They develop a sense of order and co-operation and the child becomes more responsible and aware of others.
• Sensorial: it is important for the child to explore through his senses. There are many sensory-motor activities displayed in the classroom. They are designed to aid the child through his senses and the child only learns one step at a time.
• Language: children love making sounds from a very early age; they are made aware of sounds of language through a period of sensitivity to the language that they hear. We enrich the child’s vocabulary through stories and books, rhythms and jingles, singing, conversation, and question & answer games.
• Maths: in this area we introduce the child to the number symbols and memorising their sequence. We combine number and symbol and show that the symbols represent a certain quantity of separate objects.
• Biology: this helps the child to develop an ecological view of life, and it also develops a caring attitude to his world. In this area we introduce the nature table, animals of the world, parts of the plant and animal, the botany cabinet, life cycles and parts of the body.
• Geography: the child gets a clear picture of the world as a whole firstly, and then it is divided into parts. Travel is part of everyday life so it is good to give the child knowledge of the world. In this area we introduce the globes of the world, jig-saws and folders of the continents, land and water forms and maps of the continents and oceans.
• Music and Arts &Crafts: we have a variety of musical instruments available for the children. We also provide arts and crafts for the children.