Award-winning Pre-School and After-School Outdoor Learning Centres
Carraig Briste was established in 2004 by Orlagh and James Doyle on their home grounds in Templescoby. Having cared and nurtured many children in the locality over the years, the couple extended the service by opening Carraig Briste. In 2012, a second building was opened to cater for children in the ECCE scheme as well as an afterschool programme. James and Orlagh both work full time in all the settings, running the day-to-day of both services with high qualified managers and a committed staff team.
Following the success of the service, in 2016 the family acquired the former Killegney National School. The building was renovated to create a state-of-the-art facility to provide a high quality early years care. The service opened in September 2016. It provides full day care and after school service. Since opening, the facility has developed a reputation as an excellent provider of pre-school and afterschool care, both for various public service staff and the local public community. The adjoining Killegney House hosts our ECCE 2 and Afterschool classes.
Our settings are committed to providing the highest quality care. We continuously take part in quality programmes for pre-school settings. So far, we have completed ‘Aistear in Action’ by Early Childhood Ireland, ‘Better Start’ by DCYA and ‘SMART’ by NCN. Furthermore, we are the first pre-school in County Wexford to receive an Innovation in Community Involvement award from Early Childhood Ireland in 2016. We have continued to receive various Quality awards since.
Our settings are working towards the highest national award of ‘Siolta’, which recognises the highest standard of quality care and education in Ireland.
Indoor, Outdoor and Beyond!
Our Philosophy includes the values and principles from different approaches in Early Childhood Education such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia and Forest Schools.
We follow Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework in Ireland as the foundation of our curriculum.
We provide a child-centred and natural environment where the children take part actively indoors as much as outdoors and grow as individuals in a holistic way and learn best through play.
Children are engaged in individual and group opportunities to create a community of learners.
We will support and scaffold your child’s learning and development to help them grow at their full potential in partnership with the family. We also believe in the benefits of outdoor learning for the children’s overall well-being.
In applying our philosophy, parents can work or study, confident in the knowledge that their children are safe and happy under the supervision of competent carers.
In order to maintain our standards we constantly search for new ways to further improve our settings and give each and every child in our care strong foundations and happy memories to develop a love for learning.
We select only highly qualified and motivated staff that will carry out the superior level of quality childcare we offer.
Our Objectives
- At Carraig Briste our ethos and practice values diversity and promotes equality.
- We select friendly, motivated and professional staff through our rigorous recruitment and selection policy.
- We ensure that the developmental, educational, emotional and social needs of each child are met daily.
- We ensure the voice of the child is heard, respected and contributes to our programme.
- We aim to deliver a quality care and play curriculum which addresses children’s well-being, identity and belonging, communication and exploring and thinking, along the principles of Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework.
- We aim to make Carraig Briste accessible to all members of the community, regardless of race, gender, family status, age, disability, or religious belief.
- We aim to work with ‘Síolta’ The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, by following its 12 principles of quality and the 16 standards within its framework.
- We operate within the Childcare (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2016.
- The environment is planned and well-organized in a way that suits the different needs of individual children, while keeping in mind the importance of Safety and Hygiene.
- Parents are actively welcomed at Carraig Briste at all times and participate in activities such as ‘secret reader’, professions talks, cooking, etc.
- We welcome the participation of all family members including mum, dad, grandparents and other relatives and siblings.
- We provide regular feedback to ensure that parents/guardians are made aware of on-going developments in policies and procedures.
- Carraig Briste promotes a positive atmosphere where children, staff and parents are treated with respect and equally.
A true home from home
Above all, your child’s welfare, your input and contentment with our service is most important to us. We provide a warm, loving, home-from-home environment, where each child is treated with respect and will develop and learn at their own individual pace while feeling happy, safe and secure. The children attending Carraig Briste and Killegney are provided with the care and the standard we expect for our own!