Our Nursery is situated at 121 Sillogue Gardens, Ballymun Dublin 11. The nursery is a purpose-built childcare facility and caters for children from 4 months to school age. Our Nursery achieved an overall Siolta quality rating of Level 4 (highest award) in all 16 quality Siolta standards. All staff are trained in High Scope and we implement the HighScope curriculum in the nursery.
Our Nursery won the “Healthy Ireland Preschool Award” for promoting healthy eating, oral health, nutrition, physical activity and health and safety in the nursery. Our Nursery was awarded the “Investing in Childcare” award. This award was for listening to the children’s views and allowing children to have a voice in decision making and making change in the nursery as a result.
Board of Management
Our Nursery is managed by a Board of Directors, there are 6 directors on the board with representation from Finance, HR, Local Business, Building and Planning, Childcare, Barnardo’s, Community.
Our Nursery team is made up of the management team, auxiliary staff, early years educators included in this are 7 Lead educators and a curriculum coordinator.
Management Team
Bernie Kelly – Nursery Manager
Angela Gahan – Assistant Manager
Breege Mc Ginty – Assistant Manager
Early Years Educators
Beginners
Aideen Hughes
Aimee Nacar
Adventurers
Ciara Doyle
Amanda Boland
Investigators
Emer King
Samantha Daly
Francesca McMahon
Lenka Zlochova
Voyagers
Essie Carolan
Adrienne Brady
Paula Daly
Sandra O Rielly
Discoverers
Natasha Ridgeway
Sandra Boland
Catherine Lawlor
Mel Rooney
Explorers
Aoife Brennan
Sharon Trimble
Jacqui Oludayo
Sinead Sheridan
Jayde Whitton
Innovators
Joann Kelly
Catherine Fraser
Clare-Anne Caldwell
Clare Murtagh
Art Therapist
Andrea Plunkett
Kitchen Staff
Breda Munslow
Elizabeth Casey
Ruth Dolan
Reception Staff
Signe Podkalne
Sophie Fleming
Caretakers
David Tomney
Finance Administrator
Jane Martin
Cleaner
Sinead Flynn
The above Childcare Staff have the following childcare qualifications:
Angela Gahan has trained in the LINC Programme and is now our Inclusion Coordinator. One of Angela’s roles in the nursery is to engage with the Better Start Mentor and the early educators from each room to set goals and strategies for the children engaged with AIM (Access and Inclusion Model).
Breege McGinty & Joann Kelly have trained in Together, Old and Young Programme (TOY) The purpose of the TOY Programme is to promote intergenerational learning. We aim to create possibilities for the older people in the Ballymun community and our young children to learn together and benefit from each other’s company.
Emer King has trained as a HighScope Implementation trainer.
Jacqui Oludayo has trained as a facilitator in Circle of Security. This is a 10-week training programme we run for our parents. This course encourages parents to build relationships and secure attachments with their children.
Art Therapy: The nursery has an art therapist – Andrea Clare Plunkett who is registered with the Irish and European Associations of Art Therapy.She on-site two days a week. Art therapy can help young children communicate BIG feelings. In the art therapy sessions, the children are given the time to process and understand these big feelings. With children under 5 Dyadic art therapy is often used. This means that after a few weeks, a child might like to invite an important adult into their sessions if they want to.
