.png)
Enrolment
Our service is open to all families in our community. We are committed to operating open and fair admissions procedures. We recognise and respect the rights of all adults and children in our service. We value the ability, individuality and cultural background of all children by providing each child with the opportunities they need to reach their full potential as active learners within an inclusive ethos/culture. We aim to actively promote equality of access and participation and eliminate discrimination on grounds of, gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Travelling Community.
​
We provide two, 3-hour, daily ECCE sessions, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays, during term time only. We DO NOT currently provide extra hours outside the ECCE programme nor do we accept part-time places such as 3 days or 2 days per week. Please see ECCE rules below.
​
Places are limited and allocated on a first come first serve basis. To avoid disappointment we recommend you send in a completed registration form as soon as possible. We are currently accepting registrations up to 3 years in advance. A child's name will only be added to the class list if a place is still available and only upon receipt of a completed registration form.
​
Please note: We operate as a privately owned preschool located within the grounds of Barefield National School. We are not affiliated with the school and admission to the preschool does NOT automatically guarantee a place in Barefield National School. Please refer to Barefield National school’s website for their admissions policy.
​
Our Parent Handbook can be downloaded here.
Registration forms can be downloaded here.
​​
* Completed registration forms can be sent to us by email or post. We will contact you once we receive your registration form to confirm if a place is available.
Post should be sent to our postal address available on our contact page. Please DO NOT sent registration forms addressed to Barefield National School. We are a privately owned preschool and not affiliated with Barefield National School.
​
Please note completion of the registration form does not automatically guarantee a place.
​
Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE)
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age. Children can start ECCE when they are 2 years and 8 months of age and continue until they transfer to primary school, provided that they are not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the pre-school year.
​
ECCE scheme rules for 2023/24 can be downloaded here.
​
Eligibility is determined by your child's age. Please use this ECCE calculator to determine which year your child will be eligible.
​
Our 2023/2024 ECCE Fees list is available here.
Our 2023/2024 ECCE Calendar is available here.
​
From September 2022 a new funding model will support the delivery of Early Learning and Care for the public good, through greater State investment and greater public management of provision. The funding model is designed to improve affordability, quality, inclusion and sustainability.
​
Our Parent Statement for Partner services is available here.
National Childcare Scheme (NCS)
The National Childcare Scheme is a landmark new Scheme for Ireland. It is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. It establishes an equitable and progressive system of universal and income-related subsidies for children up to the age of 15. It also provides an innovative and user-friendly online application process to access those subsidies.
​
Through all of the above, the National Childcare Scheme aims to improve children's outcomes, support lifelong learning, make work pay, reduce child poverty and tangibly reduce the cost of quality childcare for thousands of families across Ireland.
​
For more information and to calculate your eligibility please click here.
Access and Inclusion Model (AIM)
The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of quality early years care and education.
​
AIM is a child-centred model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, based on the needs of the child and the pre-school service. For many children, the universal supports offered under the model will be sufficient. For others, one particular discrete support may be required to enable participation in the ECCE Programme, such as access to a piece of specialised equipment. For a small number, a suite of different services and supports may be necessary. In other words, the model is designed to be responsive to the needs of each individual child in the context of their pre-school setting. It offers tailored, practical supports based on need and does not require a formal diagnosis of disability.
​
For more information please click here.
​
Other useful websites include:
The Hanen Centre - Helping you help children communicate