Playgroup
The Playgroup is registered with the Department of Education to provide pre-school education to children 3-4 years. Playgroup operates two sessions 9.00am to 11.30am, with a total of 47 places. All areas of the pre-school curriculum are covered. Playgroup children have access to a garden in which they have opportunities to develop and learning through the environment around them.
Playtime Playgroup promotes respecting difference of cultures and abilities through the Media Initiative.
Playgroup is participating in shared education in the 'Sharing from the Start' programme, now known as ASPIRE.
“The staff are well-organised and provide a spacious learning environment using stimulating resources and activities to engage the children’s interests and to facilitate high quality learning experiences. A nurturing, family ethos pervades the playgroup and the engagement of families as educators is encouraged.”
“The staff are well-organised and provide a spacious learning environment using stimulating resources and activities to engage the children’s interests and to facilitate high quality learning experiences. A nurturing, family ethos pervades the playgroup and the engagement of families as educators is encouraged.”
“The staff observe and actively listen to the children, skilfully allowing time for the children to create their own ideas and appropriately intervening to extend their language and thinking. This close staff involvement supports the children’s use of language to express their own feelings and ideas and as a result the children are curious and interested in learning. ”
Pre-School Admissions
Pre-school Admissions opens in January for the following September. Parents/ guardians can apply for an Education Authority funded pre-school place for children who will have turned 3 years old by 1st July before starting pre-school or those who have made a deferral.
Sprinter Room- Wrap around daycare
(before and after playgroup hours)
Click the link above to access price list.
Please note there is no waiting list for children who take up a pre-school place at Playtime, Eskra.
Standardisation of Pre-School Hours
You may have heard that the Executive has announced it's plan to Standardise the Pre-School Hours, to have all children in their Pre-School Year attend 22.5 hours per week.
This scheme is being rolled-out across all of Northern Ireland and Pre-Schools are being chosen in groups, by the Department of Education, to move across to the new system.
Playtime has not yet received any correspondence or an indication on when we might be moving over to the Standardisation Scheme of extended hours.
When we have further information, we will communicate this with you.
“There is a child-centred, inclusive approach based on a warm and nurturing environment for learning and development and as a result the children are respectful of each other and their behaviour is excellent.”
Take Virtual Tours of Our Playgroup Rooms
Take a tour of our Playgroup rooms and outdoor learning spaces below. You can see the wide variety of activities, areas of play and learning which evolves to meet the needs and interests of the children throughout the school year.