Bright Sparks
Community Childcare Centre
A well-equipped, purpose-built, registered community centre for children from 3 months to 12 years of age.
Open from 7:30 – 18:30 – Monday to Friday
About Us
We offer flexible and high-quality childcare to families who need care for their children aged 3 months to 12 years old. We are open from 7:30 am-18:30 pm, 51 weeks of the year. With a combined fifteen years of childcare experience, you can rest assured that when you entrust your child to us, they are in safe hands.
In our Creche, your child is going to be nurtured and supported in a way that promotes positive self-esteem and provides the opportunity for optimal growth in all areas of development. We have an open-door policy, and we work together with parents/guardians/carers in a partnership that we consider vital, both regarding the emotional needs of the child, and the wider support needs of the family. We aim for a seamless transition between the home and centre and Bright Sparks helps children feel safe and secure, whilst aiding them with their social, emotional and learning needs.
What We Stand For
At Bright Sparks Childcare Centre, we have been inspiring children to grow up happy and confident since 2005. We see our role as more than just providing a service – we nurture your child from the moment we meet them, and we aim to give them a base from which they will grow throughout their entire life.
We do this by helping them to be:
Curious, Confident, Collaborative, Empathetic & Independent
Our philosophy is simple: children develop best when happy, secure, loved and well cared for. We put the needs of the children first and foremost by providing a safe, stimulating, caring and nurturing environment in a beautifully purpose designed premises.
Using the curriculum guidelines laid down in the statutory Tusla Childcare Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 Childcare Regulations (Childcare Act 1991 (Early years Services) (Amendments). Regulations 2016, we plan daily activities appropriate for each age range to encourage learning and development through play. Our children get lots of positive encouragement; they learn practical and creative skills, how to share and concentrate, and lots of other social and educational skills that provide a firm foundation for life. It is no secret that the first five years of every child’s development are the most formative. Simply put, our aim is to promote happy, healthy individual children who through play develop a love of learning, something that stays with them for a life time.
Parents are encouraged to use our approach at home to provide consistency, with staff always on hand to advise how best to achieve this.
Bright Sparks Community Childcare Centre Creche is registered with the DCYA Tusla and a member of Early Childhood Ireland. We follow the Soilta Standards / Aistear Principles to help young children develop and approach to learning which emphasizes active learning, independence, cooperation, and learning in harmony with each child’s unique pace of development.
VISION
Our vision is to be home to a fun learning environment where every child knows that they are loved, respected, and encouraged. We want to ignite a passion for learning and development in children, providing them with the highest quality of care and education.
We take pride in helping your child to become curious and inquisitive, with a desire to explore the world around them and find things out for themselves. We encourage them to try new things, overcoming challenges by keeping a positive attitude throughout their learning journey with us.
We also believe that the planet belongs to the children we care for, and that we need to teach them the importance of sustainability as well as demonstrating a commitment to it ourselves. Reducing, reusing, and recycling our resources is an essential part of the culture and routine for everyone at.
Mission
Our mission is to help children grow into confident, independent, and sociable people. We want to help them explore and discover new ideas, helping them learn for themselves as they develop their own interests.
We also encourage them to explore their own values, ethics and morals and we work with them to develop their sense of who they are. Our aim is for them to have a positive attitude and to exhibit respect for both themselves and others.
The learning experience we provide in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework is focused on the needs of each child, making sure they can discover and nurture their own personality.
We do this by developing all the areas of our business professionally and effectively, and ensuring the nursery is equipped with modern, well-maintained resources that will help the children to develop.
We also see our mission as one that we share with parents and carers, and we always work in partnership with them – listening to their views, learning from their experiences, and helping to develop their own skillset to help the children develop.
Bright Sparks Childcare Centre can only be brilliant if we have brilliant staff. We therefore invest in staff and ensure they are given the right training. They are all qualified to the legally required standard, and undergo extra training in important areas such as:
- Safeguarding Children
- Health & Safety
- HACCP and
- First Aid.
We go the extra mile with our team training and our staff have completed various courses, including Behaviour Management and Additional Needs Training.
The profiles of our staff are on display in the Centre, and you will be introduced to the key team members of your little one’s room when you join us. Your child will also be allocated a key worker, who will spend extra time with your child and provide you with feedback on their progress.
All our staff are specifically trained for the age group they work with, so they know how to get the best out of the children in their care.
All staff are fully Garda Vetted and all references and qualifications are fully verified by the Management Team.
Bright Sparks Community Childcare Centree Manager Donrina Shorunke (High Scope Teacher) and Senior Childcare Worker Sara Daly (High Scope Teacher), has a wealth of experience in childcare, and is supported by a passionate and committed staff team who are dedicated to the well-being and growth of every child in their care and ensure they receive the best experience possible.
Testimonials
“Our son has been attending Bright Sparks Childcare Centre since he was 6 months old. Over the last four years we’ve witnessed first-hand the excellent level of care and education provided by Dawn and the rest of the staff at Bright Sparks.
The environment created in Bright Sparks caters for the emotional, physical, and educational needs of all children. This has played a huge role in helping our son become the happy, confident, and curious boy that he is today.
Every morning when we arrive at Bright Sparks, our son can’t wait to start a new day. He rushes through the doors to meet his friends and carers, without a second thought for his parents. “
Justin and Selena – Parents
Learn More About Bright Sparks
All children are unique and have different learning styles. Here at Bright Sparks Childcare Centre, we give all our children the opportunity to learn through a style that works for them, and that is fun and enjoyable.
At Bright Sparks Childcare Centre, we incorporate Aistear, SÌolta and Montessori into our curriculums. In the Pre-Montessori room, all the plans are devised weekly/monthly. These plans are sent to the parents monthly so they can see what and how their children are learning.
In the Montessori/High scope rooms our curriculum plans are devised weekly/monthly. They incorporate aspects of Montessori/High scope as well as the principles of Aistear and Siolta The outcomes of these plans are then presented by each individual child in a Graduation Booklet at the end of their year.
Our weekly activity plans are designed to help your child meet all their goals and milestones. The staff complete observations to track this and to use in designing challenging play opportunities. It also will show you how these developmental milestones link to the Aistear Curriculum.
When all this learning has taken place and your child is ready to move to the next stage in their young lives, we celebrate this during their graduation.
Partnership with parents
Everything we do at Bright Sparks Childcare Centre is designed to make your life as a parent easier. We’re here to support you as your little one grows – which is why we are so proud of the loving, caring, home-from-home environment that we have created.
What we do goes beyond educating your child, though. We think that by offering help, support, and advice to parents we can make a real difference to everyone who is part of the Bright Sparks family – children, parents, carers and all!
Clear communication
We think that clear communication with parents is an absolutely essential part of what we do.
- What your child has had to eat (and whether they ate it all!)
- How many nappy changes we’ve made – and if we are running low on supplies
- When your child has napped, and for how long
- Any medication we have administered
- Pictures of your child playing, and what they have been up to.
We will also provide you with a full written observation, and pictures. We are also available to meet with you to talk you through your little one’s progress folder. If there’s anything you want to know about your child, we are always happy to arrange a meeting with you.
We believe that children learn best when they are having fun, so access to a stimulating outdoor environment is crucial. That’s why we have worked hard to ensure at Bright Sparks Childcare Centre, there’s always something fun – and educational – to do outside.
We teach the children about conservation, preservation, saving rainforests, protecting endangered species, composting, recycling, and organic gardening. We talk about nature daily and help the children to develop a keen interest and awareness in the cycle of life all around them.
We embrace the simple joys of life – nature walks in the garden, playing in the sand area, gardening in our organic patch, or simply sitting in quiet corners surrounded by nature and watching it all unfold.
We think it’s important to promote a sense of balance, calm, concentration, and overall health.
What is Aistear?
Aistear is the National Curriculum Framework for children from birth to six years in Ireland. The word Aistear is the Irish word for journey and was chosen because early childhood marks the beginning of children’s lifelong learning journeys. The Aistear framework can be used as a guide in planning learning experiences in sesional, full and part-time day care settings, infant classes in primary schools and childminding services. It can also be used by parents in children’s own homes.
Aistear describes learning and development through four interconnected themes:
- Well-being
- Identity and Belonging
- Communicating
- Exploring and Thinking
What is Siolta?
Síolta is the National Quality Framework for all services working with Birth-6-year old’s in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) sector in Ireland. Síolta, meaning ‘Seeds’, was developed by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE) and was published and launched in 2006.
Síolta is designed to define, assess and support the improvement of quality across all aspects of practice in ECCE settings where children aged birth to six years are present. These settings include:
- Full and Part-time day-care services
- Childminding services
- Sessional services
- Infant classes in primary schools
ECCE – The Early Childhood Care & Education Scheme
The Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme provides 2 years of free pre-school education. To qualify for this scheme your child must have reached the age of 2 years and 8 months by the beginning of the school year. This scheme covers the cost of programmes that take place for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week, 38 weeks of the year. The ECCE Scheme is not means tested and is available for all children of pre-school age. Bright Sparks Childcare Centre is delighted to participate in this scheme for all qualifying children.
NCS – National Childcare Scheme
The National Childcare Scheme provides supports to families with children between 24 weeks and 15 years who attend a participating Tusla Registered childcare centre. Universal Subsidies are available to all families with children under three years old. They are also available to families with children over three years old who have not yet qualified for the ECCE scheme. This subsidy is not means tested and contributes to the cost of a childcare place for up to 45 hours per week.
Income Assessed Subsidies are available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years. This subsidy is means-tested and will be calculated based on your individual circumstances. The amount of funding that each family will receive will vary depending on the level of family income, your child’s age and educational stage, and the number of children in your family.
COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
Positive cases of COVID in children or staff no longer require self-isolation. However, we do ask that parents keep their child away from the centre if they have COVID. Our childcare centre is a group setting and we need to keep staff and other children safe in order to keep the centre open.
HYGIENE PROCESSES IN THE CENTRE
All hygiene precautions and measures will still be maintained at a high level to protect our staff and children from infection. Only by continuing this system of controls will we ensure there are proportionate safeguards and reduce the risk of transmission.
We ask that parents continue to wear masks or face coverings at drop off and pick up. We also will not be allowing parents into the Centre to limit risk of cross infection.
VISITORS TO THE CENTRE
Visitors must immediately wash their hands and use hand sanitiser on arrival.
Viewings are permitted during working hours.
All visitors/maintenance people/ staff must follow all hygiene protocols.
In-person centre events (with parent’s present) are permitted in outdoor area