Rathfriland Pre-School Playgroup

Public benefits

Purpose 1: To promote and provide access to high quality pre-school education to children and families in the Rathfriland area. The benefits which flows from this purpose include: • Enhanced education of children under statutory school age in the Rathfriland area by encouraging parents/ guardians to understand and provide for their children, to

benefit the public. • Advanced educational attainment by promoting early education to families in the whole community, regardless of religion, culture, race or means, to benefit the public. • The positive impact on children in our care by offering appropriate play facilities and activities, to benefit the public. • Promotion of public interest and recognition of the needs of children by encouraging the study of the needs of pre-school; and recognition of such needs of children and their families in the Rathfriland area, to benefit the public. • Increased resources and facilities through directly invested funds in Rathfriland Pre-school, to benefit the public. • Increased involvement and responsibility of parents/ carers in the activities of the pre-school. The above stated benefits are demonstrated, inter alia, by: a) Professional, recorded and reported observations of children in our care; b) Detailed and systematic methods of planning and assessment; c) Annual inspection and report by the Education and Training Inspectorate; d) Annual Education and Training Inspectorate questionnaire, survey and evaluation – which expresses a high level of satisfaction with the pre-school’s provision; e) Self-evaluation through a comprehensive development plan with appropriate targets identified for continuous improvement; and f) International and national research which reports the benefits of high quality pre-school education on children, families and wider society. Beneficiaries The main beneficiaries are the children under statutory age in the Rathfriland area, who receive a high quality pre-school education, best preparing them for school while promoting confidence, self-esteem and good behaviour. The children in our care are provided with a service to develop their early skills, at their own pace. Also benefitting from a high quality pre-school education, are the children’s families and the wider community. Pre-school education encourages children to work cooperatively, by the very nature of the environment, learn to respect one and other, thus benefitting the wider community in Rathfriland. According to recent research, ‘high quality pre-school education is an effective way to reduce social problems associated with poverty because it teaches children the psychological skills they need to succeed as adults’, American Economic Review, Savelyav et al. No private benefits are derived from the Rathfriland Pre-school, which is ran by the community for the community, to benefit the public. This purpose does not lead to harm.

What your organisation does

The setting provides PEAGs places, funded by the Education Board for pre-school education.