Ballon Rathoe Community childcare Facility LTD

Rathoe Community Childcare is a purpose‑built early years centre situated in the village of Rathoe, directly opposite Scoil Phadraig National School. Established in 2006 as an after‑school service in the parish hall, it has expanded to provide a full preschool programme alongside its original after‑school offering. The centre caters for children from 2 years 8 months up to the end of the junior preschool stage, with dedicated rooms – the Rainbow Room for junior preschool and the Butterfly Room for senior preschool – each designed to support natural, play‑based learning. The centre’s curriculum follows the Aistear Early Childhood Curriculum Framework and is delivered through a Natural Play‑Based approach developed by outdoor learning specialist Jan White. Children are encouraged to learn through movement, sensory exploration and hands‑on activities both indoors and in a spacious, secure outdoor area that includes a sand pit, mud kitchen, climbing frame, sensory garden, vegetable patch and water play facilities. Learning stories are documented with photographs and compiled into individual “Special Books” to track each child’s progress and milestones. Rathoe Community Childcare also provides a range of extended services, including a Breakfast Club from 7.45 am, wrap‑around preschool care (12 pm‑3 pm), after‑school care for junior infants to sixth class (2 pm‑5.45 pm), and full‑day holiday camps running from 9 am‑4 pm during school breaks. The centre places a strong emphasis on wellbeing, friendship and connection to nature, aiming to foster resilience, confidence and social‑emotional development in a caring, inclusive environment.