Early Start
St Thomas JNS has a pre-school known as the Early Start pre-school. Early Start is a Department of Education and Skills initiative since 1994. Early Start pre-school is a one year programme. It is designed to cater for children in the year before they enter junior infants. The programme focuses on three main areas - language development, cognitive development and social, emotional and personal development. Early Start is a play-based programme through which children are actively learning in an age-appropriate setting.
The pre-school is staffed by two primary school teachers and two qualified childcare workers. It caters for 60 children daily – 15 in each of two morning groups and 15 in each of two afternoon groups.
Times of sessions are:
9.00 a.m. - 11.20 a.m. morning group
12.00 p.m. - 2.20 p.m. afternoon group
Parental support and involvement is a key element of the Early Start programme and is crucial to its success. Parents are welcome and encouraged to take part in activities during the school year. The pre-school has the same holidays as the Junior School and introduces the children to the rules of the Junior School and environment.
A child seeking entry to Early Start must be 3 years on or before the 1st of September of the year of admittance.