Sleepy Hollow wraparound 8am – 6pm year-round daycare Diane and Nikolai Kowplewsky run the Sleepy Hollow Group which grew out of their existing day nursery business in Crumlin. Currently they run 5 wraparound units operating in: - Crumlin PS
- St Ita's PS, Belfast (2 units)
- Ballycarrickmaddy PS, Ballinderry
- Newtownbreda PS, Belfast
- Dundonald PS
and further units planned to open in 2007 in: Mossley PS, Newtownabbey - Knocknagoney PS
- Greenwood PS, Belfast
- Killowen Primary School, Lisburn
- Mount St Michael, Randalstown
- Sacred Heart PS, Ardoyne
Diane and Nikolai firmly believe that traditional after-school care within day nursery settings does not meet the needs of children aged 6 and above. They visited a number of extended schools providing wraparound care in England to learn what works best before setting up similar facilities in Northern Ireland. Contracting out childcare services: Ballycarrickmaddy Primary School Ann Thompson, School Principal was so inspired by the daycare provision she visited in Denmark, Iceland and Australia that she persuaded her Board of Governors this was the way for Ballycarrickmaddy to go. After visiting a number of local schools running after-schools clubs, the governors quickly realised that this was an excellent way to support parents in a rural area. There was no funding available so the school contracted out to Sleepy Hollow Group, who rent the school's premises. Since January 2006, they have been running a breakfast club; 2 o'clock club (2-3 pm); full daycare 2-6 pm, and are also open all holidays and exceptional closure days. Daycare is run from a classroom but it only takes ten minutes either end to transform back and forth. However the unit has been so successful planning permission has been sought to put a dedicated mobile classroom on the school site for after schools provision. The ethos is on play and the children having fun and enjoying themselves. Mrs Thompson cites several benefits to her pupils, parents and the school such as: - New and enthusiastic staff coming into the school who are fully trained in play
- Children are happy in a familiar environment doing a wide range of non-school activities
- Children able to stay with their friends
- School supports the community and school
- Income for the school
- Reduction in travelling time for children
Newtownbreda Primary School offers wraparound 8am – 6pm year-round daycare. Sleepy Hollow rents rooms from the school and is able to offer the service at a competitive rate. 20 children are currently using the facility. The out of school club is about to begin offering the service to families from neighbouring schools.
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