Education Minister Paul Givan pictured with Principal of Brooklands Primary School Nursery Unit, Jeremy Armstrong and some of the children during his visit to the school.
Education Minister Paul Givan has announced that 77 pre-school settings from throughout Northern Ireland will begin the transition of moving from part-time to full-time hours.
Earlier this year the Minister committed to offering all children aged 3-4 and their families 22.5 hours of funded pre-school education per week. Currently, 60% of children receive 12.5 hours per week and 40% receive 22.5 hours.
Making the announcement during a visit to Brooklands Primary School Nursery Unit, Paul Givan said:
“In May, I announced the largest expansion of pre-school provision in over 25 years, and today we are taking an important step forward in delivering on our plan to provide every child with a full-time pre-school place.
“We want to ensure an additional 2,200 children will have a full-time funded pre-school place from September 2025. This will involve transitioning 100 pre-school settings from part-time provision to full-time.”
The Minister continued:
“Having carefully considered the requests made by pre-school settings and the comments provided by stakeholders in response to the public consultation on the proposed changes, I have approved the first 77 pre-school settings to transition.
“These settings will provide additional full-time places from September 2025, providing target aged children with the best start to their education and their families with additional support too.
“It is my intention to announce a further tranche in the coming weeks. I want to ensure that all council areas and all pre-school management types will be represented within the settings proposed for transition from September 2025.”
Facilities across North, East and South Antrim which will deliver new or additional full-time (22.5 hours per week) funded pre-school education from September 2025:
NORTH ANTRIM
Ballee Pre School Playgroup, Ballymena
Buick Memorial Primary School, Ballymena
Gracehill and Galgorm Community Playgroup, Ballymena
Armoy Cross Community Playgroup, Ballymoney
Kilmoyle Primary School, Ballymoney
EAST ANTRIM
Acorn Integrated Primary School, Carrickfergus
Corran Integrated Primary School, Larne
Hollybank Pre-School Playgroup, Monkstown
Sunnylands Nursery School, Carrickfergus
SOUTH ANTRIM
ABC Day Nursery - Sleepy Hollow Aldergrove
Ballymacward Pre School Playgroup, Lisburn
Crumlin Integrated Pre School Playgroup
Greendale Day Nursery Playgroup, Newtownabbey
Mossley Nursery School, Newtownabbey
St Joseph's Nursery School, Antrim
The full list of the 77 pre-school settings is available on the Department’s website here.
This standardisation of pre-school settings formed part of a £25million package of measures to support children, parents and providers with early learning and childcare in 2024/25.