School celebrates with community fun day

School celebrates with community fun day

9 April 2025

KILLYLEAGH Integrated Primary School’s nursery unit is holding a community fun day this Friday to celebrate its move to full-time provision from this September.

The event — which runs from 11am until 1pm – is open to all children in the area due to start pre-school in September or younger children who just want to get a taster of a nursery setting.

Nursery teacher Anna Friel said the school is very proud of the nursery unit and that it will be a full time setting from September.

“This deserves to be celebrated and we are opening this Friday to all pre-school children in the area because as an integrated nursery unit, we have a strong sense of community and would love to welcome friends, families and visitors to join us on this special occasion,” she said.

In addition to a series of fun activities this Friday, there will be refreshments, an ice-cream van and much more, with nursery unit staff on hand to advise parents on the benefits a full time nursery provides and the school’s special education needs co-ordinator will be available to speak with parents.

School principal, Mr Jason Milligan, said everyone is delighted with the announcement from the Department of Education which enables the school to further increase its delivery of high-quality nursery provision for children in the area. 

“Not only will we able to provide free full-time nursery education that is delivered by fully trained teachers, but we can now provide school meals and free-school meals to eligible families within the nursery unit,” he said.

School officials say that having spoken with several current parents and a parent whose child has moved onto attend Killyleagh Integrated Primary School, they are delighted the nursery unit is moving to full-time opening.

One nursery parent said it was “fantastic news”.

They added: “It will be great to have the free full-time nursery provision with lunch. It will really develop children’s social skills and I also love the way we can make use of the wraparound care until 3pm.”

Another parent highlighted the benefits of choosing a nursery unit.

They said because the unit is part of the school, they were able to easily access the Education Authority’s Special Education Needs Early Years Inclusion Service with support and guidance from the school’s dedicated special education needs specialist.

A past nursery parent added: “The nursery unit provided my child with all the necessary skills to transition easily into Primary One. They hit the ground running as they had the abilities and confidence to embrace the challenges of their new surroundings.”