Welcome to our website. It is designed to bring you up-to date with life in St. Maria Goretti Nursery School. I hope you enjoy browsing the information and photographs.

At St Maria Goretti Nursery School we are proud of our school ethos.

Our school vision is that “Everyone within our school community shall enjoy a happy, safe, nurturing and inclusive environment wherein they are provided with a range of child led  learning experiences through an adaptive curriculum, thus enhancing self-esteem, confidence, curiosity and laying solid foundations for life-long learning.”

This is summarised by our school motto- Learning to learn, hand in hand.

Our aim is to facilitate;

• Child led learning
• Purposeful and playful interactions
• An adaptive, inclusive curriculum
• Positive pupil and staff wellbeing
• Reflective practice
• Parental engagement
• Community relations

We value practice that helps our children to feel safe and nurtured, our parents to feel welcomed and supported, our staff to feel valued and inspired; and our wider school community to feel included and confident.

St. Maria Goretti Nursery is a well-established nursery school set in the heart of the Whiterock area of West Belfast and St. John’s Parish. The Nursery school opened in September 1983 and it is built on the site of the former O’Hare’s farm. The School was purpose built by the parish of St John’s and is a Department of Education Catholic Maintained School. Fifty-eight full aged children, aged between 3 and 4 years old, attend full-time which includes a midday meal. The nursery has a pedestrian entrance path from Whiterock Gardens and an entrance for staff vehicles on the Whiterock Road. There are 3 classrooms in the school, 2 quiet story rooms, 1 sensory room, 1 staff room/office, a serving kitchen and a utility room. Each children's bathroom is equipped with 3 child sized toilets and wash-hand basins. The school also boasts a recent refurbishment including specialist provision for children with a statement of Special Educational Need, accessible bathroom with changing facilities and a small Occupational therapy space indoors. Outdoor accommodation consists of a safety surfaced covered area with shutters, a large paved path, a mini beast garden, an expansive enclosed sand pit, a large tar macadam playground including numerous play resources, a willow tunnel, an outdoor classroom, creative stage area, a horticulture garden space, a digging mud station, a climbing frame/slide and a safety surfaced play area.  There are outdoor storage sheds and a staff car park. Outdoor, all-weather play accommodates creative play, construction, investigation in sand, water and mud as well as horticulture and physical development. The outdoor provision is enhanced by all -weather clothing and new magnetic safety lock systems on all external gates. Throughout the year we offer a variety of educational trips to places of interest and we regularly invite visitors into the school to enhance the nursery curriculum. Parents are actively encouraged to participate in the life of the school through open days, play days, induction sessions, parent/teacher meetings, school transition reports, digital SWAY newsletters, parent workshops , seesaw app updates, website and social media platforms and social events.

The Board of Governors take an active role in all the affairs of the school and strongly supports the work of the staff. They are committed to maintaining the high quality leadership and management of the school.

Ms S Heaney

Principal