“Into my will, let there pour strength.
Into my feeling, let there flow warmth.
Into my thinking, let there shine light.
That I may nurture this child with
enlightened purpose
Caring with hearts love,
And bringing wisdom into all things.”
-Verse for teachers, by Rudolf Steiner
Our school is run by a team of enthusiastic and dedicated professionals
- Manager: Blandine Mahfouf
- Educator: Jantsje Schuurmans
- AIM Educator- additional staff: Rebekah Coxhead
Teacher-Child Ratios
At Burren Sonas Kindergarten, we take child to staff ratios extremely seriously, especially at such a young age, as the children learn by doing and spend a significant part of every day experiencing nature in the garden. The adult:child ratio in the garden is 1:3 and in the kindergarten 1:6.
The first few years of a child’s life are critical to their holistic development and having a low child to teacher ratio in early childhood education helps to foster this growth journey. Children typically require more focused care when they are younger in order to stay safe and have their needs met according to early child childhood education practices.
Benefits Of Low Child-Teacher Ratio In Early Childhood Education
1. Strong Student-Teacher Bonds
When early childhood educators are caring for children, they need to feel at ease and secure. As teachers build more trust with each child, the children will naturally feel more comfortable and at ease in the kindergarten. Additionally, children will get to know one another better, enabling them to engage in positive peer interactions at a formative age that will influence their social development for the rest of their lives.
2. Better Classroom Safety
As a parent, you are aware that young children are inquisitive and love to explore their surroundings. However, they lack awareness of boundaries and must be watched closely in order to safely explore their surroundings and engage in social interaction. A smaller class sizes proves easier to monitor the children. This essentially results in fewer instances of disagreements, accidents, and other negative experiences.
3. Enhanced Learning Experience
A lower class size ensures that each child’s individual learning style is taken into consideration. Since the teachers will be able to learn more about each child, they can tailor activities and play to the particular needs of the children. We choose stories, songs and activities that align with our children’s interests. Additionally, we can offer one to one attention when needed.
4. Reduced Teacher Stress
In general, small class sizes are beneficial for everyone and are not limited to just children. Additionally, they provide teachers with many advantages, such as lesser work-related stress.
Teachers are better able to adopt a positive attitude in the classroom and are more likely to remain in their positions for an extended period of time when they operate in a less stressful setting. Preschools with low teacher turnover rates can give the children a more consistent early childhood educational experience.
Volunteers & Work Experience
Throughout the year, Burren Sonas Kindergarten offers a profound learning experience for volunteers and trainees. We have had the pleasure of working with students from other Steiner schools in multiple countries, such as Germany, Hungary and Austria. We also offer training experiences for students doing their Level 5 Early Childhood Diploma.
Children love having new people to interact with, and each student brings their own set of skills to the Burren Sonas Kindergarten. We have been privileged to benefit from various cultures, languages and talents. We hope to continue to share our love of learning and Steiner ethos with many different students.
Erasmus+ Participation
Burren Sonas Kindergarten is a participant in the Erasmus+ programme. Erasmus+ is a European Union initiative that supports education, training, and professional development across Europe. Through Erasmus+, our staff have opportunities to engage in international training, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing with early years professionals in other countries. This enriches our practice, strengthens our pedagogical approach, and enhances the learning environment we offer to children and families.
Professional Development
Each year, our staff engage in ongoing professional development through the Better Start National Early Years Quality Development Service. Educators regularly participate in a range of accredited and specialised training programmes, including the Hanen Programme, the Leadership for Inclusion in the Early Years (LINC) programme, LÁMH training, and curriculum-based training aligned with Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework and Síolta: the National Quality Framework for Early Learning and Development.
This continued professional learning ensures our team remains informed, reflective, and responsive, enabling us to provide high-quality, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate experiences for all children.