About Barefield NS
About our School
Principal’s Message
Mr Gerard Ruane
Barefield National School has a distinguished history in the field of Education. Since 1895, it has been a progressive centre of innovation and excellence in teaching and learning.
Our children have access to fantastic facilities. We have sixteen mainstream classrooms, a special class and multi-sensory room for children with autism, six support teaching rooms, a large school hall and a library. All classrooms have the latest flat-panel interactive boards. Outside, we have an astroturf pitch, a running track, a basketball court, a ball wall with an astroturf area, two playing pitches, spacious yards and a playground with a see-saw, carousel, basket swing and a large play centre with a slide and climbing areas.
Our best resource is of course our staff. We have an extremely caring, professional team who work together to ensure the best holistic education for each and every child.
We work in close partnership with all parents and guardians as well as the Parents Association who do tremendous work supporting our school. We are governed by a dedicated Board of Management.
We know how busy life is for parents and guardians. We offer a range of optional services for parents. We have a lunch delivery service operated through ‘The Lunch Bag’. We rent out our facilities immediately after classes so that parents and guardians can avail of after-school activities on-site. There are yoga lessons with Emer McCarthy, Speech and Drama with Sarah Griffin, French with Rachel Frawley, German with Martina Merz, traditional Irish music lessons with Denis Liddy, Musical Theatre with Sarah Griffin, Irish Dancing with Helan Greene and keyboard lessons with ‘Creative Keyboards’. Our staff train the children in camogie, hurling, football and school choir after school. The local community centre is located just beside our junior yard and ‘Lyons Den’ offer childcare from 7.45am to 9.10am and 1.50pm to 6pm.
For me, it is a tremendous honour when parents and guardians enrol their children in our school. I will always do my best to ensure the children are safe, happy and learning to the best of their ability.
Is mise le meas,
Ger Ruane
Mission Statement
Our core aims are to provide a broad and comprehensive education, to recognise the needs and to develop the talents of each pupil.
We are a caring school. We strive to live up to Christian values and to show genuine concern for one another.
We appreciate individuality and difference.
We are committed to building a community which respects the rights and uniqueness of each other.
School Charter
Every child has the right to:
- Feel safe from mocking, threats, verbal and physical abuse;
- Be called by his or her own name;
- Be themselves and be treated equally regardless of appearance, race, colour, gender or religion;
- Be included in school activities and have friends;
- Have his or her beliefs and personal belongings respected;
- A good education without prejudice in a clean and healthy environment;
- Give expression to his or her own opinions and feelings;
- Use and develop his or her own talents;
- Be listened to;
- Have his or her privacy, secrecy and confidences respected.
“Ar Scath a Chéile a mhaireann na daoine”
School Hours
Classes start at 9.10am. We accept pupils onto the premises from 9am and they are supervised in their classrooms.
Junior Infants, Senior Infants, 3rd and 4th classes
Sos: 10.45am – 10.55am
Lunch: 12.30pm – 1.00pm
1st, 2nd, 5th and 6th classes
Sos: 11am – 11.10am
Lunch: 1pm – 1.30pm
Finish: (Infants) 1.50pm
Finish: (Classes 1st to 6th) 2.50pm
School Facilities
Barefield National School’s outdoor playing facilities include an astro-turf pitch, a basketball court, two playing fields equipped to play soccer, gaelic football, hurling and camogie, a two-lane running/walking track, a ball wall with an astroturf area and a playground with a see-saw, carousel, basket swing and a large play centre with a slide and climbing areas, while our indoor sports hall is equipped for participation in a variety of indoor sports.
We have a special class with sensory rooms, several support teaching rooms, a garden plot, a covered area for rainy days, an extensive corridor as well as plenty of display areas in the corridors and classrooms.
Over the Rainbow Early Learning Centre
Located on the grounds of Barefield National School is Over the Rainbow Early Learning Centre who provide Early Years Education and Care under the ECCE programme for children in the community aged 2yrs and 8 months to 5½ years.
In the highly qualified and capable hands of Ann-Marie Healy and Jennifer Byrne, Over the Rainbow Early Learning Centre is a welcoming, friendly, respectful and supportive home-from-home where children are encouraged to experience, interact and explore the world around them at their own pace. The curriculum includes a combination of play-based learning, Montessori and Aistear, the National Early Years Curriculum framework.
Working in partnership with parents within a rich, diverse and developmentally appropriate environment, children are supported in their transition from preschool to Junior Infants and encouraged to be independent life-long learners.
Opening Hours
Session 1: 8:35am – 11:35am
Session 2: 12:00pm – 15:00pm
For more information, please visit their website at www.overtherainbowelc.com or email Ann-Marie and Jennifer at overtherainbowelc.bn@gmail.com
Important Note: Barefield National School’s Enrolment Policy is available here: Enrolment in Over the Rainbow Early Learning Centre, or any other preschool, does not mean children secure a place in Barefield National School. It is essential that parents read Barefield National School’s Enrolment Policy.
Before and After School Childcare
School Books
Staff
- Gerard Ruane – Principal
- Bernadette McGloin – School Secretary
- Miriam Brennan – School Secretary
- Miriam Rowe – School Secretary
- Noreen Moloney – Bus Escort
- Junior Infants – Ms. McMahon
- Junior Infants – Ms. O’Sullivan
- Senior Infants – Ms. Woods
- Senior Infants – Ms. Harrington
- 1st Class – Ms. Keane
- 1st Class – Ms. Baker
- 2nd Class – Ms. Vaughan (Library until extension is complete)
- 2nd Class – Ms. Kilcawley
- 3rd Class – Ms. Collins
- 3rd Class – Ms. Hennessy until Christmas. Ms. Quinn thereafter.
- 4th Class – Ms. Corrigan
- 4th Class – Ms. Morey
- 5th Class – Mr. Cahill until end of February. Ms. Power thereafter.
- 5th Class – Mr. Frawley
- 6th Class – Ms. O’Connor
- 6th Class – Ms. Daly
- Special Class – Mr. Liddy
- Support Teachers: Ms. Enright, Mr. Chambers, Mr. McMahon, Ms. Moore/ Ms. Raftery (Job-share), Mr. Burns, Mr. Murray
- Leo Duggan – Career Break
- Sharon Malone – Special Needs Assistant
- Colette Kerins – Special Needs Assistant
- Vanessa Callinan – Special Needs Assistant
- Regina O’ Connell – Special Needs Assistant
- Gloria Cleary – Special Needs Assistant
- Claire Kelly – Special Needs Assistant
- Mary O’Conghaile – Special Needs Assistant
- Aoife Clancy – Special Needs Assistant
- Tríona Keogan – Special Needs Assistant
- Martina McMorrough – Special Needs Assistant
- Rony Machado Silva – Caretaker and Cleaner
Parents Association
Welcome to Barefield National School Parents Association. We would particularly like to welcome parents of junior infants, some of you who may be new to Barefield school. We hope your junior infant is settling in well and has enjoyed the first few weeks in the school.
All parents of pupils in the school are automatically members of the Parents Association so there is no need to officially join, you are already a valued member!
There is an elected committee in place that manages the responsibilities of the Parents Association on behalf of the parents. It is made up of a Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and a group of parents who liaise with the school staff and meet once a month to organise special events throughout the year. Our main function is to enhance your child’s experience at school by organising fun events and activities. We also raise essential funds for the school to invest in your child’s education.
We are looking forward to a busy year of activities such as cake sales, school photographs, refreshments after Communion, movie day, coffee mornings and much more.
Needless to say none of the above would be possible without the help of all of you who volunteer your time and contribute financially to these events. We greatly appreciate any offers of help as we know how busy life can be. Maybe you could volunteer an hour or so at one of our events. Getting involved in the parents association affords you the opportunity to meet other parents and is an enjoyable experience.
If you would like to help out, please contact the school office or come to any of the monthly meetings held in the school, usually on the first Tuesday of the month. A reminder text is sent out prior to the meeting.
Students Council
The students’ representative council is a very important development in Barefield N.S. Ms Keane organises the election and running of the student council. The members of the council are elected each year by the pupils themselves.
Alongside a Chairperson and Secretary are representatives from each class. Meetings are held at regular intervals.
We have a Students’ Council in our school because all children have the right to express their views on matters affecting them. The Students’ Council is a way of giving the pupils of Barefield N.S. a voice.
The Students’ Council:
- Listens to what pupils in the school have to say
- Represents the pupils and voices the pupils’ opinions and ideas
- Consults and cooperates with all other members of the school community on issues that are of concern to the pupils
- Keeps the rest of the school informed about issues being discussed and decisions being made
- Helps to improve the relationship between teachers and students by keeping the lines of communication open at all times
- Suggests ideas and comes up with plans to improve the school environment for students
- Gets involved in activities for the benefit of the school, the local community and the wider world
Board Of Management
The Board of Management structure of Barefield N. S. enables parents, teachers and Patron’s representatives to join together as partners in promoting the success of the school in all its work and in its links with the wider local community.
The Board of Management of our school comprises of: –
- The School Principal;
- 2 Patron’s Nominees;
- 2 Elected Parents or Guardians
- 1 Elected Teachers’ Representative;
- 2 Members from the Community.
Names of Board of Management members are available at the school.
Board of Management Reports can be viewed HERE
The Board of Management Handbook can be viewed HERE
Please Note
It is important to note that, as per p.25 of the Board of Management Handbook, Board members are not delegates of their electorates. They have no obligation to either report back to their electors or to take instruction from them on how to vote at board meetings. Such reporting may be a breach of confidentiality requirements. It is a matter for each Board to decide what may be reported and by whom and, in this respect, it is essential that personnel, financial and personal matters are dealt with in line with relevant confidentiality requirements.
Barefield NS Website 2015-2022
To view the archive edition of our previous website visit https://archive.barefieldns.com/
Please note, that as this is an archived edition of the website, some links and images may be unavailable.
