Inspection, Awards & Accreditations

At Knockbreda Nursery School, we are proud of the external recognition our school has received for the quality of our provision, our commitment to outdoor and environmental learning, and our work in placing children’s rights at the heart of school life.

Education and Training Inspectorate

Knockbreda Nursery School was inspected by the Education and Training Inspectorate in November 2017. The outcome of the inspection was very positive and, as a result, there was no requirement for a follow-up inspection.

The report can be found on their website, or you can download a copy here.

The outcome of this inspection was very positive and as a result there was no need for a follow up inspection. Details of the pre-school inspection process can be found on the Education and Training Inspectorate website.

Eco-Schools

Environmental education is an important part of learning at Knockbreda.

The school has achieved the prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag Award in recognition of its continued commitment to environmental awareness and sustainability.

Children are actively involved in environmental learning through experiences such as recycling, planting, caring for trees, outdoor learning and understanding how they can help to care for the world around them.

This work continues to be part of nursery life. Recent Eco-Schools activities include learning about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, bird and nature activities, litter picking, planting and Forest School experiences.

Previous Green Flag assessors highlighted strengths including whole-school participation, strong links with environmental initiatives and the extensive opportunities children have to learn outdoors and through nature.

Caring for Our World

Our Eco-Schools work supports our school values of Curiosity, Discovery and Respect, encouraging children from an early age to understand that small actions can make a positive difference.

Forest School

Outdoor discovery is at the heart of our vision for learning.

Knockbreda Nursery School holds Northern Ireland Forest School accreditation, recognising the school's commitment to incorporating Forest School and outdoor environmental learning into its curriculum.

The Northern Ireland Forest School Association supports Forest Schools across Northern Ireland, with programmes designed to encourage children to learn outside and engage with their natural environment.

Children at Knockbreda enjoy regular Forest School experiences in our Woodland Area, providing opportunities to:

explore and investigate the natural environment;

observe seasonal change;

plant and care for living things;

develop practical skills;

solve problems and make choices;

develop confidence and independence;

build resilience; and

learn how to care for their environment.

Knockbreda's recent Forest School activities have included litter picking and planting seeds to care for the Forest School environment.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Forest School brings our values of Curiosity, Discovery, Resilience and Respect to life, providing children with meaningful opportunities to explore, investigate and learn through first-hand experiences.

UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting School                               

We are extremely proud that Knockbreda Nursery School is a UNICEF UK Gold Rights Respecting School. The school achieved Gold: Rights Respecting in February 2024.

Gold is the highest level of the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Award and recognises schools where the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are fully embedded within the school's ethos and curriculum.

Knockbreda's Gold accreditation report found that children's rights are embedded across the school and underpin every facet of school life. The assessor highlighted children's understanding of rights, the nursery's age-appropriate approach to rights and respect, communication with families, and children's developing understanding of themselves as global citizens.

Children's Rights at Knockbreda

Children's rights are part of everyday nursery life.

We encourage children to understand that:

everyone has rights;

everyone should feel safe and included;

their voice matters;

they have a right to be listened to;

everyone should be treated fairly and with respect;

differences should be valued and celebrated; and

we all have a responsibility to respect the rights of others.

Children learn about rights through play, stories, conversations, Circle Time, decision-making and everyday relationships.

Our Rights Respecting work is closely connected to our values of Inclusion and Respect, supporting children to develop empathy, confidence, participation and a strong sense of belonging.

Nurturing Learning for Life

Our ETI inspection, Eco-Schools Green Flag, Northern Ireland Forest School accreditation and UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting Schools Award reflect different aspects of the same commitment: providing children with a nurturing, inclusive and stimulating environment in which they can thrive.

Governors' Report

The Governors' report is produced annually; the report is available here.