Introduction On 6 January 2021, Education Minister Peter Weir MLA, announced that, in light of the Covid-19 crisis in public health, the Northern Ireland Executive had agreed that all ma
List of pre-schools that participated in discussions with ETI District Inspectors
Arellian Nursery School Cairnshill Nursery Unit Alphabet Playgroup
Ballyclare Nursery Cedar Nursery Unit Ballee Pre-school Playgroup
Bangor Central Nursery Enniskillen Integrated Ballybeen Women’s Centre
School Nursery Unit Pre-school
Barbour Nursery Florencecourt Nursery Ballyronan Playgroup school Unit
Bligh’s Lane Nursery Iveagh Nursery Unit Carryduff Pre-school
Brefne Nursery School Moyle Nursery Unit Clogher Valley Playgroup
Drumnamoe NS Orangefield Nursery Unit Dromore Community Playgroup Dunclug Nursery School St Malachy’s Nursery, Glasswater Pre-school
Unit, Castlewellan Edenderry Nursery St Malachy’s Nursery Unit Greysteel Playgroup
Glenbrook Nursery St Mary’s Nursery Unit, Humpty Dumpty Playgroup
Harrison Nursery School St Joseph’s Nursery Jolly Rogers
Unit, Dunloy Magherafelt Nursery Towerview Nursery Unit Little Acorns Playgroup
Malone Nursery School Whitehead Nursery Unit Little Oaks Playgroup
Mossley Nursery School Little Sunbeams Playgroup
Our Lady’s Nursery School Naiscoil Cholmcille an Charraig Mhór
Railway Street Nursery Naiscoil Léim An Mhadaidh
Sandbrook Nursery School Naiscoil na Fuiseoige
Stanhope Street Nursery Naiscoil Charn Tóchair
Strathfoyle Nursery School Peter Pan Playgroup
St Luke’s Nursery School Poyntzpass Community Playgroup
Tandragee Nursery School Rathkeltair Cross Community
Tudor Lodge Nursery School See-saw Playgroup
Victoria Nursery School Straidarran Community Playgroup
St Comgall’s Pre-school Education Centre
Sugar and Spice Early Year’s Centre Tobertiny’s Community Playgroup The Country Playgroup
Reporting terms used by the Education and Training Inspectorate and Methodology/ evidence base
In this report, proportions may be described as percentages, common fractions and in more general quantitative terms Where more general terms are used, they should be interpreted as follows:
Almost/nearly all - more than 90%
Very few/a small number - less than 10%
ETI’s Inspection and Self-Evaluation Framework (ISEF): Effective Practice and Self-Evaluation Questions for Pre-School is a publication available on the ETI website The ISEF offers clear guidance on effective practices and self-evaluation questions designed for preschool settings, helping schools enhance inspection readiness and ongoing improvement in early years education.
Throughout January and February 2021, the ETI has been engaging with pre- schools to understand their experiences of monitoring and evaluation of the delivery and quality of remote learning provision
A questionnaire issued by the ETI was completed by 69% of pre-schools during the week of
25 January 2021 The quantitative analysis was published in February 2021
District inspectors engaged via video conferencing and telephone with leaders in 66 schools
Case Studies
Case studies from five schools detailing their self-evaluation of delivering, monitoring and evaluating effective remote learning from March 2020 to February 2021
Bangor Central Nursery School currently enrolls 78 pupils across three classes, including one full-day class and two part-time classes The staff comprises a teaching principal, an assistant teacher, two nursery assistants and two classroom assistants The school community is linguistically diverse, with eight languages spoken other than English and 15% of families speaking a language other than English at home.
Since September 2019, the nursery introduced the Seesaw app for home-school communication and launched a school website and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) In March 2020, with very little time to prepare for remote learning, staff and parents faced varying levels of confidence in using technology and apps There was also variation in the devices available at home, with some families sharing a single device, making access harder The staff team had to figure out how to support young learners accustomed to experiential, play-based learning in a social context, and replicating the six learning areas of the pre-school curriculum at home—especially personal, social and emotional development and physical development—became a key priority.
During the first lockdown from March to June 2020, the nursery school expanded the use of Seesaw as the primary home–school communication tool Children were already familiar with uploading their photos and creations on the class iPads, and, together with newly launched school social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and the school website, Seesaw offered a secure and effective platform for remote learning To supplement online content, staff also prepared and distributed home learning packs that included a carefully selected range of materials and equipment, along with guidance for parents to support their children's learning through play at home.
A daily Seesaw activity, scheduled for 9:30 am, established a predictable routine for children and parents with prompts designed to draw out learning Children’s responses—drawings, photos, and messages—were submitted by parents at times that worked for them, and teachers replied with “likes” and recorded voice comments In addition, staff pre-recorded stories and rhymes on Seesaw for children to watch and join in There were no fixed deadlines or expectations for completing activities within a particular timeframe Throughout the period, staff monitored engagement via the app and found that around 58% of parents and children across the three classes engaged actively, with very positive feedback from both parents and children.
To support remote learning, the school website features a dedicated section with ideas, activities, and advice for parents across the pre-school curriculum The school’s social media channels also share play-based learning ideas from partner organisations like RISE NI, along with information about relevant live-streamed events and learning resources such as the RSPB or other suitable family events Staff members have posted and displayed the children’s work on the website and on Seesaw, with parental permission and steps taken to protect their identities.
During term 1 (September–December 2020), staff reflected on the benefits and effectiveness of their social media presence in supporting parents and continued to integrate these platforms into ongoing practice Non-teaching staff gained opportunities to contribute to content creation for children, including recording stories and nursery rhymes using Makaton, as well as videos of dough-making and other creative art ideas, all of which were approved by the principal before uploading The team widened the use of Seesaw and monitored and evaluated how planned activities impacted children's learning and their ability to engage meaningfully with staff The children enhanced their understanding of digital forms of communication and developed a sense of real audience and purpose, while parents increased their ability to support home learning playfully and grew more confident using Seesaw as a communication and learning tool.
Drawing on prior experience, staff now post two daily videos to each child’s Seesaw learning journal, delivering a diverse range of content and activities For children who need individualized support, tailored one-to-one videos are posted to address their specific learning needs.
3 Learning journals are the system used to record the observations of the children’s learning within the app
The school uses the Early Years Media Initiative—a set of four resources and puppets—to explore key aspects of children’s personal, social and emotional development and well-being, inviting them to respond in their individual Seesaw journals This approach is supplemented by elements from the Department of Education’s Getting Ready to Learn program, including the Big Bedtime Read activity, to support early literacy and school readiness Together, these initiatives foster holistic growth in confidence, communication and social skills while creating a digital record of progress in Seesaw.
To ensure continuity and progression in children's learning while avoiding repetition or overlap, teachers use an online collaborative Google document to share and agree on planning and activities They plan at pace a week in advance so learning continues uninterrupted even if staff are absent, and this approach prevents duplication of content when different staff create videos Children leave voice notes and/or parents’ messages, with staff posting comments to monitor the impact of learning activities and the children’s engagement Parents are free to upload photos and videos of children using practical resources provided by the school or taking part in home activities that support development, such as playing in the snow.
Staff recognise the importance of a strong digital presence for supporting children's ongoing emotional well-being, using Seesaw to reply to and comment on the children’s responses to uploaded activities They continue to focus on developing the children’s personal, social, and emotional development, recognising that this critical learning area remains one of the most challenging to address effectively through remote learning.
By gathering and analyzing feedback from parents and pupils about the school's digital platforms, the staff continually reflect on technology use, the planned content, and its impact on learning, with these evaluations guiding future planning and strategic decisions across the school The emphasis on improving digital skills and creativity among staff, children, and families has enabled the entire school community to adapt quickly and positively to subsequent lockdowns Today, all staff contribute to video-based content, exemplified by the school secretary, a published children's author, who wrote and recorded a story for the children.
Child and parent engagement is extremely high, with participation near 100% Staff report that effective communication at all levels—within the team and with children and their parents—drives positive outcomes Most importantly, the children are happy, and both children and parents consistently engage with, and adapt to, changes the staff introduce to support the children's learning and development.
Her leadership is driving upskilling and training for teachers, advising and advocating for innovative, purposeful use of technology to transform learning and teaching in her role as an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) As a Seesaw Certified Educator, she leads professional development for schools and teachers and now extends support to voluntary preschool staff on how to use Seesaw effectively.
5 The Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) programme recognises teachers who are using Apple technology to transform teaching and learning.
6 Seesaw Certified Educators have maintained their Seesaw Ambassador status for 3 years and are ready to share, lead, and inspire beyond their school community.
Cedar Integrated Primary School Nursery Unit
Cedar Integrated Primary School Nursery Unit operates as a single-unit nursery staffed by two and offering one part-time session, while also hosting a student from Belfast Metropolitan College on a two-day-per-week placement Children who attend come from the local community and a wider catchment area The school plans to celebrate Integrated Education Month in March 2021 through online activities that showcase the school's integrated practice and invite the children to explore what integration means.
Before March 2020, nursery staff had very limited experience communicating with parents online In February 2020, parent newsletters were distributed electronically, and all updates on children’s progress, along with advice and support, were given in person or occasionally by phone The nursery had not offered remote or blended online learning Nevertheless, staff already had three years of experience using the Seesaw app as a record-keeping tool prior to March 2020.