In 1842, the Sisters of Mercy began teaching in Newtownsmith, Galway City. Our current primary school was opened in January 1960. At present, Mercy Primary School has a student population of almost 200 pupils and 16 full time teaching staff, including Principal, Rena Jordan, Deputy Principal, Siobhán Morahan, Learning Support Teacher, Resource Teachers, English as an Additional Language (EAL) Teachers, Home/School/Community Liaison Teacher and Class Teachers. Aiming to do the very best they can for every child who comes into the school, to maximise their talents and potential, to give them a solid grounding in academic work and to open their eyes and minds to the world that awaits them.

The Inventors is our older aged group catering for children aged three and a half up to five and a half. In this room learning opportunities are planned from children’s needs and interests and include ways to encourage early literacy and numeracy, communication skills and the ability to understand the world around them. Practitioners support the group to reach their goals.  Children in this room build on the skills and dispositions they already have.  They begin to exhibit positive attitudes towards investigation and learning.  The Inventors are encouraged to express themselves creatively and imaginatively.  We support them to voice their feelings in a way they are comfortable with.  Over the year, children develop the necessary skills to become “school” ready.  To help the smooth transition into The Mercy Primary school, Practitioners link in with the school teachers to ensure continuity of top quality care and education.

Due to demand we opened our third preschool room in January 2018.  This newly refurbished space offers a bright, child centred environment where equipment, resources and visuals are at children’s eye level.  This room is divided up into learning and interest areas for construction, art, craft and design, role play and real world, messy play and a cosy quiet corner with a library.  Materials on offer are open ended and natural to promote children’s curiosity and creativity.  This room caters for children aged from two and a half years up to 4 years old.  This room provides a great introduction to the preschool environment as the group is small with no more than 13 children at one time.  Through our play-based curriculum children are encouraged to develop their communication and social skills.  The daily routine allows for opportunities for children to build their self-confidence and develop a sense of self.  From this room children will transition to The Inventors room.

Our Explorers room is for the age group two and a half years old up to four years old. It is a bright and spacious room.  Its layout and areas change regularly to suit children’s emerging interests.  The children have opportunities to explore areas which offer arts and crafts, construction, role play, small world play and quiet time.  Children of this room regularly take part in yoga exercises and music and movement sessions.  Equipment and materials are at children’s level and they are encouraged to become active agents in their own learning.  The art and craft area is laid out to allow children to explore their own creativity and have the freedom to design what they wish.  Over the year, children become accustomed to the preschool environment.  They will form friendships and increase their ways of communicating.  Children are supported to becoming independent and take responsibility for themselves and their environment.  From this room children transition to the next stage of Preschool; The Inventors.