Initiatives & Services

Before and After School Childcare

‘Lyons Den’ run a before and after school childcare service. They use the Community Centre (just to the left of our front door), some of our classrooms and our school grounds. They provide childcare from 7.45am until 9.10am and from 1.50pm until 6pm.

In the mornings they provide breakfast. In the afternoon they serve snacks, fruit and they serve a hot dinner at 5pm.

Children have an opportunity to do organised activities such as art, sport and games, do homework or engage in free play.

To apply follow this link:
LYONS DEN ENROLMENT
or email barefieldnationalschoolfees@lyonsden.ie (Use this email if you need to amend a booking or have a query re fees)

If you have a query that is not related to fees or bookings, you can email the manager via barefieldns@lyonsden.ie, call 0831479705 or email the area manager on katieod@lyonsden.ie 

They may also open on days the school is required to close for staff training and during Halloween, before we reopen in January, mid-term, Easter and during the summer, subject to a minimum booking of 12 children. Booking for these ‘camps’ is a separate process and they will communicate with parents directly in advance of those dates.

Lunch Delivery

Bradbury and Connolly – Hot School Meals, provide delicious lunches to our children each day. You can see the menu and log-in to their website through here https://hotschoolmeals.ie/

Accelerated Reader Programme

The Accelerated Reader is a curriculum-based assessment tool that primarily determines whether or not a child has read and comprehends a book. A student who uses the program selects a book from the more than 25,000 titles on the AR list. Each book is assigned a point value based on the number of words it contains and its reading difficulty. After reading, the student goes to the computer and takes a multiple-choice comprehension test on the book’s content. Tests may have 5, 10, or 20 items, depending on the length and difficulty of the book. The computer scores the test, awards the students points based on the results and keeps a complete record. Passing the quiz is an indication that the student understood what was read.

Active School Flag

We have been awarded an ‘Active School Flag’ in recognition of all the physical activity that takes place in our school.

• We have great facilities. We have a large sports hall, 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.
• All classes have weekly PE lessons.
• On Mondays, the club coach from St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield GAA club comes for a full day of hurling, camogie and football coaching.
• Each class receives four weeks of yoga, gymnastics and modern dance from specialist coaches. All children from 1st Class up get six weeks of swimming lessons.
• After-school basketball training for boys and girls typically takes place after Easter and we have a proud tradition of participation in the Marion Keane Basketball tournament.
• After-school football coaching is for boys and girls from 1st class up and typically runs for September and October.
• After-school camogie and hurling training is for boys and girls from 1st class up and typically runs after Easter.
• We have an annual sports day in June.
• Cycle training takes place for 6th class annually.

Féile na hÍnse

Féile na hÍnse is a county event the school partakes in dedicated to promote the Irish language and Irish culture in general. It takes place every year in the Auburn Lodge Hotel and Barefield National School has been a huge supporter of this event for many years.
Teachers let pupils choose a poem, drama or song in Gaeilge and get them ready for their performance. Traditional music is also on the programme and the school Ceili band and Grúpa Cheoil have played in Féile Na hÍnse every year over the past twenty years.

Swimming

Children from first to sixth classes in Barefield National School avail of six swimming lessons annually. 1st and 2nd Classes attend swimming classes at Ennis Leisure Complex and children from 3rd to 6th Classes attend lessons in Shannon Pool.

Cuman na mBunscol

We have a proud history of participation in the Cuman na mBunscol camogie, hurling and football competition. Staff offer after-school training.

St.Josephs Doora/Barefield GAA Club also provide a coach who trains all classes in the school in fundamental movement skills for hurling, camogie and football.

Basketball

We have a proud history of participation in the Marion Keane Basketball tournament. Staff offer after-school training.

Mathletics

Mathletics is an engaging math program where children have fun practising their maths skills. Log in: https://login.mathletics.com/

Choir

Ms Corrigan and Claire run an after-school choir every Thursday evening. The school choir has won numerous national awards and sings at school events.

Gymnastics

All children in the school receive four weeks of gymnastics classes from a professional gymnastics instructor.

Yoga

All children in the school receive four weeks of yoga classes from Eimer McCarthy during the school day.

Zara Madden from Namaste Youth Yoga offers after school classes for children. She can be contacted on 086 0834664 or via email on z_madden@yahoo.com. Bookings can be made on https://namasteyouthyoga.ie/classes

Modern Dance

All children in the school receive four weeks of modern dance lessons from a professional dance instructor.

Traditional Music

The Denis Liddy Music School offer traditional Irish lessons immediately after school each day.

Denis’ website is https://tighnacoille.org/ and he can be contacted on 087 2229813 or via email on denisliddy@gmail.com 

Irish Dancing

Helan Greene gives dancing lessons after school. You can book by contacting Helan on 087 6231106

Speech and Drama

Sarah Griffin gives speech and drama lessons after school and can be contacted via email on madtheatrecompany@gmail.com

Musical Theatre

Sarah Griffin gives musical theatre lessons after school and can be contacted via email on madtheatrecompany@gmail.com

Creative Keyboards

Keyboard lessons are available from ‘Creative Keyboards’. Bookings can be made via their website https://www.creativekeyboards.ie/school-venues–booking-info

Modern Foreign Languages

We have a long tradition of teaching & learning Modern Foreign Languages in Barefield National School since Ireland has been part of the European Union.

Barefield National School has joined the Say Yes to Languages programme, French & German classes are given for 8 weeks to 5th and 6th class pupils as a sampler module.

French and German are also offered as extracurricular activities to pupils from 3rd to 6th class during the entire academic year. We are fortunate to count Rachel Frawley and Martina Merz as our language teachers. They both have many years of experience.

• Martina (mobile number 086 785 1399, email address martina.merz.learngerman@gmail.com) is a native German speaker from Southern Germany. She started teaching German in Primary School in 2013 and has been living in Ennis since 2009. Before her move to Ireland, she lived in the UK for 14 years and worked for an international German company as a Purchasing Manager. She has a degree as a Nursery School Teacher/Social Work and in Economics.

• Rachel (mobile number 086 025 4476, email address rachelfrawley.frenchteacher@gmail.com) is a French native from Paris. She started teaching French in 2009 as part of the MLPSI (Modern Languages in Primary School Initiative) and as an extra-curricular activity since 2012. Her qualifications are in ICT (Master), FFL teaching (Alliance Française FFL and Montessori) and Post Primary Education (Professional Master of Education, NUIG). She is now involved in the Languages Connect programme for Primary Schools and is currently preparing an HDip in Spanish for post-primary teachers in UCC.