Sheffield nursery schools hit by funding shortfalls
Katy Morton
Friday, September 9, 2011
One of Sheffield's three remaining council-run nursery schools is to merge with a primary school and the future of the other two is unclear because of a lack of funding.
Birley Community Nursery School will be merged with Birley Primary School in Sheffield if councillors agree to the proposals next week.
The amalgamation of the nursery and primary school will see the number of full-time nursery places fall from 78 to 52, a move which the council says will ensure the setting is viable.
Without the merger the council claims that Birley Nursery School will have run up a deficit of around £405,000 by 2014.
The two other council run nursery-schools, Grace Owen Nursery School and Broomhall Nursery School and Children’s Centre, which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary, are currently under review.
The council claims that the introduction of the Early Years Single Funding Formula, which is based on the number of children attending a setting rather than the number of places offered, has resulted in a significant reduction in the level of funding for the nursery schools.
Sheffield City Council’s cabinet member for children, young people and families, councillor Jackie Drayton, said, ‘The reduced funding from central government means that if we don’t take action now there is a danger that the nursery will have to close in years to come. This would leave Birley children with no early years provision and this is not acceptable at all.
‘Although the quality of provision in the existing nursery school is excellent, the merger is the best option to ensure high quality early years provision can continue on the Birley campus. The close links with the reception class will also build on the existing good practice for children moving up from nursery to school in years to come.’
If plans for the merger go ahead, Birley Community Nursery School could close as early as December 2011.
