Victory in sight for threatened nursery schools

Last Thursday, one day after the close of the consultation into the future of the six nursery schools, Warwickshire County Council announced that it would recommend that all of them remain open and be allowed to work towards Centre of Excellence status. This would see them offer training and support to other settings.

The council's cabinet will consider the outcome of the consultation on 22 July, but supporters of the nursery schools are confident that councillors will back the recommendation to save them.

The consultation took place in May and June, looking at three possible options for the settings - Atherstone Early Years Centre, Bedworth Heath Nursery School and Children's Centre, Kenilworth Children's Centre and Nursery School, Stockingford Early Years Centre, Warwick Children's Centre and Nursery School, and Whitnash Nursery School.

The options were to become a nursery class attached to a primary school, to bring in private providers to take over daycare provision, or to develop nursery schools as centres of excellence.

Councillor Heather Timms, the portfolio holder for Children and Young People and Families, said, 'As a local authority we have listened to the strong feelings expressed by parents. We have also been impressed by the commitment shown by the nursery schools to share their expertise with other providers for the benefit of children across the whole county. That is why we are recommending to cabinet that we begin to work with nursery schools to develop them into Centres of Excellence from September this year.'

Mandy Brougham, chair of governors at Kenilworth Nursery School, said, 'We are delighted. We came together as a strong community of nursery schools and now we will be a community of excellence, working together to build on our strengths. Eventually we will offer training and support to other early years settings, including those from the private and voluntary sectors.'