Nursery closure risk over dwindling numbers
The nursery at Moor Allerton Hall Primary School is facing closure
- Published
A council-run nursery in Leeds could permanently close after a decline in the number of children attending it.
The nursery at Moor Allerton Hall Primary School in Roundhay was no longer financially sustainable, according to Leeds City Council.
It is set to temporarily close in September in a move which could be made permanent from January 2025.
Councillors are due to discuss the proposals at an executive board meeting on 24 July.
A report to the council's executive board said the nursery would be facing a deficit of £78,000 if it remained open after the summer, the Local Democracy Service reports.
It said a decline in families taking up places coupled with staffing costs were negatively impacting the school's budget.
The school on Lidgett Lane, which currently has nursery provision during school hours in term times, was looking for a private provider to offer a more flexible childcare service.
The private provider would take over the running of a before and after school club.
Proposals to be discussed by the executive board include changing the age range of the school from three to 11 years to four to 11 years.
The report said: “The school was concerned about there being a gap in provision for families and wanted to work with a provider that would offer some funded hours alongside the more extended offer which some families want.”
The report said there were 64 responses to a public consultation on the nursery proposals, of which 52 were opposed to the plans.
But the report said the nursery closure would save cash at a time when redundancies were being made at the school.
It said: “The change to the age range and closure of the local authority-maintained nursery at the school would have a positive impact on the school budget as it would no longer be necessary to divert resources to support the provision.”
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