Newton Flotman Pre-School to shut after failing to find new manager

Newton Flotman Pre-School, near Norwich, will shut at the end of the month after also failing to recruit new committee members to help run it

A children's nursery is to close after a fruitless year-long search to find a new manager.

Newton Flotman Pre-School, near Norwich, will shut at the end of the month after also failing to recruit new committee members to help run it.

Nursery workers said other nearby village nurseries have also struggled to fill vacancies.

Angela Andrews, who has worked at the pre-school for 23 years, said: "It's not been a light decision."

Angela Andrews has worked at the pre-school for 23 years and said its closure would be unsettling for the young children who went there

The pre-school, run by a volunteer committee, cared for around 35 children aged between two and four, according to its last Ofsted report.

Staff said they took on more children after a pre-school in neighbouring Tasburgh closed in May after it had also failed to find a new manager.

The pre-school, based in the village centre and graded as requiring improvement following its last Ofsted inspection in May, has been unable to find someone with the right qualifications to fill the £19,000-a-year post.

"People are leaving the industry because of the pay and how it's funded," said Ms Andrews.

"We don't get paid a very high wage, but we're looking after people's precious possessions.

"I really feel we're not valued enough for what we do for these little ones."

She said while she had worked at the nursery for more than two decades, her three other colleagues had clocked up more than 30 years between them.

Ms Andrews said during that time she had seen attitudes dip towards the job and felt less "valued".

With just one childminder left in the village, she said she was concerned about local childcare provision.

"You are turning these little lives upside down in many ways - we've now got some... children here who have got to move again," said Ms Andrews.

"Some of these children are going to be staying at home and these children really, really need somewhere to be going.

"We're feeling very sad, but there's no other way."