Have your say – future options for Maintained Nursery Schools in Croydon
Between 19 September and 17 October, we are asking for your views on a proposal for the future of Croydon’s Maintained Nursery Schools.
We want to hear our residents views on a proposal to reduce the number of Maintained Nursery Schools in Croydon through closures or mergers, to make the schools financially sustainable.
Croydon’s Executive Mayor approved plans to consult on the proposal at June’s Cabinet meeting following an update on the schools’ finances.
Maintained Nursery Schools are local authority-run schools that provide early years education and childcare to children aged two to four during school hours, usually 8.30am – 3.30pm during term time. They do not usually include wrap-around care, and some have seen a fall in numbers over the past three years.
The schools' receive government funding and run at higher costs than other early years providers as they must function like a school and employ a headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, qualified teachers and meet the same standards and requirements as schools.
Maintained nurseries form part of Croydon’s wide range of early years education and childcare options for young children, with over 570 providers to choose from boroughwide.
The council and the schools have been working together to look at ways of reducing spend, and steps have been taken to reduce outgoings. The council is now looking at all options to make the schools’ financially sustainable. Doing nothing is not an option as the schools' must be financially sustainable to continue.
All responses will help the Executive Mayor of Croydon in Cabinet to understand the impacts of the proposal and make an informed decision on the next steps.
Please note that at this stage of the process no decision has been made on the proposal. Following this consultation, if the decision is made to close or merge any of Croydon’s Maintained Nursery Schools, we will run another consultation to ask for your views on a more detailed proposal. You can find out more about why we are proposing this and the next steps below and in the consultation document and questions and answers. Tell us your views by answering the questions in our short survey. We are also keen to hear ideas for how we could deal with the financial challenges and deliver our Maintained Nursey Schools differently within the funding allocated by the government. |
Why are we considering closing or merging Maintained Nursery Schools in Croydon?
Nationally, Maintained Nursery Schools have faced financial challenges for several years despite extra funding from government, leaving the future sustainability of these schools uncertain.
Maintained Nursery Schools run at higher costs than other early years providers as they must function like a school and employ a headteacher, Special Educational Needs Coordinator, qualified teachers and meet the same standards and requirements as schools.
Some of Croydon’s Maintained Nursery Schools currently run at a loss and this has resulted in some of the schools having a combined deficit of over £560k (as of end of previous year).
Doing nothing is not an option and something must be done so that the service is financially sustainable for the future.
Early years childcare in Croydon Croydon is lucky to have a wide range of early years childcare options with over 570 childcare providers in the borough. Croydon has five Maintained Nursery Schools – three in the north, one in the centre, and one in the south, together offering nearly 300 full-time equivalent places. |
What do we mean by financially sustainable?
Where the Maintained Nursery Schools can provide a high quality service, balance their books and not incur debt.
Tell us your views It is really important to us to hear your views, any ideas you might have, or suggestions for how we could do things differently. Have your say by 11.59pm, Tuesday 17 October 2023. |
What happens next?
All responses will help the Executive Mayor of Croydon in Cabinet to understand the impacts of the proposal and make an informed decision on the next steps.
Following this consultation, if the decision is made to consider closing or merging any of Croydon’s Maintained Nursery Schools, we will run another consultation to ask for your views on a more detailed proposal.
