Northumberland pre-school to 'reluctantly' close its doors after 26 years

A much-loved nursery is set to shut down next year after serving the community for 26 years.

Bosses at Broomley Pre-School near Stocksfield said the decision had been taken with a "heavy heart" in response to rising rents and changing Government legislation. The pre-school will close at the end of the academic year in July.

Academy chain the Cheviot Learning Trust, which operates the adjacent Broomley First School, has announced it will launch a new nursery from September to replace the pre-school.

In a letter to stakeholders seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Broomley Pre School chair person Vanessa Hucklesby wrote: "Now that the Cheviot Learning Trust control the lease of Broomley First School, we have decided that we have no choice but to dissolve our charity. The suggested substantial increase in our annual rent would have a detrimental impact on our financial viability.

"We have had various meetings with the head teacher (Mrs Katie Jacobs) from Broomley First School and the chief operating officer (Mr Mark Tait) from The Cheviot Learning Trust. It is very apparent that their vision, alongside the government's aspirations, is to utilise their building, staff, space and resources to the best of their ability.

"This would allow them to eventually offer an Early Years setting for children younger than pre-school age, in hope to increase their 'pupil pipeline'. We were informed that enrolling children from the age of nine months was part of the Trust's future plans.

"Whilst we would be happy to diversify and make changes to accept children from the age of 2, enrolling babies at 9 months is not something that we would wish to commit to. Taking all of the above into consideration, we have decided, very reluctantly, that we have no option but to dissolve the charity, close our Pre-School and allow the Trust to run an early years setting in the way that they choose.

"We would like to thank everyone who has been involved with the running of Broomley Pre-School over the last 26 years. Our current Pre-School manager, Mrs Tina Gray, who for the last 22 years has taught and prepared so many children for first school deserves special recognition for her efforts.

"Praise and thanks should also go to our other staff and committee members, both past and present, for their professionalism, passion and dedication. We will forever be proud of the pre-school provision that we have given to Stocksfield and surrounding areas."

It comes as new rules around free childcare for young children come into force in a bid to support families.

Eligible working parents can already apply for 15 hours of childcare for children aged nine months to three years old and up to 30 hours for three and four-year-olds. From September next year, children up to three years old will also get 30 hours.

Government analysis has found that Northumberland needs to to uplift capacity by more than 20% - one of the highest figures in the country - by next September in order to meet demand.

In a letter responding to the news, Broomley First School's executive head teacher thanked the team at the pre school for their work and outlined initial plans for the new nursery.

She wrote: "After 23 remarkable years of service and dedication, Broomley Pre School will be stepping back from its role on our site. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Broomley Pre School for their unwavering commitment to nurturing our young learners.

"Their legacy of care and education has been a cornerstone of our community. Looking to the future, we are excited to announce that Broomley First School will be establishing a brand new Nursery provision starting this September.

"This innovative provision will be designed to celebrate the curiosity and energy of our youngest children in our community. We are planning an engaging and nurturing environment where each child can flourish.

"We eagerly look forward to embarking on this new journey with you, our trusted partners. Thank you for your continued support and belief in our shared mission of providing outstanding education and care to all children in our community."

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