The popular volunteer-run setting in Portsmouth, Hampshire, is looking forward to its upgrade to the ‘large, open plan, flexible space’, with an added bonus of being able to up its provision by 50 per cent.
The move was enabled by Portsmouth City Council, which is under pressure to accommodate rising demand for school places at the Northern Parade School Campus, where the pre-school has been operating in the grounds.
Rather than making the pre-school homeless, the local authority made it a priority for the future of the site, in which it is set to invest £3.46m, allowing it to increase the school campus from three-form entry, to four.
The setting is optimistic about its ability to accommodate more funded children amid the 30-hours expansion.
Cathy Carley, manager of the Parade Preschool in the Hilsea area of the city, said, ‘We have rented accommodation on the northern parade school grounds since September 2000.
‘However, within the last couple of years, due to an increase in the local population, the school has needed to increase its pupil intake.
‘This has obviously had a knock on effect on our provision because the school now needs our building as a temporary classroom and eventually the ground space where the building stands for extra classrooms.
‘We have however been fortunate to have the local authority early years department behind us, and have been included in the building plans for the school site.
‘‘We are very grateful for the support from Portsmouth City Council.’
The setting has been offering 80 places (40 each in the morning afternoon) for two- to four- year-olds, while the future capacity will be increased to 120 places (60 each in the morning and afternoon).
Ms Carley said she was hoping to move early in the new year, when the school will take over the modular building temporarily.
She added that staff are ‘thrilled’ that the new premises will create better connections to the on-site children’s centre, providing ‘greater professional involvement and multi-agency working’.
‘Not to mention the new 30-hour scheme that parents are already making enquiries about,’ continued Ms Carley.
‘With the increase in size we will be able to accommodate more funded children.
‘Our setting has always been very popular due to the fact I believe that we are situated in the grounds of Northern Parade schools but also central to the local Hilsea neighbourhood and military housing.
‘Losing our setting would have meant our 83 children currently attending the setting finding spaces elsewhere.
‘We are essential to the local area as we keep our fees affordable and provide much-needed facilities, we have a very close relationship with our parents and encourage parental involvement.’
Ms Carley approached Nursery World with her positive take on what is likely to be an increasingly common challenge for early years settings located on school sites, after the magazine reported the plight of Kings Pre-school in Surrey.
Kings runs from a modular building in school grounds which Surrey County Council needed for reception classes – though it has since promised to fund alternative premises following a community campaign.
Anthony Harper, Portsmouth city council’s service manager for children's centres and childcare development, explained that the local authority has long-sighted plans for provision.
Mr Harper said, ‘We’re expecting two large residential developments in the next five to 10 years and because early years is represented on the school places planning strategy board, provision is being considered now, rather than it being considered as a separate entity that will need to be slotted in at a later date.
‘It’s that joined up thinking that allows us to make sure that planning for school and early years sufficiency takes place on an equal footing.
‘The pre-school will be adjacent to the on-site children’s centre, which will increase the day-to-day links and shared resources, with a shared garden space and a new community entrance shared between the children’s centre, the pre-school, and the school sharing the same entrance, improving community engagement.
‘There will be a large open plan flexible space for the pre-school.’
- Mr Harper explains more about the early years service in our Interview column, in the next issue of the magazine due out on August 22
