A Staffordshire nursery which cares for children with special educational needs, is to close in December despite opposition from parents and local residents.
Staffordshire County Council announced this week its decision to shut the nursery, which offers places to children with educational, mental health and social needs.
The nursery, which is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, has been providing childcare and additional support to children and families in Leek for the past 25 years.
The council took the decision to shut Leek Day Nursery based on two studies and its own research, claiming it is more beneficial for the children with special needs to go to a mainstream nursery with their peers.
County councillor Mike Lawrence, cabinet member for children's wellbeing, said, ‘Research has shown that children learning in a mixed group develop better than those who are a specialist placement such as Leek Day Nursery.
‘Young people need good quality, tailored care in their own communities where they can play and learn with other young people from a range of backgrounds.
‘The county council is keen to ensure the services it provides and commissions offer the best possible opportunities for them. Leek Day Nursery will only close when every child is settled in their new surroundings.’
Parents and local residents had been campaigning to keep the nursery open. A total of 1,725 signatures from parents in Leek and nearly 500 additional postcards were submitted to the county council, which held a consultation about its proposal to close the nursery.
Nicola Norman, who has a three-year-old son with special medical needs including hypoglycaemia and severe asthma, said, ‘The nursery has been a lifeline for me. If my son hadn’t gone to it, his issues probably wouldn’t have been picked up until school, and he would have fallen behind.’
Ms Norman, who set up a Facebook group called Keep Leek Day Nursery Open, now needs to find a new nursery for her son. ‘It will probably give the same amount of childcare but we’re not going to get the same amount of expertise or family support.’
Julie Finney, whose three-year-old daughter suffers from hyper mobility and has developmental delay, also spoke out against the county council’s decision, ‘I campaigned with the other mums to keep the nursery open.
‘I think the decision was already made, and that nothing we could do would have changed it.’
Ms Finney added, ‘When my daughter started she couldn’t talk and could barely walk. She still has problems, mainly with her speech, but thanks to Leek Day Nursery she now talks and sings.
‘The nursery has been doing play therapy to build up her muscle strength so she can get more control in her hands.’
Ms Finney has found a new nursery for her daughter, but fears her child’s progress will be slowed down or possibly reversed as she will lose her one-to-one attention.
Following Staffordshire County Council’s decision, parents will not be continuing their campaign to keep the nursery open. ‘There is no point in appealing as they didn’t take on our views the first time. It was a done deal,’ said Ms Norman.
Statistics published by the Department for Education last month revealed that the number of children with special educational needs has risen in the past four years.
The figures showed that the number of children with special educational needs attending maintained nurseries rose from 4,230 in 2008 to 5,155 in 2012.
The nursery, which is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, has been providing childcare and additional support to children and families in Leek for the past 25 years.
The council took the decision to shut Leek Day Nursery based on two studies and its own research, claiming it is more beneficial for the children with special needs to go to a mainstream nursery with their peers.
County councillor Mike Lawrence, cabinet member for children's wellbeing, said, ‘Research has shown that children learning in a mixed group develop better than those who are a specialist placement such as Leek Day Nursery.
‘Young people need good quality, tailored care in their own communities where they can play and learn with other young people from a range of backgrounds.
‘The county council is keen to ensure the services it provides and commissions offer the best possible opportunities for them. Leek Day Nursery will only close when every child is settled in their new surroundings.’
Parents and local residents had been campaigning to keep the nursery open. A total of 1,725 signatures from parents in Leek and nearly 500 additional postcards were submitted to the county council, which held a consultation about its proposal to close the nursery.
Nicola Norman, who has a three-year-old son with special medical needs including hypoglycaemia and severe asthma, said, ‘The nursery has been a lifeline for me. If my son hadn’t gone to it, his issues probably wouldn’t have been picked up until school, and he would have fallen behind.’
Ms Norman, who set up a Facebook group called Keep Leek Day Nursery Open, now needs to find a new nursery for her son. ‘It will probably give the same amount of childcare but we’re not going to get the same amount of expertise or family support.’
Julie Finney, whose three-year-old daughter suffers from hyper mobility and has developmental delay, also spoke out against the county council’s decision, ‘I campaigned with the other mums to keep the nursery open.
‘I think the decision was already made, and that nothing we could do would have changed it.’
Ms Finney added, ‘When my daughter started she couldn’t talk and could barely walk. She still has problems, mainly with her speech, but thanks to Leek Day Nursery she now talks and sings.
‘The nursery has been doing play therapy to build up her muscle strength so she can get more control in her hands.’
Ms Finney has found a new nursery for her daughter, but fears her child’s progress will be slowed down or possibly reversed as she will lose her one-to-one attention.
Following Staffordshire County Council’s decision, parents will not be continuing their campaign to keep the nursery open. ‘There is no point in appealing as they didn’t take on our views the first time. It was a done deal,’ said Ms Norman.
Statistics published by the Department for Education last month revealed that the number of children with special educational needs has risen in the past four years.
The figures showed that the number of children with special educational needs attending maintained nurseries rose from 4,230 in 2008 to 5,155 in 2012.
