Council plans to keep all Croydon’s Maintained Nursery Schools open

Plans to keep all five of Croydon Council’s Maintained Nursery Schools open for local families, by making them financially sustainable, will be discussed at cabinet next week.

The schools – Purley Nursery, Selhurst Nursery, Tunstall Nursery, Crosfield Nursery and Thornton Heath Nursery – provide early years education and childcare to children aged two to four.

The proposed model involves each of the nursery schools linking with the governing body of a primary school, special school or academy. This model is already working for three of the borough's five maintained nursery schools, Purley, Tunstall and Thornton Heath.

The council is now proposing to work in partnership to develop this model with the other two nurseries, Selhurst and Crosfield, by January 2025.

Working together through this new model will allow the nursery schools to operate more efficiently and cost effectively, without making significant changes to the service children and families receive.

The update to cabinet follows last year’s review of options for the future of the schools. The review was needed because under the current model some of the nurseries were in a deficit position - meaning they were not financially sustainable.

Consultation with residents and partners highlighted concerns about the impact of the schools closing or merging. The Executive Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, has listened to residents, and the council has since been working closely with the nurseries to find alternative options.

If the proposal is approved at cabinet, the council will work with the schools to put the new model in place and provide ongoing support. Read the cabinet report here.

Executive Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, said: “One of my top priorities is to fix the Council’s finances. Some of our Maintained Nursery Schools are currently running at a loss which is not sustainable. I committed to finding a new way forward as doing nothing is not an option.

“We have listened to our parents, carers and staff and have found a model that is already working for three of our nursery schools. Adopting this with all five should make the service financially viable and keep these much loved local nurseries open.

“We will continue to work with the schools to support them through these proposals so that our children and families can continue to benefit from the services they provide.”