Parents raise frustrations as Prime Minister visits nursery on same day as sister site closes
“While cameras were focused on celebrating early years provision at one Sheffield Hallam nursery, another outstanding nursery was preparing to close”
Frustrated parents who have been fighting for their children’s nursery to remain open have expressed annoyance over how one of Sheffield’s universities is prioritising its sites.
While Prime Minister Andy Burnham was meeting with families at the Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) run Meadows Nursery and Family Centre on Friday, July 31 its sister site, Collegiate Nursery, was officially closing down for good.
Children had previously said goodbye to staff at Collegiate the previous week, on their last day on July 24.
Both children’s centres are managed by SHU, however despite a campaign from parents - including a petition which gained 1,938 signatures - Collegiate Nursery on Broomgrove Road, in Broomhall, officially closed its doors on Friday.
“This has been an incredibly painful week for families and staff,” Torsten Haensel, a spokesperson for the Save SHU Collegiate Nursery campaign, said.
“While cameras were focused on celebrating early years provision at one Sheffield Hallam nursery, another outstanding nursery was preparing to close its doors forever after nearly 50 years of serving the community.”
Parents have raised concerns with how SHU is prioritising its sites, as the university invests in a new London campus that is set to open in autumn 2027, while claiming that they can’t continue to support the local nursery site.
Throughout the campaign they also received support from councillors and Sheffield Central MP Abtisam Mohammed, who described the closure as “the wrong decision.”
Torsten added: “No one is suggesting that the Prime Minister or the mayor should not visit local early years services. Our concern is that this visit presented a positive picture of Sheffield Hallam University's commitment to early years at precisely the moment the university was closing one outstanding nursery with SEND expertise and making staff redundant at another setting.
“Throughout this campaign we have repeatedly questioned whether this closure was really unavoidable. We continue to believe it was a choice made against a backdrop of wider strategic decisions and priorities.”
He added: “This week has highlighted two very different stories about early years. One was carefully staged for the cameras; the other ended with children saying goodbye to the nursery they loved and dedicated staff leaving jobs many had held for decades.”
The ‘Outstanding’-rated Collegiate preschool was designed for children under five and open to university staff and students, however it was claimed by SHU that demand for workplace nurseries has fallen.
University management previously said that they knew the care provided at Collegiate is excellent, but added: “The number of children attending the nursery has steadily declined, and it has been operating at a financial loss for some time.”
It is understood Meadows Nursery was chosen for the PM’s first visit to Sheffield as South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) previously launched their Beds for Babies scheme there, offering moses baskets, cots, cotbeds or toddler beds to any under-fives who need one.
Mr Burnham has announced that mayoral offices across the country will receive more powers and finances to fund projects that help their areas.
Professor Liz Mossop, Sheffield Hallam University Vice Chancellor, said of the Prime Minister’s visit: “We were delighted that the new Prime Minister and senior cabinet ministers chose to combine their announcements on their plans for devolution with a visit to our award-winning community nursery and early years research centre.
“The nursery and research centre are a shining example of what can be achieved when strategic partners come together to work in collaboration with communities to improve outcomes.
“I am sure the passion and dedication of those involved in this project will have left a huge impression on our country’s new leaders. I hope it has given them a real insight into the significant impact universities make in the regions they serve through their collaborative research and innovation partnerships."