Sheffield school nursery nearing permanent closure after numbers dwindled
A Sheffield school nursery is set to be confirmed for permanent closure following a formal consultation process.
The nursery at Springfield Primary School in Cavendish Street, Broomhall was already closed temporarily in September 2023 after the number of children enrolled had dwindled. Only 15 children were enrolled in the 52-place nursery in autumn 2023.
Following two years of temporary closure, legally a nursery must either reopen or close permanently.
The decision to go ahead with permanent closure will be discussed next Tuesday (February 4) at a meeting of Sheffield City Council’s education, children and families policy committee.
A report to the committee says: “The very low engagement and response (2.1%) to the proposal, despite significant promotion and activity, suggests that most people in the community understand and accept the reasonings for the proposed permanent closure of Springfield Nursery. It is therefore recommended that Springfield Nursery is closed permanently in line with the statutory process.”
The decision was taken by the school because keeping it open was a major strain on its budget and attempts to boost numbers had not worked. The minimum number of children needed to make the nursery financially viable would be 34.
Translation
A six-week formal consultation process last October and November involved eight sessions organised for parents, carers, local residents and businesses.
Surveys and information were available for translation into different languages and one-to-one appointment sessions were offered to parents and carers. Letters and emails were also sent out to parents, carers, local residents and businesses, plus early years providers in a three-mile radius.
Of the 11 responses received, all from parents and carers, five agreed with the decision.
The six objectors made a variety of points. These were summarised as worry about consequences for the rest of the school, benefit of the nursery for families, limiting access to local quality early years provision and wanting to use the nursery for a child.
The report to the committee concludes: “The level of engagement and response to the consultation suggests that the proposed permanent closure is understood and accepted by most people within the community. The community still wish to use the nursery space for activities, learning, and support services, which is also part of the proposal.”