Cabinet approve plans to discontinue nursery provision at Burnley primary school
Plans to discontinue the nursery provision at Whittlefield Primary School in Burnley after a sharp drop in demand has been approved.
In July, cabinet approved proposals to allow a consultation period on the future of the local authority-maintained nursery provision at the school.
The proposal was brought forward, with support from the school, due to concerns about the financial and educational viability of the nursery.
Currently, there is only one pupil on roll at the nursery.
At its meeting on Thursday 5 December, cabinet approved plans to discontinue the nursery provision by permanently raising the age range from 3-11 years to 4-11 years, with effect from December 31, 2024. No responses were received from parents during the consultation period.
Councillor Jayne Rear, cabinet member for Education and Skills at Lancashire County Council said:
"The sharp reduction in pupil numbers Whittlefield Primary School is impacting the financial viability of the school, as the nursery provision has to be subsidised at a substantial cost.
"By permanently changing the age range, the school can now concentrate its efforts on the children in Reception and older.
"We do not believe this decision will have an adverse local impact due to the excellent provision elsewhere in the area."