‘Sadness’ as pre-school to close after 25 years
VILLAGE’S PRIMARY SCHOOL SET TO OPEN NEW FOUNDATION UNIT
A NOTTINGHAMSHIRE pre-school is set to close for good after 25 years, as bosses say they can’t continue to cater to demand.
Pippins in Askham Road, East Markham, currently cares for 32 children through morning and afternoon sessions, alongside breakfast clubs and a busy toddler group.
Sue Bolderson, a joint supervisor at the preschool, who has been working there for 19 years, said the school will close on Tuesday, July 26.
She said the preschool had become ‘a victim of its own success’ and there was an increased demand for spaces that it could not keep up with.
She said: “We couldn’t cater to the demands that we had. And with all the building that’s going on in the village, we knew that demand would only go up.
“When we first set up, one of the parents in some families wouldn’t be working so they would be able to help out with a voluntary committee.
“Nowadays, more people work so it became hard to get a committee together and maintain it. The preschool also ran into issues with costs, with grants falling short of covering the whole bill,” she added.
Though this may be the end for Pippins, the team at the nearby primary school is optimistic about the building’s future. Plans are in place to develop it into a foundation unit, which will mean young children in the village will still have somewhere to go that will teach the same curriculum.
Laura Duggin, co-head teacher at East Markham Primary School, said the school was working to lower its admission age to ensure children aged from three can “continue to attend a high-quality provision in the local area” in response to the closure. It will be offering a nursery class as part of its foundation unit from September, which is expected to increase the number of spaces available and support the transition for pupils entering primary school.
“We have lots of exciting plans, including developing an outdoor area and sourcing new equipment to enhance our early years, play-based curriculum. We are really looking forward to welcoming more children into our school team and have very high aspirations for the future.” She added that Pippins had been a “much-loved setting” and that the team at East Markham Primary School had “thoroughly enjoyed” working alongside the pre-school staff and committee. “We would like to thank them all for everything that they have done for the local community in this time,” she said.
Mrs Bolderson felt it “made sense” for the primary school to continue on in Pippins’ stead. “A lot of children on the list will be three years old by September, so they will go on to the foundation school,” she said.
“But we did have some who will still be two-and-a-half, so they will have to delay their start date until Christmas or so. All the ones that are here will have a place, either by going up to reception year or staying in the foundation unit.”
The pre-school was housed inside the village hall when it first opened, darting between locations before getting established in a community room on the grounds of East Markham Primary School about 15 years ago.
Ms Bolderson added that there was a feeling of sadness among the nine staff members who will soon be moving on, some of whom have worked together for more than 15 years.
“It’s going to be a bit like a divorce, us not working together,” she said.
We are looking forward to welcoming more children into our school team. Laura Duggin, co-head at East Markham Primary