Holiday care at nursery

School nurseries are set to stay open during the summer.

A year- round creche service is in the pipeline for Wallacetown and Girvan nurseries.

Headteacher posts at both facilities will be replaced by centre managers who do not have term time contracts. It is understood the extra hours will start when the vacancies are filled.

Parents will have to pay for care beyond the free 600 hours.

A pilot is underway in Space Place to offer additional childcare from August to June.

Councillor Margaret Toner, responsible for education, said: “This will be great for working parents and the children.

“It is about early intervention and getting them into education.

“The extra provision will begin with a pilot at Space Place. Then it will be rolled out in Wallacetown and Girvan.”

All nursery schools and classes have been renamed early years centres to reflect the changes.

And nursery nurses now boast the new job title of early years practitioner.

A paper presented to this month’s leadership panel said: “South Ayrshire is committed to providing more flexible early learning and childcare provision.

“This will be achieved by providing additional hours within a safe, secure and stimulating environment.”

A full day’s session at nusery would cost £ 21 and a half- day £ 12 according to the paper.

Parents who have two or more children attending will receive a 20 per cent discount.

There is also a push to get eligible two- year- olds into nursery but only 50 per cent of tots have taken up places so far.

Space Place and Dalmilling’s Cherry Tree nursery already take priority children during the summer.