Collyer’s: ‘Delay is not possible’

Speaking about the HeadStart Nursery, Collyer’s principal Dan Lodge told the County Times: “We fully understand how difficult this situation is and agree that the nursery has been a valued part of our college community for a long time.”

He said it was “not a straightforward decision” for the college’s senior managers, governing body and trustees to inform the nursery that they would not be able to extend the tenancy.

He said he appreciated that nursery owner Clare French had done her very best to try to secure alternative accommodation.

But he said Collyer’s had provided a long notice period which had already delayed its building projects to create teaching and catering space for the growing college.

“Unfortunately it is not possible to delay our projects any longer than we have already,” he said. “To do so would cause a range of very significant risks for the college and our students: Risk to our government funding for a project that is already delayed; Extra costs due to changes to the contract and project programme; Impacts on students during the summer exam period, which is the first they have experienced as their GCSEs were cancelled two years ago.

“Delay to the opening of the teaching block meaning we would need to turn away students in September 2023.

“Whilst we are of course concerned that the options explored by the nursery for relocation have not been able to go ahead, sadly we cannot delay any more projects which are critical for the future of Collyer’s and over 2,200 16-18 year old students.”