Parents distraught as three North East Lincolnshire nurseries threatened with closure

Parents and staff have been left distraught after being told that three North East Lincolnshire nurseries may close in two months’ time.

Scartho Nursery on Pinfold Lane, Reynolds Day Care, Cleethorpes, and Great Coates Nursery, Station Road, have all been listed by the Council as potentially having to close due to them not being ‘viable’. Parents received letters late last week stating that the three were under consultation with plans to close from August 31.

The news has potentially left many people without nursery places for their children who are set to start another year in September or are looking at starting their first year. Cleethorpes mum, Isabelle Lynn, has a three-year-old daughter with special needs at Reynolds Daycare, but says she may be forced to quit work if she can’t find another nursery.

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She said: “We got a call on Friday, 9 June, from staff saying we should expect a letter. Later that day, we all received an email that said the nursery would possibly have to close.”

She added: “There are around 100 kids there and 18 have Special Educational Needs (SEN), with my daughter being one of them. She is non-verbal, has ADHD and autism. On top of that, my son, who is 9 months old, is meant to be starting there in July.

“If we were to move her, it would really unsettle her and it would upset her routine too. She’s already far behind in her development and we don’t want to make that worse.” Isabelle says her daughter has grown to love the staff, forming a strong relationship.

She now fears starting all over again to settle her daughter in another nursery. “I spent five hours ringing round nurseries on Friday to try and get her and her brother in, but none of them could fit both of them in. It’s got to the point where I may be better off unemployed so I can take care of them.” said Isabelle.

“What’s even more frustrating is that it’s not just the children who are affected, but the staff as well. They are so amazing at what they do and are now at risk of losing their jobs.” Another worried parent is Nicole Buston whose son Jacob, 3, also goes to Reynolds Daycare.

She said: “I spent Friday ringing around nurseries and contacted 10, none of which could take him. My son will have nowhere to go in September and his educational psychologist tells me this will cause a massive disruption to my child’s life and regression. These children are being let down and forgotten about and people need to know.”

She added: “Not only this, but all those staff who have been there years and years are being made jobless. I will have to give up work and claim benefits to look after my son if it closes and, with the current cost of living crisis, it’s a huge worry. This is not on and people need to be made aware of what is happening. I always knew I would have to fight for him due to the system and lack of funding for SEN children, but now that fight has started earlier than it should have.”

Another parent, Emily Wright, has been left in tears by the news that Scartho nursery may close. She said: “The headteacher, teachers and support staff at this school go above and beyond for every single child and that is reflected in their outstanding Ofsted reports.

“My daughter has attended this school for almost two years now and what she has learned in that time, both academically and socially is invaluable and I strongly believe she wouldn’t have gained these skills elsewhere. I have friends with young children who attend other nurseries in the area who have major concerns about them starting primary school in September due to the jump between nursery and primary.

“I have no such concerns thanks to Scartho Nursery School doing an excellent job in preparing my daughter to start school as the most kind, friendly, independent version of herself with a thirst for knowledge and a willingness to learn.

“The skills these teachers and this school has taught my daughter will stay with her for life and are things I wouldn’t even have thought to teach her myself.”

She added: “The thought of this nursery closing has caused tears shed for myself and I’m sure many other parents and I fear for the early start that future children and my future children will receive at other establishments.

A petition has also been launched by parents to keep Reynolds Daycare open, with over 500 signatures already. In response, a spokesperson for North East Lincolnshire Council said: “We’re currently consulting on the future of two nurseries and one of our early years’ day care settings. These settings have struggled to fill places as parents look for childcare settings closer to their workplaces, with the settings running at a much-reduced occupancy.

“As a Council we have a duty to ensure that there are enough childcare places for eligible 2, 3 and 4-year-olds for 38 weeks of the year. Across the borough, data suggests, we have three available places for every eligible two-year-old, and more than double the required places for eligible three and four-year-olds.

“We’re asking the public, and in particular those parents who will be affected by these proposed closures, to take part in the consultation to have their say.”

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