Decision details

The Cabinet Member (Children and Families) submitted a report following a request from the Governing Body of Ribble Drive Primary School for the Local Authority to publish and consult on a statutory proposal to remove its nursery provision. This would change the age range of the school from 3-11years to 4-11years.

The proposal for the closure of the nursery provision at the school was published on 18 April 2017 and this set out arrangements for those affected by the proposal to make their views known. The closing date for comments was 16 May 2017. The school also carried out an informal consultation prior to the publication of the proposal.

The Chair invited questions from members of the public present.

The Grand parent of a child currently attending Ribble Drive Nursery addressed Cabinet making the following points:

-      The minutes of the Governors meetings had agreed to an increase in numbers in the nursery until 2018.

-      The notice posted on the proposal was not correct and had to be replaced.

-      The recommendation of the Governors is based on an inaccurate report.

-      The cost of the nursery provision is £75,000 per annum. It is proposed that the teaching assistants in the nursery will be made redundant but it appears that the nursery teacher will remain as an employee of Ribble Drive PS.

-      The school has not consulted with the families affected by this proposal. Who has checked the accuracy of the consultation process?

-      Parents were invited to place their children in the nursery in January 2017.

-      There is a moral issue in the manner the school has invited children and then leaves nine children to find a new nursery.

Delegated decisions:

1.   That consideration of the proposal to close Ribble Drive Nursery be deferred until the next meeting of Cabinet (26 July 2017).

2.   That the report to the next Cabinet meeting include details on the consultation process undertaken by the Governors of Ribble Drive Primary

Cabinet 28 June 2017

3.   School including the contact made with parents of children currently attending Ribble Drive Nursery and the responses received.

Reason for the decision:

To ensure that the consultation process has been conducted in a fair, thorough and transparent manner before a decision is taken on the recommendation to close the nursery.

Other options considered and rejected:

To approve or reject the proposal to closure the nursery provision at Ribble Drive Primary School.