Hundreds of parents sign petition to save five Lambeth nurseries

Hundreds of parents have signed a petition bidding to save five nurseries, which could close if education chiefs do not give them extra cash.

Hundreds of children who attend maintained pre-schools in Lambeth could be left without support, teachers have claimed.

Now a petition to Lambeth council has added to the pressure to find the money to keep them going.

The five schools receive just £300 per child on free school meals – 10 times less than ordinary schools: primary schools receive £3,000 per child on free school meals.

The petition, started by Victoria Ling, on the council’s website says: “Please help us request a commitment from Lambeth Council to recognise the valuable service they provide to our community by committing to keeping them open and sustainably funded.

“The varied and skilled services provided by the highly trained and experienced team, including fully qualified teachers and Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) specialists, have supported over 200 children with SEND in 2020-2021.

Lambeth Nursery Schools provide a truly inclusive provision, helping families secure funding and support to enable children to enter into the schools system with the best possible start.”

The five maintained nurseries in Lambeth’s federation, all with children’s centres, are; Effra Nursery School and Children’s Centre in Effra Parade, Brixton; Holmewood Nursery School in Upper Tulse Hill, Brixton Hill; Triangle Nursery School on the William Bonney Estate, Clapham; Ethelred Nursery School and Children’s Centre in Lollard Street, Kennington; and Maytree Nursery School in Allingham Road, Clapham.

Four of the five schools are rated as “outstanding”, the other as “good”.

Parent Eleonora Claps said: “These nurseries have been severely hit by the COVID crisis, with the change of demographics in the area, people moving from London , and more and more private nurseries opening.

“All of this has created a situation where the £300 subsidy received by these nursery schools for each child on free school meals – and the topping up by the council – still won’t guarantee their future.

“Closing these places would be a great loss – as they represent the wider community; support disadvantaged children given their proximity to deprived areas; and provide high quality teaching before the start of  primary school.”