Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Jon Cooper
Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet is due to consider the latest steps towards potentially closing an authority-maintained nursery school in Glossop and endorsing the transfer of the school and its pupils to a nearby primary academy building.
The Gamesley Early Excellence Centre Nursery has already relocated to the Gamesley Primary School site due to increased running costs at its building on Winster Mews, at Gamesley, in Glossop, and the adjacent Victorious Academies Trust primary hopes to formally secure the extension of its age range from four to 11-year-olds to three to 11-year-olds with these pupils.
Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet will meet on January 9 to further consider a possible second consultation over the nursery’s proposed closure as an authority-maintained school allowing the academy primary to take on full responsibility and ensure continued provision for the community and reduce pressure on other communities by avoiding applications for places beyond Gamesley.
A council spokesperson stated: “Gamesley Early Excellence Centre Nursery relocated to Gamesley Primary School due to the increase of running costs at the building that they were originally located in.
“If the nursery school was to be formally undertaken by Gamesley School, the nursery would become more financially sustainable, and the nursery would feel more inclusive due to being part of Gamesley School.
“There would be consistency in the approach to learning and the curriculum across the whole school, which would increase the nursery children’s readiness for starting in Reception.”
Nursery staff and children relocated into the Gamesley Primary School building, off Grindleford Gardens, in the summer of 2023 and the two schools already operate side-by-side and share the same headteacher, Special Educational Needs Coordinator and Pastoral Manager.
Gamesley Primary School has already successfully applied through a significant change application to the Department for Education to extend its age range so if the county council finally agrees to close its authority-maintained Gamesley Early Excellence Centre Nursery the primary school will be able to provide this same nursery service in the future.
Derbyshire County Council undertook a stage one consultation from September 8 to October 24, last year, which yielded no responses into the possible closure of the authority maintained school and it possibly being taken over by the academy primary.
But if the Cabinet decides on January 9 to publish a statutory proposal to close the nursery a further four-week consultation under a ‘representation period’ will begin with relevant organisations, groups and individuals between January 19 until February 15 with a final council decision expected within the subsequent two months leading to a possible closure by the end of August.
A council officer has argued the proposed change would guarantee ‘continuous service provision’ and the nursery would become more financially sustainable with a more consistent approach to learning.
Derbyshire County Council has recognised it has a duty to ensure there are sufficient Early Years places and that it is committed to working in close partnership with schools, academy trusts, the dioceses and key partners to ensure the supply of nursery school places across the county is in the right location, is of sufficient size, is viable and of a good quality.
A council spokesperson added: “This is a key decision as pupils from outside of the locality could apply for a nursery place, and pupils already at the Gamesley Early Excellence Centre may decide to apply for a place in an alternative provision outside of the locality, thereby impacting on two or more electoral divisions.”
Council officers have recommended that the Cabinet which is due to meet at County Hall, in Matlock, on January 9, approves the publishing of the statutory proposal to formally close Gamesley Early Years Excellence Centre.
