Published at 13:35, Monday, 30 March 2009

PARENTS says they feel “betrayed and deceived” that their children’s nursery is set to close in just four months.

Parents, children and other supporters outside Furness College Day Nursery after it was announced that the nursery will close in July.

Bosses at Barrow’s Furness College had planned to shut the campus nursery in August 2011 – but now it will close this July.

The institution’s chiefs say the closure of Furness College Day Nursery must be brought forward by almost two-and-a-half years because they are desperate for more classroom space for 14-to-19-year-old learners and higher education students.

Parents were battling to stop the nursery from being demolished in 2011, but were dismayed to hear that the closure is this summer. The college has confirmed it is bringing the plans forward because of a lack of space for teaching at its Channelside campus, combined with delays in the £48m capital building project.

College governors agreed to close the childcare facility, which has 75 children on the register and 14 staff, after a recommendation by senior managers.

More than 600 people signed a petition to save the nursery, which is hailed as outstanding by education watchdog Ofsted. Hundreds also joined a campaign page on social networking site Facebook.

Parents said in a press release they feel “betrayed and deceived.”

Rachael Hurton, 32, from Barrow, is the mum of Poppy, two. Miss Hurton is the nursery’s student rep, and is completing a foundation degree at the college.

She said: “I’m devastated. I find it quite disgusting they have led us to believe it would close in 2011. The amount of space they will gain from the nursery is minimal.

“It will be disruptive for the children. I was planning for Poppy to carry on there when I travel to Preston. She really enjoys it, it’s a lovely nursery and the staff genuinely care. I think for the students using the nursery it is going to be devastating, if they can carry on studying. It’s been wonderful.”

Jean Fawcett, the nursery’s manager, said: “The college is being quite cold about it. They haven’t considered the human element. The children will have to move from the nursery at such critical times in their lives.

“The priority is the children’s needs. We will make sure the rest of their time here is really enjoyable and help make the smoothest possible transitions to their new nurseries.

“The staff are absolutely distraught.”

Sheila Lumb, 54, a grandparent of a former nursery pupil, said: “We are absolutely devastated. Everyone is in shock. Nobody believed it would happen now.

“Parents will have to uproot their children – it’s not easy for a child.

“Can you imagine what the staff feel like? Up until last week they felt there was a chance to save the nursery.

“My daughter would not have gone back to college without the nursery. I feel the governors and managers should speak to the parents. That is the least they could do to explain their decision.”

Mark Nicholson, assistant principal for curriculum at the college, said the move is due to pressure on teaching and learning space, over capacity in nursery provision in the area and the level of subsidy required to run the nursery.

He said the college will still continue to support learners with their childcare needs by distributing funding provided to colleges for this and by providing information, advice and guidance to learners on childcare.

Mr Nicholson said: “This has been a very difficult decision for the college to make, but the increasing demand for classroom, laboratory and workshop space has meant that we have had to settle for an earlier closure date.

“We will be sorry to lose the nursery as a facility for learners, but the growth of the 14-19 curriculum, the ongoing demand for the development of higher education in Barrow and the college’s role in working with employers means that we need all the space that we have to deliver the curriculum.”

Last year parents were upset to find that the high performing nursery was not included in the new campus design.

Parents and staff urged the college to reconsider its plans and even move the nursery to a different part of the campus.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk