Special nursery school to close in the summer

A nursery school for children with learning difficulties will close in the summer after it was decided that “provision is no longer viable”.

Rutland County Council’s cabinet voted unanimously to shut The Parks Special Nursery School, in Oakham, at a meeting on Thursday.

It said no children were currently accessing nursery provision at the school, based at Oakham Church of England Primary Academy.

It will close in August.

The decision to close the nursery school follows a two-year review carried out by an independent group of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) professionals.

It found that places at the nursery school cost “substantially more” than SEND support in mainstream settings and that provision was no longer viable due to low pupil numbers.

A formal public consultation also took place in November.

The decision to close the nursery school, for pupils aged two to five, comes despite a campaign to keep it open.

A petition against the closure was signed by more than 3,000 people and there was a town centre demonstration against the proposal.

Councillor Tim Smith, cabinet member for children and families, said the decision to close the nursery school was not “something we take lightly”.

“This decision does not mean a cut to services or funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities,” he added.

“Funding that would have gone to The Parks will be used to further increase and improve SEND support in mainstream settings across the county.”

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