Views sought on formally establishing nursery at Banbury school

The proposal will enable Hardwick Primary School to continue providing early years and childcare provision on the site, previously run by the children’s centre which shut earlier this year.

It will formally establish a nursery at the Ferriston school, offering 16 part-time equivalent places for three and four year olds, and eight part-time equivalent places for two-year-olds.

The school has been running the nursery since April under its community powers facilities, but the governors wish to formalise the arrangement by extending the school age range and creating a nursery class.

A teacher has recently been appointed to run the class.

An informal local consultation was carried out by the governors of the school in January, and there were no objections or comments received.

Banbury is one of the top six areas in Oxfordshire for expansion of early education and childcare places, to meet an anticipated shortfall when the government's 30 hour childcare entitlement is implemented.

To find out more and to give your views, visit the Oxfordshire County Council's online consultation page.