Parents warned that mothballing four rural nurseries in Aberdeenshire would be a hammer blow to children with additional needs as they won a critical battle in their bid to keep them alive.
Crossroads, Ballogie, Glass and Sandhaven nurseries face closure as the cash-strapped local authority seeks to cut down on underused buildings.
They say there is “a surplus of capacity and lack of demand” in each of the facilities.
Weeks ago, parents received letters informing them that their children would have to go to another nursery after the summer break.
Determined not to let their beloved nurseries close, dozens turned up outside Aberdeenshire Council’s Woodhill House HQ this morning to urge the council to change their mind ahead of crunch talks.
‘Our children will get overwhelmed at a bigger nursery’
Holding up a colourful poster, Lindsay Love said she worries how the changes would impact children with additional needs.
Her little girl Luna goes to Crossroads Nursery, where older brother Leo used to go.
“I have a soft place in my heart for kids with additional support needs because my eldest son Leo is autistic,” Lindsay said.
“He was at a much larger setting before he went there and was completely non-communicative at that point. You could tell he was just overwhelmed.
“But when he went to Crossroads, the changes that happened with him within a month in terms of his communication skills were just phenomenal.
“And now he is a thriving little P1 pupil.”
Meanwhile, Rhona Blackhall’s three-year-old daughter Fern has just started at Crossroads Nursery at Durris.
Little Fern struggled to speak before starting there, but now her confidence has grown and she is saying lots of words.
And Rhona fears that all of that could be taken away from her if she is forced to go to a bigger facility.
‘The hardships parents will suffer seem to fall on deaf ears’
Tensions grew even higher as more parents joined the fight against mothballing the nurseries inside the council chambers.
The controversial decision was put before the education committee, where members were asked to note the report and agree a timeline for the work to be carried out.
David Williamson addressed the committee on behalf of communities in Finzean and Ballogie, stressing “the hardships parents will suffer seem to fall on deaf ears”.
He pointed out that there are a number of houses being built in the area, which could result in higher demand for a local nursery further down the line.
Mr Williamson said: “We want some honesty here. How likely is it that this school will reopen after being mothballed? This is not mothballing. This is closure.”
‘At-risk nurseries are the foundations of thriving rural communities’
Mr Williamson’s words were echoed by fellow parent Petra Pennington, who insisted the nurseries are “not just buildings, but the foundations of thriving rural communities”
She said: “These real human impacts are not captured in your assessment, which claims that this decision will not affect children and has not been financially motivated.
“Please count our children accurately, consider the full human costs, listen to our voices and explore more creative solutions before dismantling the vibrancy and viability of rural life for our youngest and most vulnerable citizens.”
This was a sentiment shared by Kirsty Barkley, too.
With a trembling voice, she listed the emotional stories of children whose lives have been turned around after joining Crossroads nursery.
Through tears, Ms Barkley added: ” I urge you to think outside of the spreadsheets here and make the decision which protects our children and communities.”
Education boss: ‘Our decision is reasonable and necessary’
Education chief Laurence Findlay explained that while he appreciates that mothballing process is “emotive and traumatic”, it is a necessary measure.
He said closing the facilities for the time being will ensure the education offering in the affected areas long-term.
And he stressed that the decision to mothball the four nurseries was based on data, showing there is not enough pupils to justify keeping them open.
Mr Findlay added: “I recognise that both the process and the premise of the decision have been challenged.
“But we remain confident the decisions to mothball the settings are reasonable and necessary in ensuring not only the longer term sustainability of the service, but indeed, the longer term resilience of the council.
“This does not negate the disappointment and the inconvenience that these changes present.”
Victory for parents in fresh hopes for U-turn on mothballing nurseries
The emotional pleas from parents struck a chord with the committee, however, with Ellon councillor Louise McAllister calling for the nurseries to remain open.
She said: “I am dismayed that yet again we find ourselves in a position where we have families outside Woodhill House campaigning for the essential services they need.
“There have been occasions when, with conversations and careful planning, a mothballing of an early learning setting has been realised and children supported into nearby settings.
“But as things stand we have distressed, angry and upset families on our doorstep.
“Surely there is a better way of working with our communities.”
Following a tense discussion, councillors eventually voted to pass on the matter to full council, meaning all elected members will weigh in with the final verdict in June.
Read more:
- Ballogie Nursery: ‘Little Thea will be in tears at having to start elsewhere… It’s a lot for a four-year-old’
- Kids split from pals, parents cutting back on work and longer trips: Tullynessle parents on the realities of rural school closures
- ‘I wish the magic key would open the door again’: Tullynessle families share heartbreak in fight to reopen nursery
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