Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills detailing the Sufficiency of Early Years Places in Millbrook.

(i)  Due to the sufficiency of quality early years places in the locality and to enhance the MRM Children’s Centre core offer it is recommended to commence public consultation on a proposal to close the direct Council run Little Pickles Pre-school.

(ii)  To delegate consideration of consultation responses and making a final decision on the potential closure (together with ancillary matters such as the timing of the implementation of the decision) to the Service Director Children and Families Services, so that families can be informed of the outcome and, where necessary, supported with their choices of securing alternative places with a new Early Years provider. Cabinet will note any decision to close provision will be subject to a minimum of a month’s notice from the decision date. 

1.  There is sufficient quality early years places in the area provided by the PVI sector as assessed by the Early Years team in line with the Local Authorities Early Years Sufficiency Duty and it is not a mandated requirement of the children’s centre to directly deliver a pre-school.  To enable delivery of more targeted early childhood and family support by the Children Centre and to develop integrated Family Hub operating capacity at Pickles Coppice with Public Health colleagues, it is therefore recommended that consultation is commenced on a proposal that the Little Pickles pre-school is closed next academic year. Subject to the outcome of the consultation and final decision, the timing of the closure will take into account dialogue with existing parent users, local providers and the early years support team and a minimum of one month’s notice of closure of the provision (if agreed) will be provided. 

2.  The resource capacity created by a change in provision would contribute to the operational development of the new 0-19 Family Hub model by best use of available premise space for key early help activity. To allow the sustainable growth of the PVI early years sector the MRM Children Centre is withdrawing activity from its current ‘satellite’ base in the FootSteps venue of Mason Moor Primary School this summer. This requires existing pre-school used space at Pickles Coppice to be made available to sustain core activity such as parenting group work and training.  Alternative quality places (minimum ‘Good’ rated by Ofsted) from local PVI pre-schools are available for existing families in line with Council’s Early Years policy and duties. Families could be supported and signposted to alternative local provision by Children Centre staff, including the new YMCA pre-school at the FootSteps venue which starts next term (September).  Impacted pre-school staff can be re-deployed within Children’s Centres and across the Council’s other pre-schools within phase 3 proposed establishment.

1.  Do nothing.

This is not an appropriate option in view of the need to re-configure current Children’s Centres core offer activity as part of the re-modelling development of 0-19 Family Hubs. 

2.  Continue to deliver.

This would limit the operating capacity of the Family Hub development and formal integration with Public Health activity at Pickles Coppice Centre. The new 30 hour early years entitlement in September 2017 could require the expansion of the pre-school, with associated further limits on operating space for activity and additional management and staff time to deliver. 

3.  Commission an external provider to deliver.

This is not required as there is sufficient sustainable and quality early years places provided by the PVI sector and could de-stabilise the local early year’s market.