We are shocked  and concerned at HSDC’s plans to close the Nursery at Alton College (now HSDC).

At the heart of the community, we are aware of the unique offering the Nursery has in terms of its unwavering care for the children, preparation for school and the utter dedication of the staff and their tried and tested formula of childcare and early years education.

The timing of the proposal to close could not be worse, following a pandemic during which the Nursery staff have either diligently worked throughout or coped with furlough. They have each put many years of service into the Nursery and to lose the jobs they love just before Christmas does not bear thinking about. For the children, this is going to be a shock especially having just settled in amidst pandemic restrictions and changes.

The town is seeing exponential growth in housing and with that comes more families and pressure on existing nurseries. By closing they are forcing further demand on other nursery services, and taking away a long-standing service which has been held in high regard for decades. Operating on word of mouth to consistently fill spaces and still be turning families away demonstrates the demand.

The effect on the current children after the upheaval of the past year will be irreparable. Some of these children are being prepared to start school in just 2 terms time, they have just readjusted after lockdown and need the stability that the nursery provides. With just 8 weeks notice, we will be forced to find new providers when most settings in Alton are currently full.

It appears that HSDC has taken over, ignored demand and options to increase income, and used the pandemic as a convenient reason to make the cut in order to make space for some other income-generating project instead. We would like this clarified. Please sign the petition to demand that HSDC come up with another solution. Save our Nursery!