We, the undersigned, support this letter and call for immediate action on preschool provision in Loughgall

Dear Mr Givan,

We are writing to you as concerned parents of children attending, or planning to attend, The Cope Primary School and Loughgall Playgroup, to urgently request your intervention in what can only be described as a deeply flawed and unjust preschool placement situation affecting families in Loughgall.

A number of local children have been denied places at Loughgall Playgroup, not due to a lack of demand or physical capacity, but as a direct result of decisions made by the Education Authority. We want to be clear that this is not a failure on the part of the playgroup. The staff have been exceptional and remain fully committed to supporting local families. The issue lies with the reduction in available places this year despite clear evidence of both need and capacity. It is difficult to justify cuts in a community where demand exceeds supply.

The real-world impact of this decision on families is significant. Many parents in our community are working households with limited or no support networks. The current allocation of preschool places creates serious logistical challenges around childcare, school runs, and employment responsibilities. In some cases, parents are being placed in a position where maintaining employment or keeping children within their local school community is becoming increasingly difficult.

In addition, some families have not been offered suitable alternative placements. Suggestions of settings that do not align with family needs, including differing religious ethos or impractical locations, do not represent meaningful or appropriate choices for young children at this stage of their education.

What is most concerning is that this situation appears to be avoidable. There are preschool settings with unused capacity, while others, such as Loughgall Playgroup, are oversubscribed. A system that does not effectively respond to this imbalance is not serving children or families as it should. The outcome is that children are denied access to local early years education, and families are placed under unnecessary pressure.

We are asking for immediate and decisive action. This should include a reassessment of current place allocations and a commitment to ensuring that preschool provision reflects the actual needs of local communities.

The importance of early years education cannot be overstated. It should support children’s development and enable families to function, not create barriers that disproportionately affect working parents.

We understand that this issue has already been raised during your recent visit to The Cope Primary School. We are therefore asking that meaningful steps are now taken to address the situation.

We would appreciate a prompt and substantive response outlining what actions will be taken to resolve this matter and ensure fair access to local preschool provision for children in our community.

Yours sincerely,
Concerned parents and guardians of children attending, or planning to attend,
Loughgall Playgroup and The Cope Primary School