GOVERNMENT PLANS TO ROLL OUT MORE FREE CHILDCARE IS YET AGAIN BLOCKED BY ANOTHER THREATENED NURSERY CLOSURE. IF NURSERIES ARE CLOSED DOWN BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT HOW CAN PARENTS ACCESS FREE CHILDCARE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT SHROPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL HAVE DONE THIS TO SHIFNAL.

THE PRIME MINISTERS PLANS TO HELP FAMILIES IS BEING BLOCKED BY SHROPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL. KALEIDOSCOPE NURSERY, WHO CARE FOR 150 CHILDREN, ARE THREATENED WITH EVICTION JUST AS FUNDING IS RELEASED......

Shropshire County Council is preventing some of Shifnal's families from accessing their free childcare entitlement at a local nursery, a decision that is in opposition to the Governments plans to provide free childcare for families of eligible children aged 9mths + from September this year. 

The local authority along with the headteacher and the school governors at St Andrews C of E School in Shifnal have decided not to renew a ground lease for Kaleidoscope Childcare Ltd who have been providing full day care for children aged 0-5 years and wrap around care for school children up to the age of 11, on the school site for 20 years. The council have asked Kaleidoscope Childcare Ltd to vacate the site by the 23rd August this year. The company are taking legal action if the matter cannot be resolved and believe they have strong grounds to do so.

Here Rishi Sunak shares his vision for families: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mMvaIvUhZE0 

Shropshire County Council do not appear to support the Prime Ministers vision of making childcare accessible where it is needed. Families need Kaleidoscope to continue providing childcare where they have done so for 20 years. One drop off, one location, with staff who know their family.

https://www.shifnalchildcare.com/

"We are a private provider and own our buildings but lease the ground. We set up on site on a disused, derelict area of the school grounds 20 years ago. We invested in driveways, footpaths, car parking, gardens and sited a childcare setting consisting of 9 modular bays. Kaleidoscope have offered further investment to modernise the buildings so that they will be aesthetically in keeping with the new school, but the offer has not only been refused we have been asked to leave the site. We provide 79 spaces for children at any one time which provides care for 150 children per week. We have just been inspected by OFSTED with a positive outcome which demonstrates the wonderful care and education the children receive from our amazing staff. Every member of our team are valued for the incredible work that they do. Despite all of this upset they are managing to carry on as normal, they are positive, happy and considering the children and families welfare before anything else. They are all superstars! Our nursery families are being pushed out just when the Government has stepped in to help them with childcare costs. This is a disgrace.”

Kaleidoscope Childcare Ltd are urging the school, the County Council and the Department for Education to reconsider this decision and help find a solution that retains Kaleidoscope on site to continue to support families.

Mark Pritchard MP has been contacted and we urge other families to contact their MP, County Councillors and Shifnal Town Council

Links are here;

David Johnston Minister for Children Families and Wellbeing

david.johnston.mp@parliament.uk 

Mark Pritchard MP

mark.pritchard.mp@parliament.uk

Ed Bird County Councillor for Shifnal

ed.bird@shropshire.gov.uk

Kirstie Hurst-Knight County Councillor for Children and Education

Kirstie.Hurst-Knight@shropshire.gov.uk

Vince Hunt Chairman of Shropshire County Council

vince.hunt@shropshire.gov.uk

Lezley Picton Shropshire Council Leader

lezley.picton@shropshire.gov.uk

 

"Immediate action is needed as we have been given little time. Children will be attending until the end of the summer term in July, leaving us just a matter of weeks to empty and move the buildings and clear the site. It is physically impossible. Families who need childcare on the school site may be faced with travelling to other nurseries. Availability is limited across the UK as families are trying to access funded places."

Kaleidoscope is doing everything possible to secure provision for all families but need public support to strengthen families voices. Shropshire Council need to take responsibility for this matter. This is the second time a nursery in Shifnal has faced closure in the last 4 years. Shifnal families matter! School governors have a responsibility to the wider community that they serve and need to be held accountable for the decisions that they make. In the St Andrews C of E Primary school governors code of conduct, point 3 states: "We recognise that we are accountable to the wider community.  We are elected or appointed by different groups - including parents, teachers, the LA and others within the local community.  Although we are not delegates, the governing body reflects the community it serves and we undertake to take proper account of its views." The wider community were not consulted or considered when this decision was reached. 

Kaleidoscope is urging all families affected by this decision to sign this petition. 

Kaleidoscope also urges all families who cannot access the free childcare offer, due to lack of availability, to sign this petition to get families voices heard.

Kaleidoscope urges all early years professionals who understand the need for families to access quality care and education to sign this petition.

On behalf of every child whose sense of security, friendships and feelings of belonging within their nursery community is threatened, we say a HUGE THANKYOU to everyone who signs our petition.

 

HELP SHIFNAL FAMILIES ACCESS THE FUNDING THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS OFFERING THEM AND SUPPORT KALEIDOSCOPE IN THEIR BATTLE TO HAVE SHIFNAL FAMILIES VOICES HEARD BY OUR COUNTY COUNCIL.

We tell our children "Your voice matters". So does yours.