Jodi,

We are writing collectively as parents and carers of children attending Bright Horizons Finchley Central following receipt of the notification that the nursery will close on 31 July 2026.

We must express our serious concern and disappointment regarding both the timing of this decision and the impact it will have on children and working families.

For many families, this closure date creates a completely avoidable period of disruption immediately before children transition to primary school in September. Parents have organised work commitments, childcare arrangements, annual leave, and family responsibilities on the reasonable expectation that the nursery would remain operational throughout August, as is standard for many year-round childcare settings.

Closing the nursery only weeks before children begin school is deeply unsettling for young children at a critical developmental stage. Requiring families either to find emergency childcare or move children into an entirely new nursery environment for a matter of weeks before they start school is neither practical nor in the best interests of the children.

While we appreciate the offer of places at North Finchley, this does not resolve the core issue. Moving preschool children into a different setting, with different staff, routines, and surroundings immediately before starting school is disruptive and places additional strain on children and parents alike. For many working parents, this also creates serious logistical and financial difficulties with very limited notice.

We are extremely concerned that families are now being placed in a position where significant alternative childcare arrangements must be made within a very short timeframe, despite having enrolled at Finchley Central with the expectation of continuity through the summer period. The lack of a reasonable transition period places unnecessary pressure on families and creates avoidable instability for children at an important stage of development.

We do not believe that closing on 31 July properly reflects the needs of the families who have supported Finchley Central for years. The current proposal appears poorly planned and leaves families managing the consequences of a decision over which they have had no input and very little time to prepare.

We are therefore formally requesting that Bright Horizons urgently reconsider this decision and extend the nursery’s operation until the end of August 2026 for children due to start school in September.

A one-month extension would:

provide continuity and stability for children before school transition;
avoid unnecessary disruption during an important milestone;
allow working families to maintain existing childcare arrangements through the summer;
give families appropriate time to prepare for the transition to school.

We ask that this request be escalated immediately to senior leadership for urgent review and rectification. Given the seriousness of the impact on families and children, we request a formal response within the next 7 days confirming whether Bright Horizons will revise the proposed closure timetable.

We sincerely hope Bright Horizons will reconsider the current timetable and take into account the significant impact this decision is having on children and families.

Kind regards,