Marton & District C E Aided Primary School

Dear Parents and Carers

As you will know Governors meet to discuss Early Years every term; to review the pupil numbers and expressions of interest. Discussions about Nursery have been on going throughout this academic year.

Following the proposal of the suspension for the nursery, we asked for your responses and met in December to review these before Governors ratified the temporary suspension from January.

We met again after Christmas to review our potential nursery numbers and although we received some enquiries, these were still not sufficient in reaching the threshold for running a nursery with the appropriate relevant staff needed. Therefore, the suspension was the correct course of action.

We have recently been approached by an Outstanding third party nursery – Footprints seeking to establish themselves at Marton. We have visited their Outstanding nurseries, sought advice from Cheshire East and discussed this potential in depth with all members of the Governing Body and are now considering closing our nursery, allowing Footprints at Marton to be established.

Footprints operate in a very similar way to Marton; they pride themselves on the ‘family’ feel and we are all excited by the prospect of working together. Not only would this bring revenue into the school budget, it would also support our pupil numbers into reception and given the amount of increased housing into the area – would support local families. We also know that by being a day nursery it would support our families who need pre-school provision (from 6 months old) and that the nursery times (7.30am to 6pm) would help them. Please do view their website for further details (www.footprintsnurseries.co.uk).

As an aided school, the Governors are the employers and decision makers at school and although there is no statutory consultation, seek to act rationally and follow a fair procedure.

We therefore now seek your responses to this proposal and ask you to respond by 9 am on Wednesday 25^th March. If you would like to respond, please write c/o school via letter or email to Mrs S Furness, Chair of Governors by this date. Governors will meet on this date to consider responses and as an aided school, will then make their decision and keep you informed.

With best wishes

 Mrs S Furness - Chair of Governors & Mrs N Deakin