Sunderland council chiefs stall moves to close Hetton-le-Hole Nursery School

Hetton-le-Hole Nursery School, off Victoria Street, is maintained by Sunderland City Council and offers places to children aged 0 to five years old.

Since 2015, the nursery school’s operational budget deficit has grown year on year – with a staffing restructure and other cost-cutting measures put in place to try and balance the books.

Despite this, a report prepared for city leaders this week said pupil recruitment at the nursery school has not been sufficient to generate enough funding allocation to meet extra staffing and operating costs.

The nursery school’s deficit position also increased further when the site closed temporarily at the outset of the Covid-19 lockdown.

According to council figures, it is expected to have a deficit position of £171,973 by the end of 2020/21.

On Tuesday, November 17, Sunderland City Council’s cabinet were recommended to launch a pre-publication consultation on proposals to close the nursery school.

A report to cabinet said the “current financial vulnerability of the nursery, combined with the increased popularity of alternative local provision, indicates that the nursery is unlikely to recruit enough additional pupils or to generate sufficient financial savings to resolve the nursery’s increasing financial deficit.”

However, at the meeting it was confirmed the matter would be be deferred until 2021.

It came the morning after a charged meeting of Hetton Town Council, which saw parents voice concerns and town councillors vow to opppose the move to close the nursery.

Praise was given to the nursery school and its reputation within the community while concerns included the impact of the proposed closure on staff and pupils, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

One parent also said she valued the nursery school’s expertise from a special educational needs perspective.

City leaders have previously stated that ‘a new provision’, which will offer early years places, is proposed to be established at the new Hetton Primary School building to ensure there are no shortages of places in the area.

An agenda item on the future of Hetton-le-Hole Nursery School is expected to be discussed at a future cabinet meeting.

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