Burnley primary school could scrap nursery class

A consultation will be carried out into the future of the facilities for three-year-olds at Brunshaw Primary School in Burnley.

Lancashire County Council will start the process next week after receiving a request from the governing body, which wants to close the nursery class at the end of the current academic year.

A meeting of the authority’s cabinet – at which the consultation was approved – heard that the birth rate in Burnley is falling, leading to a surplus of nursery places in the town.

An Informal consultation undertaken by the Morse Street school found that the limited scope of its nursery offer was also likely to be playing a part in reduced pupil numbers.

Only morning sessions are available at the nursery – and only 10 of its 26 places are currently filled. The school has had just four applications for places for this September.

All of the pupils currently enrolled in the nursery will be moving into reception in the autumn. There are no proposals to change any element of the provision for 4-11-year-olds.

A report presented to the cabinet states that the county council “does not believe that there would be an adverse impact on participation” in nursery education as a result of the change. It adds that there are sufficient “good quality” nursery providers in the area.

Cabinet member for education and skills Jayne Rear said she wanted to encourage residents to take part in the forthcoming consultation in order to give the authority “as broad a view as possible” about what was being proposed.

The consultation will run from 14th March until 23rd May, with a final decision to be taken by the cabinet in July. Any closure would offically