'Huge relief' for parents as SEND nurseries saved

Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have welcomed a decision to drop plans to close specialist nurseries in Leicestershire.

On Friday, Leicestershire County Council confirmed it was abandoning proposals to shift funding from commissioning places in four specialist nurseries to mainstream settings.

The decision came after the authority received more than 2,500 responses about the plans, mainly opposing them.

A petition against the plans was started by 32-year-old Zenobia and was signed by more than 2,000 people.

Her two-year-old daughter Eloise has a place at Sketchley Hill Menphys Nursery School which was earmarked for closure.

"I couldn't wrap my head around it," said Zenobia, whose other daughter Florence, four, attended the same nursery.

"I couldn't understand why they wanted to close these amazing places.

"I was angry and upset. It felt like a done deal but I'm so happy that our voices have been heard.

"The council pinned all this on parents not wanting to travel far to get to nurseries.

"I've not met a single parent that's not willing to travel for their child to get the best start in life.

"It [the campaign] has been stressful but, if this happens again, I'd do everything the same."

Chloe's one-year-old daughter Olive is profoundly disabled and is due to start at Sketchley Hill Menphys in September.

The 33-year-old, from near Market Bosworth, said: "We have gone through some awful things in the last few years but Olive going to this incredible nursery was something to look forward to.

"It would mean she is not just seeing the inside of my house every day and it would mean I could start going back to work - I'm an NHS speech therapist.

"But what the council proposed would have taken that away.

"I'm obviously hugely relieved and pleased but it's tinged with frustration that parents, and the nurseries, have been put through all this extra stress."

Reform UK county council leader Dan Harrison previously apologised for the anxiety the plans had caused to parents.

He said the plan had been to create more specialist provision closer to parents' homes and reduce long journeys for young children by moving provision into mainstream settings.

However, he said he had been moved by the powerful responses to the consultation and withdrawn the proposal which would also have seen the Wigston Menphys Nursery School in Wigston, Oasis Retreat in Melton Mowbray, and Lift Beacon in Loughborough close.

Paul, whose daughter previously attended the Sketchley Hill nursery, said: "It's the right decision and I'm really pleased the council has seen sense.

"It's just a bit sad it took this level of outcry from the public for the council to do this.

"These nurseries have this expertise and they know the children so well.

"Without them children would get lost really early in the system."

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