14^th February 2025

 

Dear Parents & Carers,

I hope this message finds you well. Today we are beginning a consultation which invites you to comment on the closure of the Nursery at St Paul’s Cray CE Primary School.

After deep consideration and careful evaluation of our current enrolment numbers, the proposal is to close our Nursery, effective from Autumn Term 2025. This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the significant impact it may have on our community but the proposal is due to insufficient demand for places and the associated financial losses resulting from this. 

Despite our best efforts to encourage enrolment, we have seen a consistent decline in the number of children attending the nursery and currently the number of children we have on roll/our waiting list does not make it financially viable. We believe that focusing our resources in other areas will allow us to enhance the educational experience for all our students.

The change will take effect from 1^st September 2025.

We have a 30 spaces per session in our Nursery for three and four year olds, and due to lack of demand have this school year reduced this 16 spaces per session as we only 18 children on roll throughout the year. Pupil admission numbers into our Reception classes have also fallen steadily over recent years from around 45 to less than 30.  The Nursery currently only operates on a part time basis as there were too few children for us to warrant us opening full time this school year.

We are keen to provide a continuity of educational provision for Nursery aged children and therefore we would also like to share that we are in discussions with another provider who may be interested in taking over the nursery. Should these discussions lead to a positive outcome, we will keep you updated and provide any relevant information about transition options for your children.

The school values highly the views and opinions of the community within which it operates. We now seek your views regarding the closure of the Nursery at St Paul’s Cray CE Primary School.

The consultation will run from Friday 14^th February 2025 to Friday 14th March 2025.

If you wish to comment on the proposed changes please email: admissions@st-paulscray.bromley.sch.uk

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding during this difficult time. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at the School Office.

Your feedback is important to us, and we are here to support you in any way we can.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Warm regards,

Yours faithfully

Mrs Bennett

Principal

Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

Micah 6:8