Plans to close The Parks raise concerns

Thursday, 2 November 2023 10:18

Image courtesy of Antonia Garnett-Clarke

Emotions were running high last night as Rutland County Council launched a consultation into the future of The Parks special nursery school in Oakham. The council says the facility is no longer viable and are proposing to close it at the end of the current academic year.

Parents of children with special educational needs accused the council of denying children places there. Local nursery staff say they're not being given enough support to accommodate children who need one to one care. The council says it will enhance early years provision at Oakham C of E. The consultation runs until the 30th of November.

A former long term staff member at The Parks accused the council of letting down children who need a high level of help:

"I was head teacher at The Parks before I retired, and I taught there for 20 odd years on the old site. We had three classes at one stage of children. Yes, some of them came in from Melton, but a lot of them were from the Rutland area.

Now those children, you are now saying, at their tender age can go into the playgroups. That will not work for lots of them. The staff at The Parks were the best trained. We went on course after course .......... When we moved to the C of E, we still had those children, I know, because there's two classes and I was in charge of one of them. We still have multiple skills. We managed then, but then the authority paid the staff. So that's why it worked so well. And that's why it was seen to be one of the best in the country at one stage. And that was what we were proud of. And that's what Rutland should be proud of".