Two nurseries facing closure with plans to merge with local primaries

Plans to close two nurseries and merge them with local primary schools are to be put out for public consultation.

Education chiefs want to replace Mayfield Nursery School by moving it into the Mayfield Schools Campus and move Mount Esk Nursery School, in Bonnyrigg, into a new extension at Hawthornden Primary School – a short distance away.

A report to Midlothian Council says the nursery schools would then fall under the responsibility of the primary headteachers and save the local authority £160,000 a year.

The two nursery headteacher jobs will be deleted with administration staff at both nurseries offered roles at other schools in the county.

The report on the two nurseries said they have reached the end of their lifespans and merging them with the primary schools will offer “scope to enhance the early level link between early learning centres and P1 in the schools”.

It added: “Early learning and childcare settings and primary schools work together to share knowledge of, and experiences for, children and support their transition to primary school.

“The replacement of the two nursery settings presents an opportunity to review the management structure in the light of the physical relocation, the changes in the curriculum and the introduction of 1140 hours.”

Councillors were told that the nurseries were moving into the schools rather than closing and it was only due to the move being “technically a closure” that the decision required a public consultation.

Councillors supported the public consultations being carried out.

By local democracy reporter Marie Sharp