MORE than 50 families have been left devastated by the sudden closure of a dale nursery school with an “excellent” reputation.
Castle Kindergarten, at Staindrop, shut its doors on Thursday last week, just two months after it was rated “good” across all categories in an Ofsted inspection.
At the time of the inspection in June the nursery had 72 children on its roll and employed 14 people.
Officials at Castle Kindergarten, which runs a number of nursery schools across the north east, blame rising costs and difficulties in recruiting staff as reasons for the closure.
Managing director Sue Morgan said the nursery had made significant operating losses.
She added: “The company is not able to sustain the current operating costs and having been unable to find a solution to increase financial turnover to create a profit, there is no alternative but to close.
“Each day nursery closure is devastating to its local community, its children, families and staff and to its owners too. We know that the nursery will be greatly missed.”
The nursery was formerly known as Small Worlds before it was taken over by Castle Kindergarten in December 2020, and its children have been prominent participants in Staindrop Carnival’s annual fancy dress parade, regularly winning top awards.
Parents and grandparents have sung the praises of the facility and expressed shock and disappointment at its closure.
Tom Sowerby said he was one of the lucky parents because his four-year-old daughter Romy would be leaving to join primary school anyway.
He said: “She has absolutely loved every second, she has never not wanted to go.
“She has never come back upset, she has made a ton of friends, she was fed well – everything.
“They got a really good Ofsted and no-one was surprised, obviously it was going to be good, and then it closed. It’s very sad.
“My final thought on the nursery is that it has been perfect – in every way she has loved it… every minute of it.”
A woman who had come to collect her grandson for the last time said she felt particularly bad for the staff who had made the nursery such a success.
She added: “It is a big loss all round because both my girls brought their children here.”
Staindrop resident Les Blair, who helped start a community gym and organises events at both the Masonic and Scarth halls, said the impact on the village would be significant.
He added: “It has caused a lot of upset in the village because it is so good, and it has an excellent reputation. I feel sorry for the people affected.”
