Clervaux Nursery School was due to be merged with Jarrow Cross Primary in South Tyneside under the local authority's proposals, 'Transforming Our Schools' (News, 27 September 2007).
The nursery school opened in 1945 and won an International School award three years ago from the British Council for Education and Training - one of only 127 schools out of 26,500 nationally to win the accolade. The decision not to close Clervaux was made at a council meeting on 27 May, days after it received its fourth outstanding Ofsted report.
Ann Stevens, acting head teacher of Clervaux, said, 'We're still pinching ourselves. We're so happy that the decision-makers took into consideration the standards and quality, the things that really matter.'
The nursery provides 39 places for five mornings a week, employing Ms Stevens, another nursery teacher, and two nursery nurses.
Ms Stevens added, 'The staff have been very loyal. We've lived with this uncertainty for three or four years now. It's coloured everything we've done - the thought that we might not be here and we might not stay in the team we are now. Everyone's been on a temporary contract, so it really is testament to their loyalty. They share our vision of good quality in early years education and care.'
A South Tyneside council spokesman said, 'One of the reasons for the decision was the fact that Clervaux Nursery's outdoor classroom facility, which has taken years to develop, could not be replicated in a new school.'
Margaret Edgington, vice chair of the National Campaign for Real Nursery Education, said, 'I'm delighted it's been saved. We really can't afford to lose any more nursery schools. Apart from the benefits for the local community, we want them so other practitioners can learn and be trained.'
