Nursery World - Parents save nursery in financial straits

A group of parents has banded together to save a nursery facing closure.

Owner and manager Sarah Johnson wrote to parents at Norwich Montessori School in August to explain that funding challenges had made it impossible to continue and she would be closing the nursery.

However, a group of six parents offered to step in and help with administration, cleaning, gardening and fundraising.

The parents will help keep the nursery open for at least the next year, setting up an online fundraising page, organising fundraising events and approaching the local community for support.

Parent Clare Morton-Thomas said, ‘Essentially what we have done is pretty extreme. The aim is to keep the nursery open long-term by streamlining the business and making it more profitable. We just felt it was such a shame that this had happened to an Outstanding nursery that provides such a brilliant, nurturing and caring environment. The Government needs to rethink its funding strategy and invest in young children. I really had no idea before but this is happening all over the place.’

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