Nursery World - Woodlands Park Nursery: Grand alliance

Sure Start is joining forces with the Early Excellence Centres, reports Ruth Thomson

'We have no kitchen, no laundry, and it's raining,' said Julian Grenier when Nursery World spoke to the deputy head of Woodlands Park Nursery some months ago. This wasn't just a bad day, but part of a year-long disruption while the nursery was being extended. During that time, the children relied on packed lunches and the staff regularly loaded up bundles of baby bibs, bedding and tablecloths to wash in their own homes.

Order has now resumed at the 80-place nursery in the north London borough of Haringey. The extension, completed in September, was officially opened earlier this month by the Prime Minister's wife Cherie Booth, and has enabled two key Government early years projects to come under the same roof: the early excellence and Sure Start programmes (see box).

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