New nursery plans for Thorney Close approved
Families will be over the moon after Sunderland Council bosses approved plans for a new nursery offer for 2 year old children at a local primary school on Thorney Close, says the estate's local Lib Dem councillor.
Sunderland City Council's Cabinet gave the nod today (10th November) to plans to allow Thorney Close Primary School on Torquay Road to open its nursery provision for 2-year-old children in the area from January 2023.
The decision comes after the Thorney Close Early Years Centre on Thorndale Road is due to close in the new year, leaving local families with 2-year-olds the prospect of having to travel miles to find an early years nursery setting elsewhere in the city.
Thorney Close Primary School currently has a nursery class for 3-5 year-olds, but Sunderland Council has now agreed to lower the age of admission at Thorney Close Primary School to allow the school to admit 2 year old children in an early years nursery setting.
Commenting local Liberal Democrat councillor for Thorney Close Stephen O'Brien said:
"Families on the estate with young kids will be over the moon at this decision to make sure there is somewhere local they can take their 2 and 3 year-olds before they start nursery class at primary school.
"This decision to provide a new facility at Thorney Close Primary will make life easier for local families so they can make use of the government's free childcare hours for 2-year-olds on the estate without having to travel miles to find somewhere else.
"It would also mean people can send their kids to one place from the age of 2 right the way through to Year 6 without having to change settings.
"Thanks go to everyone who signed petitions and supported the campaign to make sure Thorney Close continued to have an early years nursery."