Peter Lamb, Member of Parliament for Crawley, has visited the newly-opened nursery at St Andrew’s C of E Primary School to hear from staff, school governors and nursery pupils about the positive impact it is having on the school, children and parents.

The nursery, one of many being brought forward under a new government scheme, is providing accessible and affordable childcare for local families, giving parents more choice and helping to improve children’s life chances.

School-based nurseries offer children the opportunity to grow up and learn in a consistent environment all the way up to age 11, enabling them to thrive in an environment they trust.

Further school-based nurseries are set to open in Crawley over the next few years, helping to resolve the difficulties many working parents face in accessing childcare for their children.

Peter Lamb, Member of Parliament for Crawley said:

“St Andrew’s have done a remarkable job of integrating the new nursery into the school so quickly, helping local parents access much-needed nursery places.

“It was also fantastic to see the school and to hear from governors, teachers, and non-teaching staff about the fantastic work of the school and their innovations to overcome the challenges involved in complex areas such as SEND.”

Rob Walker, Chair of the Governors of St Andrews said:

“St. Andrew’s CE Primary School is proud to be part of the government’s pilot creating nursery provision on primary school sites. The new St. Andrew’s CE Nursery School opened on 8th September, offering high-quality early years education to local families in a nurturing, faith-led environment.

“Rooted in our Christian mission of Growing learners to live in God’s world, the nursery provides a rich EYFS curriculum that encourages curiosity, creativity and independence, guided by our values of wisdom, grace and hope.

“On behalf of the governing body, I would like to thank the Department for Education, our dedicated staff and the local community for their support in bringing this vision to life. We look forward to seeing the nursery flourish and provide the very best start for our youngest learners.”