New Council nursery to open in Barrhead
St John's Primary Nursery Class will open early next year
Published: 20 April 2023
A new nursery class will be created at a Barrhead school, as part of the Council's commitment to increasing childcare options in the area.
The St John's Primary Nursery Class will initially provide 60 places for two, three and four-year-olds, with the capacity increasing to 90 once the facility is fully established.
Final design work for the nursery class is being progressed, with it expected to open in early 2024. Residents will be able to apply for a place at the new nursery as part of the Council's Early Learning and Childcare application process.
The nursery is being created within a section of the existing St John's Primary School building, where East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure staff are currently located.
Councillor Andrew Anderson, Convener of Education, Equalities, Culture and Leisure, said: 'We are committed to providing early learning and childcare provision which meets the needs of our communities. In Barrhead and Neilston, we've recognised the need to increase the options available to families and this new nursery class at St John's Primary School will do just that. With new house building in the area and legislative changes regarding deferred entry to school which come into effect in August 2023, creating this new facility will future-proof the availability of nursery places in the area.'
As part of the Council's ongoing work to review the availability and flexibility of nursery options available for local families, Calderwood Lodge Nursery Class will also change its operation model.
The facility will now become a family centre, which will provide families in Newton Mearns with the ability to access the service all year round, rather than just during term-time.
It is planned that from August 2023 the transition towards a family centre approach will begin, with full implementation starting from the beginning of the 2024/25 session.
For children already attending Calderwood Lodge Nursery Class, they will be able to continue to attend on the existing basis until the current children complete their time at nursery.
