'Disappointment' as nursery closure confirmed

Parents whose children attend one of Sheffield's highest-regarded nurseries have told of their "disappointment and anger" after it was confirmed the facility would close.

Sheffield Hallam University's Collegiate Nursery, which was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its most recent inspection in 2023, will shut next month due to cost-cutting measures.

The university said the decision, first mooted in April, had been "driven by a combination of sustained financial losses, declining demand, and the wider financial pressures facing universities across the UK".

Dan, whose two children have attended the nursery, said the news was "like losing a member of the family".

He praised the resources available to children at the facility, including a sensory room that his two-year-old son Louis, who has Down's syndrome, "really enjoys and really responds to, and the other neurotypical children too".

"There's places that are close, but there's nowhere quite like it," he said of other nurseries in the city.

"A lot of the staff have been there for 20 or 30 years.

"It's a really tenured and experienced staff base, all with special training for special needs.

"There's nothing that comes close to it in terms of the staff, the provision as a whole, the resources [and] the outdoor space."

According to a university spokesperson the nursery, which first opened in 1979, employs 21 members of staff.

They said 39 children were enrolled at the nursery for 2025/26, 13 of whom had been due to leave to start school in September.

They said the facility had recorded operating losses of almost £600,000 since 2020, with a further loss of approximately £141,500 forecast this year.

The spokesperson said the university was "facing significant financial pressures and must take difficult decisions to ensure its long-term sustainability".

In a statement they said: "Following a thorough consultation process, we have taken the difficult decision to close Collegiate Campus Nursery at the end of July.

"We know this news will be deeply disappointing for the families and staff who are part of the nursery community. We recognise the strength of feeling expressed since the proposal was made and we want to be clear that this is not a decision the University has taken lightly."

Several cost-cutting measures have already taken place, including job cuts and the sale of several university buildings, with £27m in savings required.

The spokesperson said they had "carefully considered" feedback on the closure and had "explored a range of alternatives".

"While this reinforced the value of the nursery to the families who use it, no viable option emerged that would address the underlying financial challenges or place the nursery on a sustainable footing for the future."

But that provided little solace to Dan and the other families affected, he said.

"In terms of feelings, it's disappointment, it's anger, but it's not a surprise."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North