Purpose-built home for Crookfur nursery class

The class will relocate to the new Crookfur Family Centre, which is being built to replace the current Crookfur Pavilion.

Building work is set to start on the project in the coming months.

The new family centre will continue to be managed by Crookfur Primary head teacher Sheena McGuigan and will offer more places than available at present, as well as opening all year round, rather than just term time.

Relocating the nursery class will also mean that the former nursery class can be used by the primary school.

The move is part of the council’s early years expansion plan, which is being put in place as a result of changes being introduced by the Scottish Government.

Local authorities currently provide 600 free hours of childcare for all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds, and this will increase to 1,140 hours by August 2020.

In addition to the new Crookfur Family Centre, early years facilities will be built at Overlee Park, a replacement for Glenwood Family Centre on an adjacent site, and two new extended nurseries within the grounds of Busby and Eaglesham primaries.

The new facilities at Busby and Eaglesham primaries will also allow the former nursery class space in both schools to be reconfigured for use by primary school pupils.

Mhairi Shaw, the council’s Director of Education, said: “The aim of our expansion plan is to offer families more opportunities for flexibility and choice for their early learning and childcare needs.

“Creating these new facilities will help us to achieve this, whilst also providing more space in our schools which will benefit our pupils.”

The first phase of the council’s roll-out was to make increased hours available at four facilities – Arthurlie Family Centre, Isobel Mair Family Centre for those with additional support needs, Braidbar Nursery Class and Busby Nursery Class.

Until the council’s expansion plan is fully implemented, access to these places is limited and so criteria are in place to identify children who are eligible to benefit.

As the council moves to the next stage of the expansion plan, funded places with partner childminders will be available from August 2019, offering parents more flexibility when choosing how to use their free entitlement.

Following a review process, 11 childminders will work in partnership with the council in 2019/20 allowing parents to utilise funding with these providers.

The council will also continue to work in partnership with 13 other early learning and childcare providers, which includes private and voluntary nurseries.

For more information about the council’s funded providers, go to eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/earlylearningandchildcare.