A UK private school has agreed to buy and relocate an independent nursery in Witney, to the dismay of some parents.
Cokethorpe School, an independent day school for pupils aged four to 18, has entered into an agreement with The Farmhouse Nursery and relocate it onto the school's 150-acre estate.
The town-centre nursery on Church Green has been running since 1994, and it is expected for the team to transfer to the new location, which will be run as an independent business to Cokethorpe School.
The move is expected to take place over the coming months and, subject to completing regulatory processes like registering with Ofsted, the new nursery is due to open on January 1.
Sarah Squire, head of Cokethorpe School, said: "From the outset, we wanted to create a nursery that brings together the very best in care and early years education with all the opportunities that come from being part of the Cokethorpe Estate.
"Reaching this milestone is an exciting step towards making that a reality.
"We’re delighted to be welcoming The Farmhouse Nursery and its wonderful community, together with their early years values, which align so well with our own.
"It is the ideal setting for young children to learn, play and grow."
Children at the nursery will have access to the 'exceptional surroundings and facilities offered by Cokethorpe' and more places are due to become available with the move.
It will offer year-round childcare and early years education for children aged nine months to school age.
The school added that while the nursery and school provision on the same site may be 'convenient', there is no expectation for children at The Farmhouse Nursery to progress to reception at Cokethorpe.
Some parents have expressed their dismay at the move, announced eight weeks before it is set to take place, with one writing on social media that they are 'genuinely upset, disappointed and, quite frankly, angry about this decision'.
They said parents who don't drive, who work in town or who have other children attending schools in Witney will struggle to accommodate the move to the Cokethorpe estate, which is some four miles out of town, beyond Ducklington.
"While the new setting may offer wonderful opportunities," the parent added, "it doesn’t change the fact that Cokethorpe is outside Witney and simply isn’t accessible or practical for many local families."
Others expressed concerns with the traffic of cars and buses already surrounding the private school at pick up and drop off times, and that this may worsen with the additional nursery on site.
Some parents were pleased, however, at the beautiful grounds and opportunities for outdoor learning the new setting will provide, and welcomed the news that the nursery was relocating rather than closing at a time when many early years provisions are.
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