Decision Maker: Cabinet
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Cabinet RESOLVED to:
2.1 note the findings from the MNS review at Appendix 1.
2.2 note that the current model of Croydon’s MNS is not financially sustainable to guarantee their future viability as funding is insufficient to cover the costs in some of the MNS, alongside declining birth rate.
2.3 approve Croydon’s new operating model for its MNS, which is for each MNS to establish, at least, a ‘soft’ federation - formally collaborate - with the governing body of a primary school, special school, or academy trust through a Service Level Agreement (SLA). This is in line with Model – Aii – referred to in the MNS review at Appendix 1.
2.4 note that three of Croydon’s MNS – Thornton Heath, Tunstall, and Purley – are already linked successfully to a primary school via an SLA or a federation and have a balanced budget.
2.5 note that the other two MNS – Federation of Crosfield and Selhurst – are not linked to a primary school and have a deficit budget.
2.6 strongly recommend that the Governing Body of the Federation of Crosfield and Selhurst Nursery Schools accept and support Croydon’s new operating model for MNS and start the process immediately to establish a ‘soft’ federation with a primary school, special school, or academy trust through a Service Level Agreement (SLA), by January 2025.
2.7 authorise officers to work with Crosfield and Selhurst (Federation) Nursery schools to broker and identify a suitable primary school, special school or academy trust to create a ‘soft’ federation through an agreed Service Level Agreement. If the Federation of Crosfield and Selhurst, does not respond positively, robustly, or rapidly to the recommendation by the Council and the requirement to achieve a balanced budget by the 2025/26 financial year then the Council could intervene by issuing a warning notice to the governing body and appoint an Interim Executive Board (IEB) on the grounds of poor financial management.
2.8 As a consequence of recommendations 2.6 and 2.7, confirm that, if the MNS follow these proposal the need to reduce the number of Maintained Nursery Schools in Croydon through closures or mergers, will not be pursued, at this stage.
Publication date: 16/07/2024
Date of decision: 15/07/2024
Decided at meeting: 15/07/2024 - Cabinet
Effective from: 24/07/2024
Accompanying Documents: