The six settings are Atherstone Early Years Centre, Bedworth Heath Nursery School and Children's Centre, Kenilworth Children's Centre and Nursery School, Stockingford Early Years Centre, Warwick Children's Centre and Nursery School, and Whitnash Nursery School.
More than 100 campaigners demonstrated on the steps of the county council's headquarters last Thursday, prior to the council's last cabinet meeting before the general election in May. More than 400 people joined another protest on 17 April, focusing on Kenilworth Nursery School. A petition to save Kenilworth has more than 1,000 signatures and more than 500 people have signed up to a Facebook campaign page.
The council review in May and June will look at three options for the nursery schools: for the schools to amalgamate with primary schools; to bring in private providers to take over the daycare provision; or to develop nursery schools as centres of excellence, which means that a school would remain a stand-alone nursery school but would develop advisory services and share knowledge and expertise with other providers (News, 15 April).
The council has denied the review is aimed at saving money and a consultation document says it is due to a changing national agenda that promotes early years provision rather than nursery education.
Mandy Brougham, chair of governors at Kenilworth Nursery School, said, 'Joining forces with the other six nursery schools has been a real breakthrough. The headteachers had a meeting last week with the consultant, Pauline Trudell, and there will be a meeting next week for all of the governors. We have also asked the overview and scrutiny panel to look into the justification for the consultation as we would like to have it withdrawn.'
Siobhan Mulherin, parent governor at Whitnash Nursery School, said, 'No-one should be playing politics with our children's education. The council needs to give parents a bit more credit - we're not interested in political excuses, we know cost cutting when we see it!'
Further information
Sign the campaign petition at www.kenilworthparents.co.uk