As Nursery World has reported, many universities and colleges are closing campus nurseries because they claim they can no longer afford to run them (News, 23 July and 30 July).
Building work has started on the new Portsmouth nursery in a Victorian building adjacent to the current 38-place site, which previously housed a coffee shop. This has been replaced by a new refectory for staff and students, freeing up space for the nursery.
Nursery manager Francesca Sherren said the new building, which will replace the temporary premises that have housed the nursery since the early 1990s, would allow free flow from the indoor to the outdoor areas. Once the old nursery is demolished children will have a larger outdoor area with space to grow vegetables.
'We consulted children about what they wanted and they said that they wanted to be able to have water play outside. So we are adding a drinking fountain and an outdoor tap,' said Ms Sherren.
She added, 'The university has always been supportive of the nursery and closure was never an issue.'
Catherine Carpenter, nursery practitioner, said, 'The university has recognised that although the nursery is a small cog in a big machine, to many student parents it can mean the difference between taking a university offer or not.'
Deputy vice-chancellor Rebecca Bunting told Nursery World, 'The university has made a strategic decision to support the nursery. We have a significant number of mature students and a long waiting list for places at the nursery.'
She added, 'The new nursery is in a bigger building that can be designed around the children's needs. It's in a courtyard with students nearby. The children are integrated into the university community, not hidden in a corner.'