Broomhill Nursery: private firm Kirktonholme Childcare to operate new nursery on Crow Road

Broomhill Nursery, which is currently under construction and set to be complete in early spring, will be operated by Kirktonholme Childcare.

The childcare provider told parents “we look forward to bringing a quality childcare service to the local community as tenants of Glasgow City Council”.

The council had previously pushed plans to merge Novar Nursery School with Fortrose Nursery and host the new early years centre at the Broomhill site.

Following a consultation period and meeting, in which Greens Councillor Jon Molyneux raised concerns from parents, a decision was reached to proceed with the preferred option of a third party provider taking over the use of Broomhill nursery on a rental basis. If a suitable proposal had not been submitted then the default position would have been to run it as a council nursery.

The decision was met with discontent by some parents of children at the Novar nursery who felt they hadn’t been given the opportunity to voice their opinion on the proposal.

The council had originally argued that a merger would deliver extended hours and models to give more flexibility to parents.

Kirktonholme Childcare are moving ahead with plans to open the nursery, however, telling parents: “the application process with Care Inspectorate to register the nursery service has been submitted. This process can take several months but, as we have done in many of our other services, we will work closely with Care Inspectorate to expedite this process.

It added: “we will work tirelessly to ensure that our team and the learning environments are ready to welcome the first children into our care as soon as possible.”

Following the decision in April last year to shelf merger plans, the committee outlined plans for the building, stating: “Novar Nursery will remain in its current building and will continue to provide high-quality early learning and childcare to families. As the new nursery at Broomhill nears completion, the Council will through its agreed framework to offer the new nursery out to a funded provider who is in partnership with the Council.”

Last year the Glasgow Times reported that Nova Nursery’s building has damp and asbestos.

One parent whose child is at Fortrose nursery told Glasgow Live: "Fortrose nursery is in a dilapidated building, yet while they remain stuck with substandard facilities, the new building will be given to the private sector. Because of top-up fees, this is inaccessible to the lowest income families, and yet again Glasgow kids are disadvantaged based on their parent's income."