The Newhaven nursery surviving against the odds

Lockdown has meant a decline in the need for childcare as more and more parents decide to work from home, according to Marion MacQueen, who has been running the nursery since 2005.

The upcoming increase in the minimum wage will be putting an added strain on the nursery, she adds, and the low wages of apprentice staff deter people from entering the nursery job market when they are studying. An increase in the apprentice and under 18 wage to £5.28 will come in April.

She said: "Even when they leave school, they want to go somewhere where they can earn over £9 an hour, rather than the small apprentice wage that a nursery can offer young people.”

The nursery was marked “Good” on every count in their last Ofsted report, which says: “Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure once they arrive at the nursery,” and “staff act as good role models and reinforce their expectations of children's behaviour very well.”

In July of 2020 the nursery moved from the Catholic church hall on Fort Road to Shakespeare Hall close by.

The news that they would have to vacate their previous premises came as a shock to Marion, who had to take out a Bounce Back loan to keep her business afloat during lockdown.

She said: "I'm not only having to pay wages, the bills, the rent, I'm also having to pay back the loan to save my business."

However, Marion has been working hard to provide children and families with childcare which has earned top rated Ofsted reports.

The nursery also offers a holiday club for childcare outside of school term times. To book places for the holiday club or nursery, you can call Marion or Sheree on 07523957041.

Plans drawn up under Boris Johnson’s Government would have seen the staff to child ratio increase from one adult to every four two year olds, to one staff member for every five children. These plans have not yet come into effect, and it is currently unclear how Rishi Sunak’s government will fund childcare.

Marion, however, said they do not plan to implement those changes at her nursery due to safeguarding concerns.

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