AN open letter from Bolton TUC, to Linda Thomas, executive member for children's services and deputy leader of Bolton Council

Bolton TUC appeals to you to persuade your fellow councillors to rescind the statutory notice to close Susan Isaacs Nursery, issued on January 12.

The reasons for the decision to close this iconic nursery are entirely financial: "five-year projections highlight that the nursery's future is not sustainable based on the low numbers of children registered as pupils of the school", says the report.

Bolton TUC suggests that population movement alone makes this estimate unreliable, particularly during the Syrian refugee crisis, whose impact will be felt for years.

We further suggest that education decisions should not be based purely on short term financial considerations.

Do the primary school closures of a decade ago seem wise decisions now?

Bolton TUC has argued that the closure of this maintained nursery is a further step on the road to privatisation of nursery provision. Once closed, the provision is lost for good.

Research has consistently shown that maintained early years provision is consistently better than private provision (only13 per cent outstanding compared to 57 per cent outstanding in the maintained sector).

This argument to keep Susan Isaacs open is greatly strengthened when combined with research which consistently shows that only high quality early years education makes a difference to young people's outcomes, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and a DfE study has shown that maintained nursery schools were most effective of all.

Bolton TUC considers that the above arguments provide a Labour council with more than enough reasons to oppose the closure of Susan Isaacs Nursery.

Should the closure go ahead, not only Susan Isaacs staff and children will suffer, but the early years sector as a whole, as workforce training and development diminishes across the area.

Maintained nurseries should be regarded not only as a local resource, but a national asset, and Bolton should seek to build on its position as a town with a longer and deeper tradition in early years education than many others, and aim to be a beacon of good practice across the country.

Don't destroy all this, Cllr Thomas!

Bolton TUC