A WIRRAL school has been forced to cancel its wraparound care due to “escalating costs”.
Woodchurch Road Academy in Oxton announced to parents that it would be cancelling Little Buddies, which provides childcare before and after school.
In an email sent to parents and carers, the school announced it had identified that it was “no longer financially viable” to operate Little Buddies despite “extensive efforts” to engage with an external partner to take over the provision.
The letter read: “We are writing to inform you of a significant change regarding our Little Buddies wraparound care.
"School has unfortunately identified that it is no longer financially viable to operate Little Buddies. Despite extensive efforts to engage with an external partner to take over the provision, we have been unsuccessful.
“As such we have reached the regrettable decision that Little Buddies will close at the end of term.
"We understand that this news may come as a disappointment, and we are truly sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
“The decision was not made lightly, and we recognise the important role that Little Buddies has played in supporting our children and their families.
“Please be assured that we are actively exploring alternative options within the community, including nearby schools, to ensure that our families have access to quality wraparound care.
"We are committed to finding a suitable solution and will provide you with an update in the coming weeks.
“We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work through this transition. If you have any immediate concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office. Thank you for your continued support of Woodchurch Road Academy.”
Wraparound childcare is childcare that is provided around the conventional school day. It can also refer to provision in the school holidays. This guidance focuses on childcare before and after the school day during school term time, rather than provision in the school holidays.
Following the announcement, parent, Darren Ross, said the decision was “unacceptable” and "needed challenging".
He said: “There has been no dialogue with the school and parents/carers, school recently became an academy, so obviously financial reasons, but what happens to the children who have working parents maybe using Little Buddies, Morning and after school ends?
“Upon approaching school upon receipt of the email, the headteacher was not available and no one knows what's going on. This is not acceptable and needs challenging.”
A spokesperson for Woodchurch Road Academy told the Globe: “We are very sad to confirm that Little Buddies, our wrap around care provision will be closing at the end of the current school year.
"The provision has been operating at a large financial deficit for a number of years and we are no longer able to meet the escalating cost.
“We have spent the past year liaising with other childcare providers in the hope that we could find an alternative service, but those providers have reached the same conclusion; that they are unable to offer the service without incurring considerable cost.
“We are committed to supporting the small number of families and staff that are affected by this decision, to minimise the impact on them.”
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