PARENTS, staff and children in Cradley Heath have been left stunned after the Temple Meadow New Beginnings Day Care Centre folded.

Temple Meadow Primary School announced they no longer can afford to run the centre and parents are now looking for somewhere to send their children before and after school.

The New Beginnings nursery, which was run in partnership with SureStart, offered a range of services and won plaudits for its progressive work with children.

Rachel Foster, a parent who relies on the clubs, said: “We’ve only been given a weeks notice that the holida, breakfast and after-school clubs at New Beginnings are closing.

“We just cant understand it and there are a lot of angry parents because this came out of nowhere. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

The headteacher of Temple Meadow Primary School Cathy Walsh explained the school couldn’t afford to run the centre anymore.

“It is a complicated issue. Sandwell Council has taken over New Beginnings day care facility because it was no longer financially viable for the school to run it.

“This has meant that the day care the centre provides has had to change.

“We continue to offer nursery sessions at the school and wraparound care at New Beginnings for those children, and day care at New Beginnings for very young children.

“We have negotiated with the Cradley Heath & Old Hill Sure Start Children's Centre that our schoolchildren who go there before and after school can continue to do so until October half term to allow parents to make other arrangements. This affects eight children.

“I have sent out questionnaires to parents in the past asking them what before and after school provision they would like to see at the school, and only three replied saying they would use before and after school care.

“However, I will be sending a further questionnaire after half term to find out the provision required now that New Beginnings has changed ownership.

"I also plan to talk to local head teachers in the area to see if there are enough parents who want before and after school care and will look into whether this could be provided for pupils from more than one school at a single site.”

The school has announced some children will be able to go to Cradley Heath and Old Hill Sure Start Children’s Centre before and after school until October.

Sandwell Council has had to stepped in to safegaurd some services and jobs at the centre which it has renamed The Flying Start Nursery.

Councillor Bob Badham, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for children and families, said: “The council has taken over the New Beginnings centre so we don’t lose this facility as it was simply not viable for the school to continue to run it.

"New Beginnings will now be known as Flying Start Nursery.

“We have taken on the staff and employed them directly but we have had to make changes to the care being provided to ensure it can stay open.

“This has meant that although the day care for very young children and the before and after nursery care will continue, it is not financially viable to offer before and after school care for a small number of primary school pupils.

“To be clear, this does only affect a small number of children.

“If the council hadn’t stepped in, New Beginnings would have more than likely ceased to exist and jobs would have been lost and the most important thing is to continue to provide the services we can at this site.

“Parents have been given until October half term to make other arrangements for the primary school children affected and we will continue to monitor the situation and talking to the school and parents about finding ways to move forward."