Provision for Merton Medical Education Services at Lavender Nursery site and closure of the nursery

We are consulting on proposed changes to services at Lavender Nursery on London Road Mitcham.

Expansion of Merton Education Services into Lavender Nursery

Part of Melbury College, Merton Medical Education Services offer high quality, bespoke education provision for highly vulnerable students who live in Merton and who are unable to attend mainstream school because of medical and / or mental health needs. The offer is part of the council’s statutory obligation to ensure education is provided for all of its school age children.

Due to a rise in the secondary school aged population and rising needs, especially in relation to mental health, student numbers have increased year-on-year, Merton Medical Education Services have outgrown their previous accommodation at the Canterbury Road campus, Morden. They are currently in temporary provision but require a permanent, suitable home.

The council has limited resources and therefore needs to make sure it can provide for this need from within its existing building stock rather than through new build.

Closure of Lavender Nursery (London Road) 

Lavender Nursery currently offers early education and care for children aged 2 to 4/5 years of age as part of the borough-wide offer of a range of early childhood services delivered through the borough’s network of children’s centres.

Lavender Nursery (London Road) currently provides up to 80 part-time, term-time only nursery places for 2-year-olds who are eligible for free nursery education, and up to 48 full-time all-year-round places for children aged 2, 3 and 4 for fee-paying families. The proposal is to:

• Close the full working day, fee-paying provision (i.e. 48 full-time places)
• Find alternative venue(s) to provide the 80 part-time, term-time free places for eligible 2-year-olds

The proposed changes would not be implemented until late August 2021 to make sure families that are changing placement for September 2021 do not need to seek any short-term alternative arrangements. Parents will be able to choose their future provision from across the wider childcare sector.

Impact on Tamworth Recreation Ground and paddling pool

The paddling pool and park are independently managed. The proposal is that the area currently designated to Education for Nursery becomes provision for Merton Medical Education Services. It should not therefore be impacted by this proposal.

Please provide comments by email to School.Consult@merton.gov.uk by Monday 22 February 2021

Post to: Contracts and School Organisation, Children, Schools and Families Department, London Borough of Merton, Merton Civic Centre, Morden SM4 5DX

The consultation on the proposal of closing of nursery provision at London Road to move Merton Medical Education Services to the site closed on Monday 22 February 2021. We had excellent engagement with the consultation, with over 200 responses from a range of residents and organisations. We are grateful for the insights that people have shared.

We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation in more detail, but it is already clear that some questions around the proposal need to be considered. Therefore, we are not proposing to make a decision on the current proposal at Merton Council's Cabinet in March 2021 as we had originally planned. 

We recognise the need for further work following the consultation responses. When the work is complete, we will be discussing this with key stakeholders before any recommendations are made for a final decision.