The closed school could soon be used as a nursery and outdoor learning centre.
Emberton school could reopen as a nursery according plans.
Emberton School was a community infant school with an admission number of 12 in each of its three year groups. It has a catchment area of Emberton, Filgrave, Petsoe, and Tyringham.
It was closed in 2020 due to a lack of students.
New plans detail the ‘conversion to hybrid use for a school and nursery (total capacity 37 places) and construction of a new 21-space car park, with access from the High Street’.
It will also provide up to 16 new jobs, a document states.
“The village school in Emberton closed in 2020 due to insufficient numbers of children attending, although the governing body of the Village Schools Federation (VSF) are hopeful that the school might be able to re-open at some point in the future,” a cover letter reads.
“In the meantime, they would like to lease the building to the applicant to use as a nursery, outdoor kindergarten and outdoor learning centre. This will ensure that there is an ongoing educational function at the school.”
It adds: “It is proposed that during school holidays an outdoor playscheme will take place in the field to the rear of the school building. Two outdoor shelters will need to be provided to facilitate the playscheme.”
There are currently 57 children on the waiting list for places at the nursery.
“The admissions policy prioritises vulnerable children and local children, and in the event of any future lockdown, children of key worker families,” the cover letter states.
“Funded places are made available for low-income families with two-year-olds, and all children aged three and over are entitled to fully funded places of up to 30 hours a week.”
It could open in January 2022.
