Last updated 18:43, Sunday, 25 May 2008

There are challenging times ahead for Carlisle nursery manager Julie Gibson – and she’s relishing the prospect.

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Deputy manager Elma Dey with Owen Hampson and Naomi Ward

St Aidan’s Day Nursery, housed at St Aidan’s County High school, was recently rated outstanding by Ofsted inspectors for the quality and standards of its nursery education.

But how are staff planning to maintain those high standards when the nursery is poised to be demolished as the city’s Richard Rose Central Academy is created?

Julie, who has worked at the nursery since its inception 17 years ago, hopes to keep what makes it special – its links and location within the grounds of the secondary school.

There has been uncertainty about the nursery’s future because of plans to knock down St Aidan’s School and replace it with the new academy.

But nursery chairman and school head Martin Murphy has written to the parents of the 90 children who attend, saying that all parties involved in the academy are committed to the nursery continuing on site.

Ofsted inspectors were impressed that the nursery’s youngsters, aged from birth to five years, enjoy a range of different activities thanks to the school facilities on their doorstep.

They learn to swim in the St Aidan’s pool, enjoy performing arts sessions and visit the school library as part of the literacy drive.

They also take part in events such as mini sports days that are run with help from secondary school sport leadership pupils and teachers.

Plans have already been made to ensure these key features are retained during the academy’s creation.

School library staff will make up story sacks for every child and they will visit the nursery instead of youngsters going to them. Meanwhile the pool and performing arts blocks are staying.

But the nursery’s home – in the school’s former sixth form block – is due to be knocked down as St Aidan’s disappears and millions are spent on building a new academy ready for September 2010.

Academy and school leaders are still finalising a way of keeping the privately-run nursery on or very near the site while the academy is developed. The sponsors say they want to ensure successful ventures like the nursery continue and contribute to the ethos of a “learning village” and life-long learning.

Julie said: “I am sure we’ll have access to all of the things we usually do, like the pool, and we’ve been making plans for how we’ll do things while the work goes on.

“We’re looking forward to working with the academy people.

“The nursery has high standards and we knew there were going to be big challenges ahead, but we have got such good links with the school that I’ve not had any great concern because we’ve always known that the nursery was going to be part of this.

“The staff and I are already thinking about things we’d like to see, like a sensory room and possibly a little baby gym for things like baby massage.”

She added: “We’ve been taking a positive approach, the transition has to be smooth when we move to new premises.

“We need to reassure staff and we need to reassure parents that they will receive the same standards that they have received in this building.

“But the parents are supportive and have great respect and trust in us and I feel they know we will deliver that to them.”

Julie speaks from experience, after going through similar changes around a decade ago. “We were originally in an old craft room but because parents wanted to bring their children for longer we were very lucky and got the old sixth form building re-designed specifically for us.

“We always wanted a bigger entrance and better toilets and we got it,” she said.

Small simple measures helped in the transition then.

“Over a couple of weekends we worked to set up the new place and the children all had their pegs to put their coats on when they moved across,” said Julie.

“Even when they moved it was different, but there was familiarity for them. They also saw the changes going on here before they actually moved in and we explained to them about what was happening and they visited.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of hard work ahead for us now, but I’m confident because we will be involved in setting it up.

“And when the children walk in on that first morning we hope to have the same decor, carpets and things like that.”

Julie added: “We have to keep fresh, we can’t go stale. We will carry on providing better activities, go on more training courses and listen to what the children and parents want.”

The nursery was hit by the 2005 Carlisle floods, but it was back open within weeks because of the support from parents and businesses, she said, and there is a two-year waiting list for new children to join.