Aberdeen to further expand nursery provision

26 September 2019

The second phase of a £23 million programme to provide hundreds of new nursery places in Aberdeen was approved today.

Aberdeen City Council is committed to expanding the provision of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) from 600 hours to 1,140 hours by 2020. The aim is to support children’s educational development and to help close the poverty-related attainment gap.

The Phase 2 projects, scheduled for delivery in Summer 2020, include remodelling or adding extensions to existing nurseries or building new ones at the following Primary Schools:

Broomhill – extension  Charleston – remodel Culter – extension  Cults – extension  Gilcomstoun – new build  Kingswells – remodel Kirkhill – new build Loirston – remodel

The Council’s City Growth and Resources Committee gave the go ahead to progress delivery subject to due diligence.

Phase 1 work is already set to take place at existing schools and nurseries at Tullos, Westpark, Kingsford, Quarryhill and Woodside, and new nurseries at Northfield/Cummings Park, Seaton and Tillydrone.

Aberdeen’s ELC Delivery Plan highlights a focus on the provision of outdoor learning to support wellbeing, on accessibility to increase uptake, and on delivery of Family Learning to fully capitalise on the expansion programme within local communities.

Project briefs and estimated costs for Phase 3 projects, which largely focus on minor reconfiguration of existing spaces, are currently being compiled.