Marlborough St Mary’s has ambitious plans to set up and run its own nursery for local children aged 2-5 on a site adjacent to the school in the heart of Marlborough. This week they received the exciting news that the Department of Education will provide a grant which, together with private funding, will mean the project can commence.
Catherine Balston, a governor at St Mary’s, said, “I’m delighted to share that Marlborough St Mary’s was on ITV’s national news twice yesterday! Headteacher Dan Crossman and Deputy Headteacher Russell Goodman were both interviewed live about the Department for Education’s announcement that it is investing £45 million to expand early years care across the country, and that Marlborough St Mary’s is one of the schools (and the only one in Wiltshire) to receive funding.
While plans for the nursery are still being finalised, the vision for the project is clear: to build a state-of-the-art facility that will not only provide the best start in life for nursery-aged children, but also provide a much-needed family centre – a space that local agencies providing health and social care, as well as family support, can use.”
Russell Goodman, Deputy Head, commented, “A family centre is something that’s badly needed at the moment in Marlborough. Bringing the Nursery into the school means we can get the right help in place from the earliest possible opportunity. One of the best things about the school is the relationship we have with our families, and we’re looking forward to being able to have a positive impact on local children from an even younger age. This grant will bring us a step closer to offering even younger children the best possible start to their education.”
The grant will be supplemented by private funding and the school hopes to start building work on the family centre in the coming months, with a view to opening to the first group of pupils in September 2027.
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