Save SHU Collegiate Nursery

We are parents, carers, families, staff, students, alumni, and members of the wider Sheffield community calling on Sheffield Hallam University to reconsider its proposal to consult on the closure of SHU Collegiate Nursery.

SHU Collegiate Nursery has been part of the university since 1979. It supports children aged 0–5, provides places for up to 70 children, employs 21 childcare staff, and is used by university staff, students, and local families.

In 2023, the nursery was rated Outstanding by Ofsted, recognising the high quality of its care, education, safeguarding, and early years provision.

This is not just a childcare setting. It is a trusted, inclusive, and irreplaceable part of the university and local community.

Sheffield Hallam University has proposed consulting on the closure of its on-campus Collegiate Nursery.

We believe this proposal must be reconsidered.

The nursery provides exceptional care and education for young children, including children with special educational needs and disabilities. Parents and carers consistently describe the nursery as nurturing, expert, stable, and deeply valued.

A parent-led impact report gathered evidence from 46 families, including 22 current nursery families and 24 alumni families. The report found that closure would have serious and foreseeable consequences for children, families, university staff, students, and the wider Sheffield community.

We are deeply concerned that changes to the nursery’s funding model, introduced by the University last year, increased costs for parents and carers.

Before these changes, the nursery had a waiting list for places. Reduced demand following increased fees is now being cited as part of the justification for closure.

We believe this does not reflect the nursery’s long-term value, community importance, or strategic role within Sheffield Hallam University.

Short-term financial pressure should not be allowed to erase a high-quality early years setting that has served children and families for decades.

Closing SHU Collegiate Nursery would have serious consequences.

Families would be forced to find alternative childcare in a sector already under severe pressure, with limited availability, long waiting lists, and rising costs.

Children would lose trusted relationships with staff, friends, routines, and a familiar environment. For some children, especially those close to starting school or those with SEND, this disruption could be especially harmful.

Parents and carers may face reduced working hours, loss of income, disruption to study, or withdrawal from employment.

The university would lose a long-standing service that supports staff retention, student participation, equality, research opportunities, work placements, and community engagement.

SHU Collegiate Nursery is widely respected because it provides:

Outstanding early years education
Recognised by Ofsted and valued by families for its quality, care, and safeguarding.

Experienced and dedicated staff
The nursery employs 21 childcare staff whose expertise and relationships with children are central to its success.

Inclusive SEND support
Families particularly value the nursery’s expertise in supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Stability for children
Children build deep bonds with staff, friends, and the nursery environment.

Support for working and studying parents
The nursery enables parents and carers to work, study, and contribute to university and community life.

A long-standing community asset
Since 1979, the nursery has been part of Sheffield Hallam University’s identity and public value.

We call on Sheffield Hallam University to:

1. Reconsider the proposal to consult on closure of SHU Collegiate Nursery.

2. Meaningfully include parent and carer views in all decision-making.

3. Ensure transparency throughout the consultation process.

4. Fully consider long-term economic, social, and equality impacts, including equality impact assessments.

5. Explore sustainable alternatives to closure, rather than focusing only on short-term cost savings.

6. Recognise the proven quality, community value, and long-standing contribution of the nursery.

7. Commit to keeping SHU Collegiate Nursery open and fully supported.

The parent-led report sets out the likely impact of the proposed closure on children, families, university staff, students, and the wider Sheffield community.

It shows that closure would not be a neutral or low-impact decision. It would have significant consequences for children’s emotional wellbeing, SEND support, parental employment, equality, and local childcare capacity.

Read the full report:
Report on the Impact on Parents and Families of the Proposed Closure of SHU Collegiate Nursery