PARENTS have been left delighted after a village nursery which many feared would close has confirmed it is staying open after help from the community.

The nursery at Silver End Academy was set to close at the end of the school year, with one parent telling the Times was due to “staffing” issues.

“This will leave many of us in the village without childcare or early education for our toddlers,” they added.

However, the nursery has said after a “significant amount of work”, it has secured the services of a “highly qualified nursery practitioner”.

A spokesman for the Inspires MAT Trust, which runs the site, said: “Without a doubt there is a paucity of qualified Early Years practitioners relative to provision requirements.

“Indeed, at a time when parents need nursery provision more than ever, there is a desperate need for this to be addressed nationally. 

“As a Trust, we have spent significant time trying to recruit a qualified practitioner to the point where closing the nursery appeared to be the only viable option.

“Through collaboration with the local community, Silver End Academy has managed to ensure that its nursery will remain open for the upcoming academic year.

“Only a joint desire to find a solution, following an extensive search, was this achievable.”

The Trust added that it is “welcoming applications” for the school and “looks forward to continuing to provide the children with an excellent start”.