Nursery question unanswered

PROPOSALS for a new build of Creetown Primary School are progressing, but it’s still unclear if it will include a nursery.
Tuesday’s meeting of the council’s education committee saw councillors discuss a report into eight options for the school following concerns about the safety of the current building.
Councillors agreed to go forward with one option that would see a new build school including nursery, and another that would exclude a nursery site.
Offering her opinion during the meeting, Mid Galloway and Wigtown West Cllr Jackie McCamon said: “For many working families, nursery provision is the first step in a child’s education journey. If nursery places are no longer available in Creetown, parents may understandably choose childcare in Newton Stewart, Gatehouse or elsewhere because it fits better with work and travel arrangements.
“Once children start there, the likelihood is that they then move on to the primary school in the same town.
“My concern is that removing
nery provision could actually undermine the long-term sustainability of the primary school by encouraging families to establish themselves elsewhere from the outset.
“We also need to look seriously at the wider issue of rural depopulation. Schools and nurseries are often one of the first things young families consider when deciding where to live. If we take services away, we risk making it harder to attract and retain families in Creetown.”
The future of the Creetown Nursery will be subject to a separate consultation agreed as part of the Council’s 2026/27 budget, as agreed by Full Council earlier this year, with details to be shared in due course.