Vale early learning centre to open earlier than planned, council reveals

The centre, which is to be based at Levenvale Primary School, was originally expected to open its doors in 2019.

However, after Councillor Martin Rooney called for an update during last week’s educational services committee meeting over fears it hadn’t received as much concentration as other centre’s across the area, council staff revealed they had pushed the date forward to August next year.

A council official told the committee: “Originally, it was down for 2019/20. There’s some small alterations required in relation to the entrance but it’s a very large area that we can utilise, it’s a very under used school.

“The care inspectorate were really pleased, they were really impressed with the look of it.”

The centre is part of West Dunbartonshire Council’s expansion of the early learning and childcare programme, which Lisa Clayton, acting senior officer of early years, told elected members is on track.

Laura Mason, chief education officer for the council, agreed adding: “It does remain a work in progress.”

In the report, council officials admitted the expansion to 1,140 hours of childcare, which is expected to be fully funded by the Scottish Government, to ensure the “strategic needs of children and families” are met in the future was “comprehensive and complex”.

And it’s expected the move will result in the overall cost of early learning and childcare services to rise from £13.621million for the 2018/19 session to £17.534m in 2021/22.

Currently, eligible two-year-olds and all children aged between three to five-years-old are entitled to the equivalent of 600 hours.

All of the council’s 21 early learning centres and private partners 10 nurseries are at least 50 per cent occupancy rates with a total of 2192 children enrolled in across West Dunbartonshire, showing the demand for the service.

Councillors and officials branded the report “very positive”, stating it would be “good for our area, workforce and the future”.