West London nurseries outsourced to new provider after resident campaign saved them from closure

Hillingdon Council has agreed a deal to outsource its early years centres following a community campaign to save local nurseries from closure. London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) will take over operations in the next few months at the borough’s three early years centres, which would have shut in 2022 had it not been for residents.

In summer 2022 Hillingdon Council announced its intention to close all three of the council-run early years centres, citing ‘declining birth rates’ and ‘high costs’. Outraged by the decision, parents formed ‘Save Hillingdon Nurseries’.

After several protests and a sustained campaign by the group, parents decided to take legal action. A judicial review was launched with parents highlighting the ‘unlawful use of special urgency powers’ by the council, preventing a public consultation.

The judicial review challenged the council on five grounds including the unlawful use of special powers and breaching public sector equality duty. In response to the High Court challenge, the council u-turned and withdrew its decision to close the centres.

Parents ran a successful campaign to save the nurseries
(Image: Hillingdon Residents First)

Alex Sim was a parent central to the campaign. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Both our children attended South Ruislip Early Years & Children’s Centre. As my wife and I were NHS key workers, the centre was a lifeline during the Covid pandemic when our prior nursery closed.

“I am so proud of our parent-led community campaign that pressured Hillingdon Council to conduct a proper consultation resulting in keeping the nurseries open on a 15-year contract saving the caring, specialist staff and purpose-built spacious settings for the long-term. I would encourage any parent in the area to enrol their kids there, they’re great!”

LEYF, the largest charitable childcare social enterprise in the UK, will take on the running of the centres for 15 years. The centres include the Nestles Avenue Early Years Centre in Hayes, South Ruislip Early Years Centre and Uxbridge Early Years Centre.

Children’s centre services previously available at these sites by the council have been relocated to the Uxbridge and Hayes Family Hubs and other local children’s centres. Later this month, South Ruislip Children’s Centre will be relocated to the Wren, which is co-located on the Queens Walk Resource Centre site. While early years centres, accounting for over 100 local nursery places, will be run by LEYF, the council will continue to deliver children’s centre services in-house.

The foundation currently operates 41 nurseries across 12 London boroughs catering for children from birth to 5 years old. The council believes the new arrangement will ‘ensure the high quality of early years education in the borough, with the operator having a proven track record of providing childcare provision rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted’.

Hillingdon Council says the new arrangement will generate regular income for the council as LEYF is the sole operator and will have the ability to expand places in the future. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands that nursery fees will not change with the new operator, however Hillingdon Council had planned a 5% fee increase prior to this agreement, effective from April 2025.

Hillingdon Civic Centre
(Image: Philip James Lynch/LDRS)

The LDRS approached LEYF to find out whether parents can expect any changes to the services or to how the centres are run. They said: “All of the nursery based teachers and staff will be transferring across to LEYF under TUPE and we look forward to welcoming them in the coming weeks. Our experienced Integration team will be working closely with the Hillingdon teams to ensure the process is smooth.”

Councillor Susan O’Brien, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families, said: “As family circumstances have changed over the last couple of decades we know parents not only value, but require, the early years provision these centres provide. We’re delighted to be working with LEYF and benefit from its experience and expertise to support our children to live healthy, active and independent lives.”