Local pre-schools face uncertain future as Gaston raises nursery places crisis again at Stormont

The future of non-statutory pre-school provision in North Antrim has been thrust back into the spotlight after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston warned in the Northern Ireland Assembly that community playgroups could be forced to close their doors by September without urgent intervention from the Education Minister.

Speaking on Monday (13 April) at Stormont, the North Antrim representative said the long-running issue surrounding pupil allocation numbers (PAN) for non-statutory settings remains unresolved a full year after he first raised it, with some settings now facing immediate financial and operational risk.

At the centre of the warning are two local settings — Taylorstown Cross-Community Pre-school and Cloughmills Early Years — both of which, he said, are now confronting severe shortfalls between funded places and actual demand from local families.

Gaston said the current Education Authority policy of basing funded numbers on the previous year’s intake is “reckless” and is trapping rural pre-schools in a cycle that threatens their long-term survival.

Stormont warning over ‘reckless’ allocation policy

Addressing the Assembly, Mr Gaston said:

“On 7 April 2025, during Members’ statements, I appealed to the Education Minister to review the pupil allocation numbers (PAN) for non-statutory playgroups in North Antrim.

“Some 12 months later, the issue has not been dealt with.

“Many non-statutory preschools across Northern Ireland had to use their reserves last year.

“The future of non-statutory preschools is being put at risk due to the Education Authority’s (EA) policy of basing pupil allocation numbers on the previous year’s intake.

“That has created a hamster wheel whereby if any non-statutory playgroup has a low intake year, there is no pathway for it to rebuild its numbers back to a sustainable level, regardless of its five or 10-year average intake.

“The policy is reckless, and it is putting the non-statutory playgroups at risk.”

His remarks deepen growing concern that the current PAN model is not responding to year-on-year fluctuations in birth rates and local demand, particularly in smaller rural communities where even a single low-intake year can have major consequences.

Taylorstown facing five-place shortfall

One of the most immediate concerns raised in the Assembly centred on Taylorstown Cross-Community Pre-school, which Mr Gaston said narrowly survived the last academic year only by drawing on financial reserves.

He told MLAs:

“What does that mean in real terms? The 2025-26 intake for Taylorstown Cross-Community Pre-school dropped to 14 due to a low birth rate, and it survived last year by using its reserves.

“The playgroup has 19 first preference applications this year, and, without immediate intervention, it will not be able to reopen its doors in September due to a five-place shortfall.”

That leaves the setting facing a critical position ahead of the new academic year.

Despite demand now recovering, the current funded allocation does not reflect the rise in first-preference applications, potentially leaving the playgroup unable to operate on a financially sustainable footing.

The reference to September places a clear timeline on the urgency of the issue, with only months remaining before the start of the next school year.

Cloughmills demand almost double allocated places

Mr Gaston also highlighted the continuing pressure on Cloughmills Early Years, where local parents have already been raising concerns over the number of funded places available.

He told the Assembly:

“Cloughmills Early Years has only 10 allocated places, and 19 pupils have listed it as their first preference.

“We have a scenario where although parents who want their children to attend that setting are paying for them to attend pre-preschool, they cannot then get an EA-funded preschool place.”

The figures underline the scale of demand within the village, where first-preference applications are almost double the funded allocation.

The issue has already sparked strong reaction among local families, many of whom have argued that the nursery has physical space to accommodate more children but cannot do so without additional EA funding.

For some parents, this has meant paying privately for early years provision only to discover there is no funded progression route into the same setting for the formal pre-school year.

Pressure growing on Education Minister

Mr Gaston said the issue is now wider than North Antrim alone, revealing that the Education Minister has been contacted by dozens of individuals linked to affected pre-schools.

He said:

“I understand that the Minister has received a letter on behalf of 46 individuals from preschools requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the issue.

“The Minister needs to take the issue on board and either fund the shortfall in many of those non-statutory preschools or increase their PAN.

“Otherwise, they will not be here to open their doors for next year’s intake, come September.”

That warning raises the prospect that, without intervention, community-based pre-school settings could be lost entirely in some areas.

For smaller villages and rural communities across North Antrim, any closure would significantly reduce local early years provision and place additional pressure on surrounding schools and childcare settings.

Wider concerns across Northern Ireland

The remarks also point to a wider Northern Ireland issue involving the sustainability of non-statutory pre-school settings.

Many of these community-run providers operate on tight budgets and rely on stable enrolment numbers to remain financially viable.

Where PAN allocations are reduced following a low-birth-rate year, settings may struggle to recover even when local demand returns.

That is the central concern behind Gaston’s “hamster wheel” description — that once numbers fall, the current system provides no clear route back to sustainable funding levels.

With September now emerging as a critical deadline for affected settings, pressure is likely to intensify on the Department of Education and the Education Authority in the weeks ahead.

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At a glance

• Timothy Gaston raised North Antrim pre-school place concerns in the Assembly on Monday

• He says the issue remains unresolved 12 months after first raising it

• Taylorstown Cross-Community Pre-school faces a five-place shortfall

• The setting has 19 first-preference applications but may not reopen in September

• Cloughmills Early Years has 10 allocated places and 19 first preferences

• Some settings used reserves last year to remain open

• 46 individuals from pre-schools have written seeking an urgent ministerial meeting

• September is now emerging as a key deadline