September 25, 2014
Operated by The Croft Nurseries Ltd in Stonehaven, the nursery school will have capacity to register 100 children from Chapelton and surrounding areas. The establishment is the third business to sign a deal with Elsick Development Company (EDC) to open a commercial property within this much anticipated new development near Aberdeen.
Linda Pirie, a pre-school teacher from Stonehaven with over 25 years’ experience, is behind Aberdeenshire’s newest nursery. She said: “Nursery school places within the North East are in huge demand thanks to the growing population so we know that a nursery school at Chapelton will be a welcome addition. The nursery school will help support the in-coming families of the new town as well as those living within neighbouring towns such as Portlethen and Newtonhill.
“As an SQA approved training provider, we will be recruiting for a number of positions from modern apprentices to full time qualified practitioners. The nursery school will provide day care facilities for children between the ages of six weeks to five years as well as an after-school club for older primary school children.
“Nursery schools support all aspects of children’s well-being and development and encourage learning through real life situations. Daily experiences such as posting the mail or visiting the library help develop skills and aid children to become life-long learners.”
The nursery school will be part of an active local centre offering a tearoom and dental practice. All children will be accepted including those looking to transfer from another nursery.
Developed by EDC, Chapelton will be an 8,000 home, £2bn town with 40 per cent green space and a focus on sustainable community living.
Lord Southesk, director of EDC, added: “Our aim is to create a sustainable, modern community and the introduction of the nursery school will be a great asset to those living in and near Chapelton.
“As it develops Chapelton will provide a range of services including schools. Three primary schools are already planned for Chapelton with the first opening when 489 homes have been built. In the longer term, a secondary school academy will be built in time for the 2705th home.
“With the first commercial spaces being snapped up extremely quickly, we are now beginning to see the first stages of the community develop. There will be further commercial opportunities as the building programme moves towards the neighbourhood centre.”
Based on recent Aberdeen City Council projections, the population of Aberdeen is estimated to increase by over 28 per cent in the next 25 years with the number of children set to grow by 45 per cent within this period.