'End of an era' as north Shropshire pre-school team steps down after decades of childcare
The pre-school has now been incorporated by a school
An under fives independent preschool has been taken over by the local primary school after four members of the team stepped down following decades of providing child care to north Shropshire children.
For the last 30 years, Dawn Blackburn has been running Whittington Under Fives with Mandy Hughes, Chris Robinson and Heather Smith along with a small team in Station Road, Whittington, near Oswestry.
Together they have a combined 120 years of working at the independent pre-school.
All four joined the preschool in the late 1990s, but this week have stepped down, with the centre now being taken over by Whittington Primary School, which has now become Whittington Primary School and Nursery, offering education and care for children aged two to 11.
It comes after Dawn decided to retire following 32 years running the under fives centre.
“I am retiring after more than 30 years having started in 1994,” said Dawn. “While the others are not quite at retiring age, they have decided it is time for something new.
“Together they have spent a long time in working here.
“There have been so many changes over the years, I thought now was about the right time to stop.
“While we have four other team members who are staying on now that the school has taken over, it does mark an end of an era.
“We must have looked after hundreds of children over the years, and what has been lovely is seeing children we used to look after return with their own children for us to care for.”
Parents at the preschool said the team will be greatly missed.
One father said: “Dawn, Mandy and the others have been fabulous over the years. They really have been wonderful with the children and they are going to be really missed.
“It is great that the preschool has been taken over by the school but it I don’t think it be the same without them. We can’t thank them enough.”
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