DWINDLING funding, rising costs and a volunteer shortfall have been blamed for the closure of a Shrivenham pre-school.

Chestnut Trees Pre-school will shut its doors for the last time on July 21.

The Shrivenham nursery, which according to its most recent Ofsted report has 22 children on its books, has been open for 47 years.

In a letter to parents the charity board that manages the pre-school blamed the closure on rising costs, cuts to government support and the decline in volunteers.

They said that these factors “mean that we cannot continue to offer the level of education for children in Shrivenham as we have in the past”.

The letter added: “Ultimately, we feel this is unfair to both children and parents alike.”

They thanked parents of former and current pupils for their support for the nursery.

In the letter, the committee said: “[We] have been working hard to understand how we can mitigate the numerous problems we have encountered with the day to day running of the preschool.

“Unfortunately, we have been unable to come to a solution which means we can remain open beyond the end of this current time.”

In May, Ofsted rated the pre-school as inadequate in all categories.

Inspector Amanda Perkin wrote of the pre-school: “Children’s welfare is significantly compromised.”

At their previous inspection in March 2015 the pre-school was given a ‘good’ rating and told by Ofsted inspectors that the only thing keeping them from being rated ‘outstanding’ was their outdoor play space.

Chestnut Trees was approached for further comment, including on its Ofsted report.

Last month, umbrella body the Pre-School Learning Alliance warned that nurseries in more than a quarter of local authorities in England have suffered a real-terms cut in early years funding over the past five years.

The charity, which represents pre-schools and nursery providers, said that over a quarter of local authorities who responded to a freedom of information request said that the change in average funding rates to early years providers was below the rate of inflation.

The charity said that this funding fall came despite a £300m cash injection into early years education, which came into effect in April 2017.

In England, all 3 to 4-year-olds are entitled to 570 hours of free early education or childcare per year. From September, some parents will qualify to claim for 30 hours a week of free childcare.

Professor John Howson, a visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University and an Oxfordshire county councillor, said that increasing costs was squeezing childcare providers.

Growing employment and falling wages was forcing more parent-carers into work, he said - potentially reducing the number of parents prepared to volunteer.