HIGHWORTH Pre-school is celebrating its 50th year a matter of months after staff feared it was about to be evicted from its home.

Back at the beginning of the year staff and parents were worried that they would have to leave the base in the grounds of Westrop Primary School if parents of the schoolchildren voted for a nursery to be set up in it.

But following a nervous eight months the pre-school is finally able to look ahead to its golden anniversary with confidence.

The vote went 90 per cent against any moves to evict the charity-run facility and as a result staff are free to plan a programme of celebrations.

They started off on Friday with a visit from children’s novelist and former primary school head Neil Griffiths for a special storytime.

“We have been overwhelmed by the community support,” manager Helen Sizer told the Advertiser.

“We want to make it a positive against all odds. We have been up against it really but we have managed to turn it around and we have started school with 77 children and we have retained all our staff.”

But there have been changes. The rent has gone up by £8,500 and the pre-school will no longer have access to the building 52 weeks a year. Instead they will be able to use it for 38 weeks plus five days. They will have to pay extra if they want to use the building outside the agreed dates for events.

A section of the outside play area has also had to be given up to the new nursery, which is situated next door.

But said Helen, staff and volunteers had rolled up their sleeves and got to work during the holidays, moving equipment and creating a new play space. “It is an incredible outside area.”

She paid tribute to the parents and the 21 members of staff for their support.

“The parents were very concerned. A lot of them said they didn’t want to put their children into the school institution at such an early age,” she said.

“We believe that the most important thing is for these children to be learning through play.”

She added: “Last year we fed into five or six schools. We serve a larger area than just Highworth.”

The pre-school, which takes tots from two years old, takes children through the early years foundation stage, including those with disabilities or special educational needs.