In the wake of Aberdeenshire Council’s recent u-turn when they agreed to keep four under-threat rural nurseries open, a campaign group for rural education has issued a fresh plea for parents to join its fight against the closure of another nursery in the region.
Midmill Nursery in Kintore was closed at the end of March, and remains so, with campaigners from Scottish Action for Rural Education (SARE) arguing that, as with the other nurseries that have been kept open, proper procedures and consultation were not followed.
Scottish Action for Rural Education was set up by local parents to fight the closure of Tullynessle School near Alford in 2024, another which is currently ‘mothballed’.
What Happened at Midmill Nursery?
In the case of Midmill Nursery, parents were informed in February that the facility would be “mothballed” after March 28, 2025, due to low enrolment numbers – operating at just 58% capacity, averaging nine children per class.
The council stated the closure was not permanent and would be reviewed, but parents were told to find alternative early learning and childcare (ELC) settings for their children from March 31. The council assured families that alternative ELC places were available nearby, including other council-run and funded providers also below capacity.
A council spokesperson acknowledged the decision may be a “shock” to parents, but maintained it was necessary due to underuse. “Mothballing/deactivating means that the nursery will no longer be offering ELC in the short to medium term,” the council email read.
In contrast, four other rural nurseries – Crossroads, Ballogie, Glass, and Sandhaven – were also earmarked for mothballing this year due to financial pressures and declining birth rates. Parents at these settings mounted a vigorous campaign, staging protests and highlighting the impact on children, especially those with additional needs.
The backlash prompted Aberdeenshire Council to pause the mothballing of these other four nurseries. Council leader Gillian Owen admitted: “While we have difficult decisions to make, it is always our intent to follow a proper fair and transparent process.” The council has now agreed to consult parents earlier in the process and to halt any mothballing until a “robust and rigorous” process is in place.
SARE campaigners are arguing that the closure of Midmill may not have followed correct legal procedures. Scottish Government guidance under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 states that “mothballing should not be a way of denying parents access to the statutory consultation process,” and that if most parents oppose mothballing, statutory consultation on closure should follow. The guidance presumes against closure of rural schools or nurseries and requires councils to thoroughly consider alternatives and consult parents before making decisions.
Aberdeenshire Council, for its part, insists that its mothballing guidelines have been “effectively utilised for many years” and that decisions were made in good faith based on data showing a lack of demand. Education chief Laurence Findlay stated: “We remain confident the decisions to mothball the settings are reasonable and necessary in ensuring not only the longer term sustainability of the service, but indeed, the longer term resilience of the council.”
Regarding Midmill Nursery, Lawrence Findlay said the situation would be reviewed “in due course”. In a response to a query from local Councillor Glen Reid, Mr Findlay stated:
“We do have a number of schools and settings which are currently mothballed and whilst it is not intended to revisit these at this stage, we will be looking at future arrangements very soon.”
In light of this, a spokesman from SARE commented:
“We would like to encourage parents to join the fight against Aberdeenshire Council and their unlawful mothballing of nursery settings including Midmill in Kintore back in April. There has been lots of talk of the 4 other settings that were saved from mothballing, but no outcry about Midmill .. and what the council are going to do to rectify this.
We would encourage parents to contact SARE via their Facebook, or email [email protected] to share their experiences, get involved and help support the cause. We also encourage parents to contact their local MP and MSP to let them know of the impact that mothballing has had on their families.”
What Happens Next?
While four rural nurseries have been granted a reprieve and Aberdeenshire Council has pledged to overhaul its consultation process, Midmill Nursery remains closed for the foreseeable future. The council says the situation will be reviewed, but no timeframe has been given, and so it is likely that campaigners will continue to press for a full consultation and potential reopening.
