Frustrated parents have said they have been left ‘heartbroken’ after a Tilehurst nursery made the shock announcement that it will soon be closing its doors for good. 

Little Oaks Nursery, located near Denefield School on Long Lane in Tilehurst, caters to babies and toddlers between the ages of 0 and 5.

However, in a letter seen by the Reading Chronicle the nursery announced that it will close the doors for good on January 31, 2024.

This has left many parents in the lurch when it comes to childcare for their children and worried for getting a new place for children with just eight weeks notice.

For parents such as Rachel Barker, who has a child at the nursery plus another baby on the way, the closure means she will be forced to find alternative suitable day-care for two children after coming off maternity leave.

She said: “It’s just such a nightmare for parents. I am working full time, I am eight months pregnant and now I’ve got one child who is imminently going to be removed from their childcare setting, their routine and their structure. I have now got the stress of finding a provision for childcare for next year for two children.

“The other parents are furious. We’ve got parents who are due to return to work and their kids have lost their [nursery] places, so they’ve had to push back their return to work.

“The whole community is heartbroken and the children are losing their friends and losing their structure.”

The mum, who is also a director of operations at a hospital in Reading, added that the closure will also force parents into having to fork out upwards of £150 for nursery deposits right before Christmas to secure alternative nursery spaces.

A letter sent out from Little Oaks Nursery to all parents explained that the closure was an 'extremely difficult decision' made after several months of struggles recruiting and communicating with the local authority.

The nursery explained that it was led to an ‘untenable situation’ where they would no longer be able to provide the high quality of service deserved by the children in their care.

But parents have hit out at the lack of notice given by the nursery, with many pleading for local support or government intervention from local MPs to see the space kept open.

Steph Carlisle, a teacher from Reading, had secured a spot for her three-month-old to begin at Little Oaks Nursery in June.

The 31-year-old mum of two said: “Finding a space for my two-year-old has been ok but trying to find somewhere for my baby has been a nightmare.

“It is really hard because Little Oaks is such a lovely nursery. Sometimes you go into others, and it doesn’t give you that same feeling.

“Because the nursery is small, we’ve made quite a few friends through the parents. You don’t get that with other nurseries because they’re normally a lot bigger.

“Some parents have got children that are supposed to go to school in September who have been there since they were eight months old.  Now for the next eight months before they go to school they have to settle into a whole new setting.”

The owner of the nursery expressed her gratitude towards the parents for their support and trust over the years, ensuring them that the decision was not taken lightly.

A spokesperson for West Berkshire Council said: “We can’t comment on private providers, but we do offer support and signpost parents to information to find nursery places for their children via our Family Information Service webpage.

“Alternatively, parents can call the council and speak to someone who will provide the information they need.”

The owner of Little Oaks Nursery did not wish to comment.