A nursery in Luton is “devastated” after being evicted from the building it has occupied on a school site for 20 years, because the school wants to expand its own early years provision.

Ramridge Primary School aims to launch new provision in September 2025, using the purpose-built premises that not-for-profit setting Arc Nursery has occupied since 2004. Arc currently provides places for 97 children between the ages of six months and five years.

A school spokesperson said: “This is an expansion of our existing nursery provision which is needed to accommodate those parents who are requesting places in the school’s nursery provision but currently are unable to access places due to them being oversubscribed.”

The school currently offers early years provision to three- and four-year-olds, and aims to  increase the number of 30-hour spaces available to children aged three at 31 August but turning four during the year, and the number of spaces for children aged two at 31 August but turning three during the year.

The nursery building was constructed in 2004 after Ashcroft and Ramridge Tenants and Residents Association, which runs Arc Nursery, and Luton Borough Council put in a bid for funding from the National Lottery’s £100m Building Neighbourhood Nurseries programme. The programme aimed to create community-led, quality nursery provision.

Ann McMaster, the nursery founder, said the setting had originally signed a 25-year lease for the property. The nursery said it received a letter in April this year giving it a year to find new premises, and has been taking legal advice on how to proceed.

The government is encouraging schools to expand their early years provision through the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant, although Ramridge Primary School said it was not using this funding. Guidance published by the Department for Education states schools that do apply for the funding should ensure there is a need for additional childcare places in the area and there is no competing alternative need for the space.

“We are devastated, and parents are devastated,” said McMaster. “I laid  the first bricks of our nursery building back in 2004. If we can’t find new premises we would need to close in April, and the school nursery would not open until September. In addition, we offer parents more flexibility than the school nursery, as we are open 48 weeks a year, from 8am to 6pm, and take children from the age of six months.”

She added: “The nursery building was constructed for us, and we have also invested in a brick shed which cost £20,000 in National Lottery funding. If the eviction goes ahead we are calling for compensation.”

Arc Nursery, which has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted three times, is talking to another school about potentially taking over its current sixth-form premises, but says adapting the space will cost more than £40,000.

A council spokesperson said: “We are aware that Ramridge Primary School has served notice on Arc Nursery. Our council’s early years team has supported the nursery to explore alternative premises in the local area and has offered to provide grant funding to go towards the cost of refurbishing a new site.”

Arc Nursery has set up a GoFundMe page to cover the costs of necessary renovations, relocating the building, and setting up the new site  https://gofund.me/5ab92dd7