Nursery future secure thanks to WPM lease

“The most important thing for us is the experience for children, and having a new 10-year lease allows us to focus on that and plan for the future.”

Vital nursery places in Leamington have been secured for generations to come after a popular nursery secured a new long-term lease.

The Purple Playhouse Nursery, which is on the site of Sydenham Primary School, has signed a 10-year deal to remain at its current site with Warwickshire County Council, through its managing agent Warwickshire Property Management Ltd (WPM).

The nursery currently has places for 65 children, from age two to school age, and was graded Outstanding by Ofsted in 2019.

The Purple Playhouse Nursery was originally with in the Sydenham Primary School building but moved to its current location, the former Sydenham Children’s centre, in 2019.

It operates independently of the school as a limited company, is always fully-subscribed and is run by a team of nine staff.

The nursery features a large playroom, canopy-covered garden, creative space and a smaller room to enable staff to organise specific activities for smaller group. Children also benefit from access to the school playground.

Linda Crump, manager at Purple Playhouse Nursery, says that the new lease gives the nursery and its staff stability for the future.

“The most important thing for us is the experience for children, and having a new 10-year lease allows us to focus on that and plan for the future,” she said. “We are always full and we are again this year. We have been based at our current site for more than four years and are very proud of what we have created here.

“We have an incredible team here who really do go above and beyond every day and those efforts are reflected in our reputation and our nursery places being filled year after year. The comments we receive from parents is what makes it all worthwhile. Recent feedback has included parents saying ‘Thank you for taking my child under your wing and getting her to believe in herself’ and praised the warmth, kind nature and dedication of our team. This new lease will allow us to continue delivering this high level of service for children in Sydenham for many years to come.”

WPM is part of Warwickshire Property & Development Group (WPDG), which manages the lettings on hundreds of Warwickshire County Council-owned properties.

Paul Blennerhassett, Senior Asset Manager at WPM, said: “The Purple Playhouse Nursery is an important asset to the community in Sydenham and we were delighted to work with Linda to agree terms for a new 10-year lease. There is high demand for nursery places in Leamington and this deal secures the more than 60 places offered at Purple Playhouse for the next decade.”

Councillor Peter Butlin, Deputy Leader of Warwickshire County Council and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property, said: “Securing this long-term lease supports The Purple Playhouse Nursery to continue their brilliant work in their existing location, providing children with a vibrant and safe environment to learn and play for years to come.

“In turn this supports the County Council’s ambition to create a child-friendly county where we support our children and young people to get the best outcomes in life.”

To find out more about The Purple Playhouse Nursery, please visit www.thepurple-playhouse.co.uk/