Families and children that will suffer when a Kingsteignton pre-school group closes its doors for good today have been offered real hope for the future after St Michael's C of E Primary School said it could offer the service.
The Rydon Early Learners group has met in the community centre for the past 16 years, but has been forced to close in the face of mounting financial pressures.
Now governors at St Michael's have launched a six-week consultation regarding their proposal to establish 52 part-time early education places from September.
The places could form part of a Foundation Stage Unit (FSU), which would enable children to attend free for 12.5 hours a week during school terms.
It would provide a 'specialist early years environment' and a continuity of education and care for children between the ages of three and five.
Additional 'wrap around' child care could also be available from 8am-6pm each day. News of the potential expansion coincided with the results of the school's latest Ofsted inspection, which showed good progress, replacing an historically patchy record.
Headteacher of 15 months Martin Harding said: 'We're really pleased with the Ofsted report which shows some pretty substantial progress.
'When the Ofsted inspectors arrived, our data on paper showed a school with some big problems, but in reality they were overwhelmed with what they found, in particular the children, who they found to be thoughtful, respectful and keen to support each other.'
On the pre-school plans, he said: 'We're keen to bring a nursery into the school, to set ourselves up as a centre of excellence and perhaps work alongside other nurseries in the area in a bid to drive up standards across the board.
'I think it's a great idea and we're all really chuffed with both the Ofsted report and the new plans.'
The founder of Rydon Early Learners Joan Humphries said that although she was deeply saddened by her group's closure, and said there will be a few tears shed at the last session today, she was heartened by the news from St Michael's.
'I think it's excellent, I really do,' she said. 'A lot of parents don't want to have to go outside the village for pre-school activities. I think that schemes like St Michael's are the future.
'It's so much easier for children to progress on to their full time schooling if they're familiar with their surroundings.'