A SCHOOL and a private nursery in Barnoldswick have joined forces to give a significant boost to childcare provision in the town.

Gisburn Road Primary School is working with The Children's Nursery to provide before and after school care for pupils.

It will be a huge benefit to working parents, as they will be able to leave their children secure in the knowledge that they will be well cared for.

The school already offers the full range of primary education from three to 11 years and has the only nursery in West Craven provided by the Local Education Authority. From the autumn term, its provision will be enhanced still further, with the start of the Gisburn Road Before and After School Club. It will be run in conjunction with The Children's Nursery.

The club will operate from 7.30am to 9am before school and from 3.30pm to 6pm after school.

It will also run from 7.30am to 6pm during the school holidays - even the traditional "Barlick fortnight" in July.

June Banks, headteacher at Gisburn Road School, said: "We always aim to provide the best for our children and families.

"The extra space in the recently completed mezzanine, which provides a new library and a computer suite with 31 computers, means that we will soon have a spare classroom (the annexe building) where the Before and After School Club will be based.

"This partnership with The Children's Nursery means that we can provide the best service possible for families with three to 11-year-olds."

The starting date for the new club is expected to be around the end of September.

Mrs Banks added: "We would, of course, have preferred to start at the beginning of the autumn term, but we are awaiting the arrival of anticipated Government funding to provide interesting and stimulating resources for the children. Details of charges will be released as soon as possible, but will be both affordable and competitive."

o Gisburn Road won't be the first school in Barnoldswick to run a before and after school club, as a similar venture is already thriving at Coates Lane Primary School. The only difference is that it doesn't operate during school holiday.

Plans are also in hand for a Kelbrook branch of the over-subscribed Busy Bees Nursery, based at the New Road Community Centre, in Earby. People wanting to find out more can call in at the centre or phone on 01282 842221.