WORK is to begin on a £100,000 project to create a modern nursery in a a Darlington primary school.

By September, the unit at Dodmire Infant School will house, among others, youngsters from Eastbourne Nursery School, which is destined to close on August 31.

Two existing classrooms will be converted to form the Foundation Stage nursery, and work will include upgrading lavatory facilities, creating an outdoor canopied play area and a soft play area, and improving the security fence.

Councillor Stephen Harker, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for education, welcomed the move.

"Children attending the new nursery, who will later go on to Dodmire infant and primary schools, will now be able to have continuity of education on the one site and that has to be beneficial," he said.

The council cabinet recently decided to close Eastbourne Nursery School, after two consultations because of protests from parents.

The closure and subsequent amalgamation with Dodmire school were planned to be completed by last month.

But Darlington's schools organisation committee agreed to consult further on the matter after parents submitted a 300-signature petition against the closure to the council.

The revised proposal set out the change-over date as September 1 and no objections were received in the six-week period after notices were published in March.

The nursery will cater for 120 children, aged three and four. Many of the staff from Eastbourne school will be joining staff at Dodmire from September.

Dodmire's headteacher, Maureen Dixon, said: "We have a team of skilled, experienced staff and the new facilities will help us to deliver quality nursery education."

Parents are invited to attend an open morning at Dodmire Infant School on Thursday, June 17, from 11.30am to 12.30pm, to see the plans for the nursery and talk to staff.