A school outside Whitchurch will be offering full-time nursery places to children aged three from January 2018.

Tilstock Primary School has recently become part of The Marches Academy Trust and with a new management team in place, the places have been made available.

James Spicer, the newly-appointed headteacher, is delighted to be able to offer the new places when he starts next month.

He said: “It gives me great pleasure to announce Tilstock Primary School will be offering free full time nursery places to eligible children from across Tilstock and Whitchurch.

“We appreciate the difficulties parents face in juggling work commitments and affordable childcare.

“Listening to the needs of our local parents we have also made the decision to extend our after school club provision, in the new year, to complement our early breakfast club and provide wrap-around care throughout the working day.”

The new arrangements form part of the government’s agenda to provide parents with greater choice and flexibility over their childcare which is estimated to save families around £5,000 per year on childcare.