Edinburgh nursery secures £1.5 million to double its capacity offering more pre-school daycare in the city

“We're just about ready to unveil the newly refurbished Craiglockhart Avenue nursery this spring”

An Edinburgh nursery group is set to double its childcare capacity this year, with ongoing renovation works aiming to provide more vital pre-school childcare in the capital.

St Margarets Nursery & Pre-school, who manage three Edinburgh nurseries at Craigmillar Park, Craiglockhart Avenue and West Savile Road, say the company is taking a significant step in its growth journey as demand from locals continues to soar.

St Margarets Nursery & Pre-school in Edinburgh will be able to double their total capacity from 120 to 240 children

Following extensive renovations to the buildings at Craiglockhart Avenue and West Savile Road, the group will be able to double St Margarets Nursery’s total capacity from 120 to 240 children. The move will also bring more jobs to the city with the number of staff set to increase from 40 to 80. Craiglockhart Avenue will reopen in June, and West Savile Road is expected to open later in the year.

It comes after Edinburgh-based Consensus Capital Group, who own St Margarets Nursery, secured a £1.5 million funding package towards the project from Bank of Scotland. Once complete, the nurseries will provide a modern purpose-built functional spaces and be better equipped to cater for a range of activities and subjects including dance, cooking, sports, and early years curriculum. 

Mark Emlick, chief executive at Consensus Capital Group, said: “We know how important quality care for children in a safe environment is for families, and the demand is high. By as early as 2023, St Margarets’ Craigmillar Park site was already receiving waiting list requests for 2025. But now, thanks to the support of Bank of Scotland, we’re completely revitalising two buildings in Edinburgh, delivering not only fresh, modern nurseries but offering more space for the highest quality of childcare.

“Our team is hard at work, and we're just about ready to unveil the newly refurbished Craiglockhart Avenue nursery this spring. Looking ahead, we are committed to the ongoing development of the nursery and our plan is to double St Margarets’ offerings once again, providing even more childcare options and job opportunities for the local community.”

Grant Fraser, relationship director at Bank of Scotland, said: “It’s hugely rewarding to be backing St Margarets Nursery in tackling Edinburgh's early years care shortage. Creating new nursery places is crucial for busy families in the capital, where the demand for childcare keeps growing.

“We’ll continue to stand by Scottish firms across all sectors to help them grow and prosper and we wish St Margarets all the best ahead of their first opening in June.”