17 Jul 2026
After serving generations of families for more than half a century, St Saviour’s Pre School will be closing its doors this summer, marking the end of an era for one of St Albans’ longest-established early years settings.
The closure also marks the retirement of Tina Alder (pictured), who has dedicated more than 30 years to St Saviour’s.
Tina first joined the pre school as a practitioner before becoming co-owner alongside Margaret Jacobs, helping to build a nurturing, community-focused preschool that has supported hundreds of local children through their first steps into education.
Following Margaret’s retirement 10 years ago, Claire Toms joined Tina as co-owner. Together they continued to grow St Saviour’s reputation as a warm, welcoming and highly respected pre school, with generations of families returning with younger siblings and recommending the setting to friends.
While this is an emotional decision, it reflects the growing challenges facing early years providers across the country.
Like many independent pre schools, St Saviour’s has faced increasing financial pressures from years of underfunding of Government-funded childcare places, rising operating costs, changing demographics and a lower local birth rate. Despite exploring every possible option for the future, the combination of these factors has made it impossible to continue operating sustainably.
Sadly, St Saviour’s is far from alone. Increasing numbers of pre schools and nurseries across the UK have been forced to close in recent years as the pressures on the early years sector continue to grow.
Claire Toms said: “This has been one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make. St Saviour’s has never just been a pre school – it’s been a family and a community. We’ve had the privilege of watching thousands of children grow in confidence before moving on to school, and many of those children have come back years later with families of their own. We are incredibly proud of everything St Saviour’s has achieved and so grateful to everyone who has been part of our journey.”
To celebrate more than five decades of memories, the pre school is inviting all former children, families, staff and friends to a special farewell event.
St Saviour’s Fun Day – A Celebration and Goodbye is on Saturday (July 18) from 10am-1pm at St Saviour’s Church Hall in Sandpit Lane.
The event will include crafts, games, a bouncy castle, opportunities to reconnect with old friends and staff, share memories, and even purchase a small piece of St Saviour’s history.
The team hopes the day will be less about saying goodbye to a building and more about celebrating the generations of children, families and staff who made St Saviour’s such a special place.
Everyone who has ever been part of the St Saviour’s family is warmly invited to attend.
