The school wants to provide a crèche for its teachers to use

Whitchurch High School is trying to find a site for the crèche before plans to build it can go ahead.

It is estimated that around 20 teachers would use it.

It could also be used by older pupils who want to continue studying - though the school said it does not have a problem of teenage pregnancy.

Deputy headteacher Heather Guy said there was a demand for the service.

We want these young graduates back in the classroom and many of them want to return but they simply cannot afford the sort of prices they have to pay for child minding Heather Guy

She said: "It's not just for teaching staff, it's for all our employees.

"As a large secondary school we've got close to 200 employees, so we're equivalent to a small company really.

"I think that in industry, they have identified this need now for a considerable length of time and they do provide these sort of services."

She said the teaching profession lost a "substantial number" of newly trained women teachers each year who could not afford child care fees.

"We want these young graduates back in the classroom and many of them want to return, but they simply cannot afford the sort of prices they have to pay for child minding and private nurseries," she said.

Continue studies

Ms Guy said she would like to see the planned facility combined with others for the community, such as a doctors' surgery and a job centre.

The crèche could also be used by older pupils who wanted to continue their studies, she added.

She said: "If a post-16 student became pregnant and wanted to continue with their studies to A-level, there no reason why not, but it could also be used by the teachers from local schools, primary schools and so on, and also for the local community."