The latest edition of our hugely popular supplement Nursery Chains is published free with Nursery World this week, and it provides a fascinating insight into the world of the large groups playing an increasingly important part in the UK's early years provision. The Top 20 league table reveals that the biggest chains have been consolidating their positions rather than making major acquisitions in the past six months. One possible area for growth is through the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative, but it is interesting that most of the leading chains have not expressed intentions to be heavily involved - rather, it is some of the smaller groups who have the biggest plans. Some groups have found that NNI provision is hard to justify as a commercial proposition; others may be finding it difficult to work in partnership and with very local solutions, instead of a national formula.
The latest edition of our hugely popular supplement Nursery Chains is published free with Nursery World this week, and it provides a fascinating insight into the world of the large groups playing an increasingly important part in the UK's early years provision.
The Top 20 league table reveals that the biggest chains have been consolidating their positions rather than making major acquisitions in the past six months. One possible area for growth is through the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative, but it is interesting that most of the leading chains have not expressed intentions to be heavily involved - rather, it is some of the smaller groups who have the biggest plans. Some groups have found that NNI provision is hard to justify as a commercial proposition; others may be finding it difficult to work in partnership and with very local solutions, instead of a national formula.
One exception among the big players is Buffer Bear, which plans to open 25 Neighbourhood Nurseries (see News, page 9). The Reading-based chain has long experience of working with a social-enterprise model and could find it easier than most to take advantage of the opportunities offered by this scheme.
