People & places

ABC Nurseries

Head office: Main Road, Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire DG11 3BU Tel/fax: 01576 300765 Directors: Ann and Malcolm McEwan Established: 1988

Owns 2 nurseries: Dumfries (70), Ecclefechan (20) (both in Dumfriesshire) Places: 90 Employees: 22 Plans: Looking at sites in the Cumbria area. Negotiating with Glasgow and Paisley University to provide creche facilities.

Academy Childcare

Head office: West Village, Bluewater, Greenhithe, Kent DA9 9SE Tel: 01322 423886 Fax: 01322 384777

Website: academychildcare.co.uk Managing director: Paul Richards Chair (non-executive): Anthony Campling Operations director: Christina Richards

Established: 1996 Owns 12 nurseries: Ashford (125), Bluewater, Shoppers' Nursery/ Creche (200), Bluewater, Day Nursery (126), Kings Hill (128), London Victoria (38), Brighton (40), Chorley (61), Dudley (68), Ipswich (63), Bristol (60), Maida Vale (20), Tunbridge Wells (60)

1 after-school club: Kings Hill After School Club (56) Places: 989 Employees: 210 Plans: Five new sites under construction, due to open late 2002 to early 2003.

Acorn Childcare

Head office: Wesley House, South Street, Castlethorpe, Milton Keynes MK19 7EL Tel: 01908 510309 Fax: 01908 510222

E-mail: info@acornchildcare.co.ukWebsite: www.acornchildcare.co.ukDirectors: Zo Hedges, Chris Hedges, Jenny Brighton Established: 1989

Owns 4 nurseries: Castlethorpe (51 plus 16 out-of-school), Milton Keynes (40), Brafield-on-the-Green, near Northampton (36), West Bletchley (36 plus 24 out-of-school places). Also runs childcare agency and training and assessment centre.

Places: 163

Employees: 66 Plans: Expansion through the acquisition of properties and nurseries as going concerns.

Acorns Nurseries Head office: Acorns House, 7 Park Grove, Cathays, Cardiff CF10 3BJ Tel: 02920 222789 Fax: 02920 221044 Website: www.acornsnurseries.co.uk

Directors: Martyn Hogg, Susan Hogg, Peter Reynolds, Cherie Wilson Established: 1988 Owns 8 nurseries: Acorns, Roath (26), Baby Acorns, Roath (27), Acorns House (55), Priory House Acorns (65), Whitchurch Acorns (71), St Mellons Acorns (30) (all in Cardiff), Duffryn, Newport (45), Henbury Hill House, Bristol (100) Manages 3 nurseries: BBC Wales Acorns (61), Sun Life Acorns, Bristol (30), ONS Acorns, Newport (28)

Places: 538 Employees: 196

Plans: Further expansion planned in Cardiff, Bath and Cheltenham.

Ashford Play (Nursery Schools) Head office: Strathmore, 43 Albert Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 8NU Tel: 01233 625301 Fax: 01233 610420

Proprietor: Val Webb Established: 1971

Owns 3 nurseries: Albert Road (44), Wall Road (46), both with a 10-place after-school-club and a 10-place summer school (for 5-8 year olds), Willesborough (24) plus a 5-place summer school (for 5-6 year olds) (all in Kent) Places: 114 Employees: 23

Astley Grange Nurseries Head office: Norwood House, 9 Kilgraston Road, Edinburgh EH9 2DX Tel: 0131 668 2797 Fax: 0131 668 2738 E-mail: morven@morven.junglelink.co.uk

Directors: Earl Black, Sue Black Established: 1991 Owns 4 nurseries: Toddler Nursery (30), Baby Creche (27), Tweenie Nursery (42), Norwood House Nursery (59) (all in Edinburgh) Places: 158 Employees: 65 Plans: Currently planning Polwarth Nursery (100 places).

Asquith Court Schools

Head office: Orbital House, Park View Road, Berkhamsted, Herts HP4 3EY Freephone: 0800 591 875 Website: www.asquithcourt.co.ukManaging director: Peter Aughterson Established: 1989

Owns/manages 99 nurseries: Balham, London (51), Basildon, Essex (77), Battersea, London (69), Bedford (101), Belfast (22), Birmingham (60), Bolton (85), Brighton (59), Bristol (51), Bromley 1 (90), Bromley 2 (87), Bromsgrove (24), Bushey, Herts (45), Bushy Park, Kingston upon Thames (59), Cardiff (61), Caterham, Surrey (72), Cheadle, Cheam (24), Cheadle, Cheshire (52), Chigwell, Essex (67), Derby (71), Dublin (54), Dulwich, London (60), Ealing (23), Eastbourne (12), Edinburgh (56), Ellesmere Port (24), Enfield 1 (70), Enfield 2 (75), Enfield 3 (64), Epsom 1 (65), Epsom 2 (20), Fareham, Hants (92), Faringdon, Oxon (40), Finsbury Park, London (81), Fulham, London (18), Golders Green, London (54), Guildford (60), Hampton, Luton (24), Middlesex (41),

Harmondsworth, Middlesex (104), Harpenden, Herts 1 (43), Harpenden, Herts 2 (68), Haslemere, Surrey (76), Hatch End, Middlesex (70), Hendon, London 1 (69), Hendon, London 2 (60), Hendon, London 3 (92), Hinckley, Leics (89), Horton, Berks (50), Hounslow, Middlesex (77), Hull (70), Kensington, London (23), Kenton, Middlesex (65), Kidbrooke (20), Kingston 1, Surrey (52),

Kingston 2, Surrey (24), Kirkby (57), Knightsbridge, London (132), Lambeth, London (61), Leicester (12), Lichfield, Staffs 1 (75), Lichfield, Staffs 2 (66), Luton (24), Manchester 1 (24), Manchester 2 (15), Maidstone (28), Maidenhead (24), Milford, Staffs (61), Milton Keynes (46), Moortown, Leeds (78), New Eltham, London (117), Nottingham 1 (88), Nottingham 2 (26), Port Solent (70), Portswood, Southampton (70), Putney, London (35), Ridgeway, Swindon (60), Royal Earlswood, Surrey (73), Reigate (84), Renfrew (46), Solihull (25), Southgate, London (75), Sidcup (45), Slough 1 (52), Slough 2 (94), Solihull (57), Speke (19), Surbiton (72), Teddington (97), Teesside (72), Tunbridge Wells (54), Tingley, Leeds (78), Warrington (85), Warsash,

Hants (76), West Dorking (65), West Hampstead, London (70), Weybridge (20), Windsor (70), Wroughton, Wilts (60)

Eight independent preparatory schools: Breaside Preparatory School (London), Ferndale School (Oxon), Harpenden Preparatory School (Herts), Hendon Preparatory School (London), Long Close School (Slough, Berks), Meoncross School (Hants), Polam School (Bedford), Salcombe Preparatory School (London)

Jointly owns: Montessori Centre International and St Nicholas Preparatory School (central London) Places: 5,770 Employees: 3,000

Plans: The company's expansion plans continue, with more new nurseries opening over the next 12 months.

Bambinos

Head office: Foot & Bowden Building, 19 The Crescent, Plymouth, Devon PL1 3AD Tel: 01752 206566 Fax: 01752 226767 Directors: William Lane, Alison Lane Established: 1993

Owns 4 nurseries: Woolwell (70), Plymouth Centre (112), Plympton (62), Devonshire Racquet Club Creche (18) Places: 262 Employees: 77

Beechwood Nurseries

Head office: Chaseley Courtyard, 33 Shore Road, Skelmorlie, Ayrshire PA17 5EH Tel: 01475 522311

Director: Meg Macleod Established: 1989

Owns 4 nurseries: Kilmarnock (119), Skelmorlie (75), Glasgow Caledonian University (59), Royston (57) Places: 310 Employees: 138

Plans: New purpose-built 120-place nursery in Irvine opening soon. Purpose-built 100-place nursery in Aberdeen due to open in January 2003.

Beehive Day Nurseries

Head office: St James Road, Southam, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV47 OLY Tel: 01926 811549 Fax: 01926 811599 Directors: JRM and LC Phillips Established: 1992

Owns 4 nurseries: Southam (55), Kenilworth (60), Barford, Warwick (45), Rugby (60) 1 out-of-school club: Kenilworth (24) Places: 220

Employees: 75 Beehive Nurseries Head office: 9/11 Allander Walk, Town Centre, Cumbernauld, Glasgow G67 1DW Tel: 01236 736821

Owners: Margaret Armour, Boyd Houston Established: 1989

Owns 5 nurseries: University of Stirling Nursery (40), Lauder College Nursery, Dunfermline (55), Falkirk Royal Infirmary (60), Benefits Agency, Falkirk (42), Cumbernauld (84) Places: 281 Employees: 130

Plans: All nurseries are now approved centres to offer SVQ training to Level 3 in addition to assessor/verifier training. Newly-opened training division CTR Scotland is open to all and offers training in childcare, nursery management, modern apprenticeships etc.

Beeline Nurseries

Head office: Beeline Nurseries, Beehive Kindergarten, Hillberry Road, Onchan, Isle of Man IM3 3JP Tel: 01624 674655 Fax: 01624 611352 Directors: Richard and Vivienne Welch Established: 1985

Owns 5 nurseries: The Beehive (72), Shelleig (32), Wind in the Willows baby wing (18), Alice in Wonderland (56), Pig and Pepper baby wing (15) (all in the Isle of Man) Places: 193 Employees: 40

The Birrell Collection Head office: 7 Blantyre Terrace, Bruntsfield, Edinburgh EH10 5AD Tel: 0131 447 8887 Fax: 0131 447 4669 Directors: Yvonne Birrell, Christine MacDowel Established: September 1988

Owns 5 nurseries: Annandale St Lane (60), West End (25), Bruntsfield (49), Queen Margaret University College (59), Morton Mains Farm (75) (all in Edinburgh) Places: 268 Employees: 92

Plans: New building in Cramond opening early 2003.

Bramleys Nurseries Head office: The Old School, School Road, Ardington, nr Wantage, Oxon OX12 8PN

Tel: 01235 833255 Fax: 01235 864477 E-mail: bramleys@fsbdial.co.ukDirectors: John and Sue Watson

Established: 1990 Owns 7 nurseries: Ardington, Wantage (102), Didcot (87), Didcot (30), Horton Hospital, Banbury (53), Bedford Hospital (58), Salisbury (44), Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford (49) Places: 423

Employees: 150 Plans: Planning further steady growth.

Bridges Nurseries Head office: 323 Broomhill Road, Aberdeen AB1 7LR Tel/fax: 01224 319530 E-mail: bridges@abd1.com

Directors: Marie Mogford, Lois Duncan Established: 1985

Owns 2 nurseries: Aberdeen (48), Westhill, Aberdeenshire (48) 1 out-of-school club: Aberdeen (20) Places: 96 Employees: 37

Plans: New nursery opening in Westhill in October 2002 for 60 places.

Bright Beginnings

Head office: 2 Polmaise Road, Stirling FK7 9JJ Tel: 01786 462233 Fax: 01786 472725 Director: John Rae Established: 1992

Owns 2 nurseries: Stirling (72) (plus 16 out-of-school places), Falkirk (72) Manages: Nursery for Roslin Institute (26)

Places: 144 Employees: 60 Plans: To build more nurseries in Scotland and to further expand into the workplace nursery sector.

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ireland (Part of Bright Horizons Family Solutions, US) Head office: College & Technology Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland Tel/fax: (00 353 1) 8852975 Website: www.brighthorizons.comGeneral manager Ireland: Neil Brown

Regional manager Ireland: Martina Murphy Established: 1998 Owns 3 nurseries: Churchtown, Dublin 14 (34), Beaumont, Dublin 9 (40), Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 (124)

Manages: Nursery for the European Commission (30) Places: 228 Employees: 39

Plans: Opening a 113-place nursery in Citywest, Dublin 24, in November 2002. Further expansion in the Republic.

(See Nurseryworks Family Solutions and The Red Apple Private Nursery Schools) Bright Kids

Head office: Briarwood, The Slough, Studley, Warwickshire B80 7EN Tel: 01527 852165 Fax: 01527 85 23 08 E-mail: brightkids@supanet.comWebsite: www.bright-kids.co.uk

Owner: Tricia Tolley Established: 1999 Owns 3 nurseries: Studley (49), Crabbs Cross (38), Cleobury Mortimer (51) 2 out-of-school clubs: Studley (26), Crabbs Cross (24)

Places: 138

Employees: 45

Plans: To further develop an out-of-school club at Cleobury Mortimer by 2003 and to open an additional nursery in Shropshire by 2004. To complete the CFBT Quality Matters scheme at Crabbs Cross and Cleobury Mortimer and have all three sites fully Quality Assured.

Bright Start Day Nursery

Head office: 300 Meadowcroft, Aylesbury, Bucks HP19 9HZ Tel: 01296 422550

Proprietors: Frank Fymruk, Bev Fymruk Established: 1990 Owns 5 nurseries: Bedgrove, Aylesbury, (65), Wingrave, Buckinghamshire (27), Meadowcroft, Aylesbury (50), Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire (38), Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire (56) Places: 236

Employees: 65 Bringing up Baby

Head office: Lansdowne House, 3/7 Northcote Road, London SW11 1NG Tel: 020 7738 0160 Fax: 020 7228 2975 E-mail: office@bringingupbaby.co.uk

Website: www.bringingupbaby.co.ukEstablished: 1989

Managing director: Anne de Zoysa (also trustee of the Daycare Trust).

Executive directors: Sue Woodford, Lord Hollick, Rohan Worrall Owns 4 nurseries: Brentford (42), Camden (16), Hammersmith (58), Wembley (29) Places: 145

Employees: 50 Plans: To open two new sites in London in the next 12 months. Continue with existing expansion plans for new central London sites and forge new partnerships with employers, housing associations and the local community. Staff development and training continue to be a priority for the company.

Brooklands Day Nurseries

Head office: Brooklands Day Nursery, Rose Hill, Wigan Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan WN4 OBS Tel: 01942 760066 E-mail: brooklandsashton@supanet.comWebsite: www.brooklandsdaynurseries.com Owners: Ivan and Linda Rawlins Established: 1990

Owns 3 nurseries: Garswood, near Wigan and St Helens (86), Hindley, Wigan (83), Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan (73) (all in Lancashire) Places: 242 Employees: 72 Bush Babies Children's Nurseries

Head office: The Old School House, Leicester Road, Countesthorpe, Leicester LE8 5QU Tel: 0116 2774088 Fax: 0116 2788744 Directors: Jane and Robert Brailsford Established: 1992

Owns 4 nurseries: Mulberry Bush, Wigston Magna (37), Gooseberry Bush, Wigston Magna (50), Blackberry Bush, Countesthorpe (50), Blueberry Bush, Oadby (50) (all in Leicester) Places: 187 Employees: 55

Plans: To increase the number of places at the Gooseberry Bush and Blackberry Bush Nurseries and to provide before-and after-school care and holiday care.

Busy Bees

Head office: The Rom Building, Eastern Avenue, Lichfield, Staffs WS13 6RN Tel: 01543 416616 Fax: 01543 419144 Website: www.busybees.comChairman: Claire Spottiswoode Group directors: John Woodward, Margaret Randles, Simon Irons, Lynn Woodward, Dave Thackray Established: 1983

Owns 14 nurseries: Bernard Street, St Albans (50), Hartham Park, Hertford (44), Hatching Green, Harpenden (70), King Harry Lane, St Albans (105), Leyton Road, Harpenden (55), Mardley Hill, Ware (48), St David's Park, Deeside (100), The Rye, High Wycombe (80), Thorley Park, Bishops Stortford (55), Formby (45), Southport (90), Great Barr, Birmingham (89), Writtle (102), Farnborough (160)

Manages 19 nurseries: Perivale, Middlesex (50), Wolverhampton (88), Blackburn (32), Plymouth (48), Southampton (50), Solihull, Birmingham (93), Enfield, Middlesex (44), Hounslow, Middlesex (22), Essex University, Colchester (120), Finchley, London (75), Salisbury (53), Liverpool (58), Longbridge, Birmingham (60), Cowley, Oxon (28), Raynes Park, London (30), Salford (105), Cartwright Street, London (72), Grays, Essex (28), West Park Ring Road, Leeds (35)

6 Tesco creches: Watford Kids' Club, Hertfordshire (30), Pitsea Kids' Club, Essex

(30), Bury Kids' Club, Lancashire (30), Peterborough Kids' Club (30), Cardiff Kids' Club (30), Glasgow Kids' Club (10) 3 creches: David Lloyd Leisure, Stevenage (20), David Lloyd Leisure, Southampton (22), Boots, Middlesex (19)

4 after-school and holiday clubs: Lichfield Holiday Scheme, Staffordshire, Lichfield After School Scheme, Staffordshire, Manchester Holiday Scheme, Salford, Liverpool Holiday Scheme, Blackburn Places: 2,405 Employees: 1,200-plus

Plans: Busy Bees is committed to joint ventures. The group has realised its development plans over the past few years and will continue to build new nurseries and acquire existing businesses. The Corporate Voucher activity is set to increase significantly especially with the announced changes in National Insurance.

Busy Nought to Fives Head office: Brimstage Village Hall, Brimstage Road, Bebington, Wirral CH63 6HD

Tel/fax: 0151 342 8050 Director: Emma Collins Established: 1992

Owns 5 nurseries: Ashton House, Birchwood, Warrington (36), Brimstage Village Hall, Wirral (30), Napier House, Warrington, Cheshire (36), Old Home Farm, Wirral (27), Great Sankey, Warrington (83) 1 music school for nought to fives: Brimstage, Wirral (30)

1 after-school club: Great Sankey, Warrington for under-eights (40) Places: 212 Employees: 80

Plans: New 112-place nursery in Warrington due to open by the end of the year. Further plans to open a 100-plus place nursery setting in Liverpool City Centre.

Buttercups

Head office: 18 Woodfield Road, Ealing, London W5 1SH Tel: 020 8840 4740 Fax: 020 8567 8462 Director: Mrs Carol Whitehouse Established: 1980

Owns 6 nurseries: Syon Park, Brentford (52), Chiswick (31), Isleworth (40), Florence Road, Ealing (60), Acton (41), West Drayton (36) Places: 260 Employees: 80 Careshare

Head office: 10 Magdala Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 5BE Tel: 0131 623 9500 Fax: 0131 623 9501 Managing director: Isabel Ridley Established: 1990

Owns 16 nurseries: Sunnyside Nursery (90), Woodside Nursery (48), Riverside Nursery (36) (all in Livingston), Lochside Nursery (44), Hillview Nursery (57), Beechwood Nursery (41) (all in Edinburgh Business Park), Port Hamilton Nursery, Edinburgh (120), Newhaven Nursery, Leith (55), Netherton Nursery, Glasgow (54), Meadows Nursery, Dundee (58), Oaklands Nursery, East Kilbride (103),

Heritage House, Glasgow (100), Pinewood Nursery, Glenrothes (100), Croft Bank Nursery, Kinross (75), Claremont Nursery, Inverness (75), Carnegie Nursery, Dunfermline (100) 1 after-school club: Parkside After School (32) Places: 1,156

Employees: 312 Plans: Additional 575 registered places by March 2003.

Caring Daycare

Head office: Pitfold House, Woolmer Hill, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 1QA Tel: 01428 661960 Fax: 01428 653929 Chief executive: Peter Churchley Established: 1989

Owns 5 nurseries: Dorking, Surrey (52), Salisbury, Wiltshire (36) Midhurst, West Sussex (38), Haslemere, Surrey (88), Guildford, Surrey (35) Places: 249

Employees: 64 Plans: To develop and acquire nurseries in Surrey and Hampshire.

Caring Kindergartens

Head office: The Poplars Stables, High Street, Pitsford, Northampton NN6 9AD Tel: 01604 882241 Fax: 01604 882233 Proprietor: Sonia Carvell

Established: 1992 Owns 5 nurseries: Owl Close, Moulton Park Industrial Estate, Northampton (70), Peterborough Business Park, Peterborough (100), Arnex House, Daventry, Northants (70), Birmingham Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire (49), Dybdale House, Hardwick Road, Wellingborough, Northants (80)

Places: 369 Employees: 80

Carousel Nurseries Head office: Glenfield House, 69 Glasgow Road, Dumbarton G82 1RE Tel: 01389 732636 Fax: 01389 733133 Directors: Anne Jenkins, Claire Rowan Established: 1995

Owns 3 nurseries: Dumbarton (72), Alexandria (19), Helensburgh (59) 1 out-of-school club: Dumbarton (48) Places: 150 Employees: 61

Plans: To continue to expand a network of nurseries across west Scotland.

Castle Childcare Head office: 14 South Hill, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3SY Tel: 01483 533344 Fax: 01483 267679

E-mail: info@daycare.co.ukOwner: Ian Lambert Established: 1996

Owns 2 nurseries: Castle Nursery, Guildford (39), Shamley Green (30) Manages: Castle Nursery (36) and creche (24) at Spectrum Leisure Centre, Guildford, and Villas Nursery, Kensington (51, including 25 places sponsored by Kensington and Chelsea Education Authority)

Places: 180 Employees: 39

Plans: Opening 2003, Guildford (60).

Catherine House Day Nursery Schools Head office: 9 St Agnes Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 9PH Tel: 0121 449 1444 Fax: 0121 449 1440

Website: www.catherinehouse.co.ukManaging directors: Rita Howe-Douglas, Matthew Poray Established: 1987 Owns 6 nurseries: Moseley (60), Northfield (40) (both Birmingham), Walsall (50), Northampton (55), Leamington Spa (58), Brockley, London (49) Places: 312

Employees: 115 Chapman Child Education Head office: The Access Centre, Bar Lane, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF1 4AD Tel: 01924 203200

E-mail: info@cliffschool.comWebsites: www.cliffschool.comwww.silverwoodschool.com; www.frendzclub.com; www.4kidz.tv;www.accesscentre.co.uk

Director: Kathleen Wallace Established: 1995 Owns 3 nurseries: Little Cliff Nursery, Wakefield (30), Silverwood Nursery and Baby Unit, Barnsley (60), Perfect Blue Nursery and Baby Unit, Wakefield (100)

2 pre-prep and preparatory schools: Cliff School, Wakefield and Silverwood School, Barnsley 14 Frendz Clubs (out-of-school childcare facilities): in Knaresborough, York, Wakefield and Barnsley.

Early Years & Playwork Training College and Resource Base: Wakefield Early Years Childcare & Playwork Recruitment Agency: Yorkshire Places: 190

Employees: 110 Plans: Two further nurseries in West and South Yorkshire; integration of staff training with present nurseries; widen scope of courses on offer to early years practitioners and playworkers; expansion of Frendz Clubs in North, West and South Yorkshire; expansion of recruitment agency in north of England.

Cherish Day Nurseries

Head office: Ongar School Campus, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex CM5 OAW Tel: 01277 362255 Fax: 01277 365488 Directors: Steven and Debbie Birch Established: 1991 Owns 3 nurseries: Ongar (60), Sawbridgeworth (54), High Wych (40) Places: 154 Employees: 46

The Cherry Nursery Group Head office: Weybourne House, St Peters, Guildford Road, Ottershaw, Surrey KT16 ORR Tel/fax: 01932 874911 Director: Barry Rolfe Personnel manager: Trisha Fisher Established: 1993

Owns 7 nurseries: Cherry, Chertsey (53), Cherrywood, Ottershaw (77), Cherrylands, Weybridge (28), Cherrybrook, Addlestone (72), Cherryvale, Ash Vale (98), Mulberry Bush, Sandhurst (36), Cherrystone, Stoneleigh (58) Places: 422 Employees: 176

Plans: A major development programme planned over the next 2 years.

Cherubs Day Nurseries Head office: Executive House, St Albans Road, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 9FT Tel: 0115 979 5975 Fax: 0115 976 4593 Managing director: Susan Mills Established: 1993

Owns 4 nurseries/pre-schools: Executive House, Bulwell, Nottingham, (nursery, 50) (pre-school, 20), Vale View, Bulwell, Nottingham (nursery, 50), Bulwell, Nottingham (pre-school, 32), Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottingham (school, kindergarten and 50-place nursery), Ravenshead (120); two separate out-of-school facilities at Valeview and Mansfield Places: 322 Employees: 106 Plans: New nursery opening in Mansfield later this year.

Child & Co

Head office: Elizabeth House, Reading Road, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 9HA Tel: 01491 824040 Fax: 01491 824055 Directors: Lesley Millar, Ian Millar, Anne Sheldon Established: 1991 Owns/manages 11 nurseries: Mount Vernon Nursery School, Northwood, Middlesex (50), Mount Vernon Day Nursery, Northwood, Middlesex (74), Teddies, Harrow, Middlesex (43), Mongewell Park Nursery School, Wallingford, Oxfordshire (69), Great Haseley Nursery School, Oxfordshire (63), Abbeymore Day Nursery School, Reading, Berkshire (63), The Park

Nursery, Watford, Herts (63), Talbot Woods Day Nursery, Bournemouth University (48), Talbot Woods Nursery School, Bournemouth University (38), St Mary's Day Nursery, Abingdon (67), Scott's House School, Eynsham Park, Witney, Oxfordshire (120)

Places: 698 Employees: 220

Plans: We continue to support and promote the work done by the charity Hope & Homes for Children and we are currently hoping to open at least one new nursery in the coming months. However, our main thrust is in the work we are doing to improve the rewards and benefits we are able to offer our staff. Our work with the DTI funded Work-Life Balance project continues and we have introduced a coaching culture into our training and development programme.

Child Base

Head office: Kingston House, Northampton Road, Newport Pagnell, Bucks MK16 8NJ Tel: 01908 211699 Fax: 01908 211698

E-mail: info@childbase.comWebsite: www.childbase.comEstablished: 1989

Directors: Michael Thompson (managing director), Emma Phillips (operations director), Lynda Gostelow (regional director)

Operates 29 nurseries: Meadow View Nursery, Newport Pagnell, Bucks (49), Woodlands Day Nursery, Milton Keynes (69), Lavenders Day Nursery, Bedford (58), Lime Grove Day Nursery, Hemel Hempstead, Herts (59), Cedars Day Nursery, Leighton Buzzard (44), Sandfield Day Nursery, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford (120), Willows Day Nursery, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury (90), Julia Durbin Day Nursery, Churchill Hospital,

Headington, Oxford (93), Highfields Day Nursery, Birmingham (80), Cherry Trees Day Nursery, Cranfield University, Beds (43), The Pelican Day Nursery, Newbury (52), West Downs Day Nursery, King Alfred's College, Winchester (65), Nene Valley Day Nursery, Northampton (120), Field House Day Nursery, Buckingham (68), Training and Assessment Centre (CBAC), River View Day Nursery, Leicester (70), Sycamore Day Nursery, Farnborough (36), Seabrook Day Nursery, Luton (100), Badgers Day Nursery, Walsworth Road, Hitchin (55), Highbury Lodge Day Nursery, Highbury Road, Hitchin (74),

Woodberry Day Nursery, Winchmore Hill (66), Knowle Green Day Nursery, Staines (80), Edwalton Day Nursery, Nottingham (80), Cedar Park Nursery School, Reading (75), Woodlands Nursery School, Barnet (54), Mulberry Day Nursery, Maidenhead (63), Windermere Day Nursery, Kettering (128), Devonshire Day Nursery, Chiswick (74), Rowan Tree Day Nursery, Welwyn Garden City (55), Oak Tree Day Nursery, Finchampstead (66) Places: 2,086

Employees: 640

Plans: New nurseries in 2002 at Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage.

The Childcare Corporation

Head offices: London: 6 The Lanchesters, 162-166 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9ER

Tel: 020 8741 7741 Fax: 020 8741 7766 Basingstoke: Worthy House, 14 Winchester Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 8UQ

Tel: 01256 383440 E-mail: info@childcare.uk.comWebsite: www.childcare.uk.comDirectors: Alan Bentley, Malcolm Bacchus, Martin Sherwood Established: 1999

Owns 8 nurseries: Perivale, Middlesex (50), Nottingham (120), Streatham, London (26), Taplow, Bucks (60), Milton Keynes (70), Torquay (66), Bedford (86), Winchester (50) Places: 528

Employees: 100 + Plans: The group has raised further funds for a number of acquisitions. Plans to open a further 12 nurseries by December 2002. The first three, Exeter (125 places), Taunton (125 places) and Colchester (125 places), will be open by August.

Childcare Enterprise

Head office: 131 Bedford Street, North Shields, Tyne and Wear NE29 6LA Tel: 0191 200 5765 Fax: 0191 200 6301 National operations manager: Julia Doxford Established: 1994 Manages 12 nurseries: Little Apple Day Nursery (for FuDA International Trading Co) North Shields (28), Stepping Stones (for Aqumen Facilities Management Company) Newcastle-upon-Tyne (46), Ducklings Nursery (for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) York (44), Little Rascals (for Durham District Land Registry) Durham (52), Fledglings Nursery (for RAF) Wyton (30), The Groves Nursery (for Bromley Social Services) Bromley (50), Sandmartins Nursery (for Central Science Laboratory) Sand

Hutton, York (38), Macklin Street Nursery (for BBC World Service) London (27), NEC Playhouse (for the NEC) Birmingham (35), Robin's Wood Nursery (for Nottingham Land Registry) Nottingham (50), Howdon Sure Start Nursery (for Howdon Sure Start Partnership) Newcastle Upon Tyne (30), Red Sparrows (for RAF Innsworth) Gloucester (26)

7 playschemes: BBC World Service holiday playscheme, London (16), British Museum playscheme, London (16), DTI Playscheme, London (32), Inland Revenue playscheme, London (40), Inland Revenue playscheme, Longbenton (60), Nottingham Land Registry playscheme (40), Westminster Holiday Playscheme, London (96) Places: 456

Employees: 320 Plans: Expansion programme for the next three years.

Childcare Partners/ Buffer Bear Nurseries Head office: The Hospitium, Valpy St, Reading, Berkshire RG1 1AR Tel: 0118 950 3200 Fax: 0118 956 0338 Managing director: Dr Kay Turner Established: 1994

Owns/manages 20 nurseries: Acton (73), Bristol (72), Mayday Hospital, Croydon (65), Elstree (29), Newcastle (90), Oxford (60), Reading (102), Sutton (64), Children's Trust, Tadworth (52), Watford (55), West Drayton (40), Barts and The London, Whitechapel (50), Wimbledon (57), and in Westminster: Bessborough (100), Carlton Hill (53), Katharine Bruce (59), St Jude's (45), St Stephens (71), Warwick (48), Springfield Hospital,Tooting (66)

Places: 1,251 Employees: 350 Plans: Training and development plus nursery expansion programme in place for 2002/2003.

Children's Corner Group of Nurseries Head office: 29 Clare Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX1 2JP Tel: 0113 2300757 E-mail: lad.ccg@cwcom.net

Proprietor: Lesley A Dawson Owns 5 nurseries: Verity House, Granary Wharf, Leeds (27), Headingley, Leeds (20), Shopping Centre, Leeds (50), Child's Play Day Nursery, Halifax (45), Northowram, Halifax (37) Places: 179 Employees: 55

Plans: Expansion of two of the Halifax nurseries to increase the number of places.

The Children's Place Head office: The Poplars, Free School Lane, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX1 2YE Tel/fax: 01422 329030 E-mail: info@childrens-place.co.ukWebsite: www.childrens-place.co.uk

Directors: Karen Walker and Debbie Burke Established: 1991

Owns 5 nurseries and 3 holiday clubs: Bradford (27), Halifax (45) plus a 30-place holiday club, Ravensthorpe (33), Scarborough (30), Dewsbury (30) plus a 30-place holiday club, and a 30-place holiday club in Huddersfield Places: 165 Employees: 73

Plans: We have expressed an interest in the Neighbourhood Nurseries initiative and are looking at other possible sites in Yorkshire.

Christopher Robin Day Nurseries Head office: 31 Claremont Avenue, Woking, Surrey GU22 7SF Tel: 01483 757507 Website: www.daynurseriessurrey.co.ukDirector: Penny Owen Established: 1986

Owns 4 nurseries: Woking (44), Merrow, Guildford (47), Burpham, Guildford (44), Cranleigh (42), and a Montessori training college, Montessori Centre International (Surrey), established in 1995 Places: 177 Employees: 68 Plans: Increase registration at existing nurseries. Actively looking for new sites.

Complete Childcare Head office: Cliff Lodge, Rock House Lane, Maidencombe, Devon TQ1 4SX Tel: 01803 329240 Fax: 01803 329185 Directors: Kenneth Livingston, Carole Livingston Established: 1982

Owns 4 nurseries: Woodlands near Newbury (102), Happitots near Wokingham (55), Little School House near Wokingham (29), Northumberland, Reading (60) Places: 246 Employees: 72

Plans: Extend existing nurseries.

Coombe Valley Head office: Old Tree Lodge, Trebursye, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 7ET Tel: 01566 776846 Fax: 01566 776835 E-mail: cve@coombevalley.comWebsite: www.coombevalley.com Directors: Sue Ranson, Charles Ranson, Stephen Gregg Established: 1990

Owns 4 nurseries: Trebursye, Cornwall (36), Launceston, Cornwall (26), Pentrebach, Mid Glamorgan (40), Exeter, Devon (30) Places: 132 Employees: 35 Plans: To increase the range of early years publications available through Coombe Valley.

Countryside Nurseries Head office: Tythe Barn, Dean Lane, Cookham Dean, Berks SL6 9BB Tel: 01628 476153 Fax: 01628 487019 Director: Angela Palmer-Moore Established: 1991

Owns 5 nurseries: Cookham Dean, Berkshire (24), Treetops, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon (38), Willow Tree, Flackwell Heath, Bucks (25), Little Willows, Flackwell Heath, Bucks (33), The Beeches, Burnham, Bucks (36) Places: 156 Employees: 50 Cranbrook Group Nursery Schools Head office: Ye Olde Post Office, Antlands Lane East, Shipley Bridge, Burstow, Surrey RH6 9TE Tel: 01293 772561/823279

Fax: 01293 772971 Director: Maureen Luxford Established: 1940 Owns 8 nurseries: The Farmhouse, Charlwood, Surrey (24hrs, 48), The Children's House, Charlwood, Surrey (32), The Lodge, Horley, Surrey (12), Ivy Cottage, Horley, Surrey (58), Ye Olde Post Office, Horley, Surrey (29), Acorn Cottage, Horley, Surrey (30), Buttercup Barn, Balcombe, West Sussex (20), Bumpkin Barn, Balcombe, West Sussex (8), and an after-school club: Cats Club, Horley, Surrey (36) Places: 237

Employees: 130 Creche-n-Co Head office: Office D1, Hopwood Hall College, Rochdale Road, Middleton, Manchester M24 6XH Tel/fax: 0161 643 4747 Directors: Lorraine Darlington, Marilyn Prescott Established: 1989

Owns/manages 3 nurseries: Fairfields, Bury, Lancs (48), Rochdale College (46, plus 50 place holiday playscheme), Hopscotch, Middleton, Manchester (24). Also provides childcare services for corporate events and exhibitions. Holiday playscheme, Rochdale College (50).

Places: 118 Employees: 38

Plans: Opening in Easter 2003 a 30-place pre-school, a 30-place holiday playscheme and a 30-place before-and after-school-club, all in Bury. Also expansion planned for existing Middleton College site.

Crystal Childcare Head office: 202 Venner Rd, Sydenham, London SE26 5HT Tel: 020 8659 6417 Fax: 020 8659 6712 Directors: Lorraine Duffy, Paul Duffy Established: 1988 Owns 3 nurseries: Sydenham, London (24), Upper Norwood, London (20), Anerley, London (34) Places: 78 Employees: 30

Plans: To further expand Anerley Nursery and establish additional nursery within the next 12 months.

*Daisies Day Nurseries Head office: 16 Pindock Mews, London W9 2PY Tel: 07775 524250 Fax: 020 7289 9772 E-mail: kattieh@gobalnet.co.ukDirectors: Kate Attieh, Liz Wren Established: 1995 Owns 3 nurseries: Regents Park (75), Pimlico (68), Stockwell (46) (all in London) Places: 189

Employees: 58 Dolphin Nurseries Head office: 5 Burgess Mews, Wycliffe Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 1 UF Tel: 020 8542 7200 Fax: 020 8542 7265 Website: www.dolphinnurseries.com Directors: Martin Pace, Alnur Dhanani, Ole Bettum, Fritz Ternofsky Established: 2000 Owns 2 nurseries: Chigwell, Essex (70), Upminster, Essex (42) Places: 112 Employees: 40 Plans: Three further nurseries in development at present in south and west London. Funding in place to open ten nurseries in the south east over the next three years.

Earlyworld Nurseries Head office: Collina House, Oxon Business Park, Welshpool Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 5HJ Tel: 01743 244 600 Fax: 01743 341 500 Websites: www.earlyworld.co.ukand www.earlyworldclubs.co.ukManaging director: Paul Edwards Established: 1995

Owns 3 nurseries: Shrewsbury (125), Hadley Park, Telford (116), Stafford Court, Telford (130) 4 out-of-school-clubs: Shrewsbury (57), Market Drayton (40), Central Telford (40), East Telford (40) Places: 371 Employees: 135

Plans: Will add 40 more childcare places in 2002, in Shropshire.

Early Years Childcare Head office: 42 Wilbury Villas, Hove, East Sussex BN3 6GD Tel: 01273 778775 Fax: 01273 724583 E-mail: info@earlyyearschildcare.co.ukManaging director: Julie Bates Established: 1989

Owns/manages 9 nurseries: Horsham, Sussex (110), Hove, Sussex (74), Worthing (57), Crawley, Sussex (27), Brighton (71), Lewes, Sussex (51), Runcorn, Cheshire (50), Sheffield (51), Greenwich, London (50) Also operates: 8 holiday play schemes (332), 2 after-school clubs (56), 1 cr che (26) Places: 541 Employees: 280 Plans: To open two to three nurseries per year for the next five years.

Early Years Childcare Group

Head office: Manor Farm, Castle Hill, East Leake, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 6LU Tel/fax: 01509 852797 E-mail: headoffice@earlyyearschildcare group.co.uk Website: www.earlyyearschildcaregroup.co.uk Partners: Glennis Robinson, Rita Thurman Established: 1980

Owns 4 nurseries: Adbolton Kindergarten, Nottingham (65), Bingham Day Nursery (50), East Leake Day Nursery (70), Trent Fields Kindergarten, Nottingham (70).

Also operates: out-of-school and holiday club, East Leake (34), Manor Farm Animal Centre (educational resource), Loughborough. Careercare (City & Guilds NVQ training and staff development programme) Places: 255 Employees: 107

Eaton Square Schools Head office: 79 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PP Tel: 020 7931 9469 Fax: 020 7828 0164 Directors: Yvonne Cuthbert (principal), Alison Jones (head of nursery schools) Established: 1981

Owns 5 nursery schools: 79 Eccleston Square Nursery School (28), 28 and 30 Eccleston Street Nursery School (21 and 24), The Boltons Nursery School (32), (all in London), Twickenham Park Day Nursery (60) Places: 165 Employees: 33 The Edinburgh Nursery Head office: 3 Beaverhall Road, Edinburgh EH7 4JQ Tel: 0131 556 9252 Fax: 0131 476 6346 Website: www.edinburghnursery.comDirector: Karen Fairlamb Established: 1986

Owns/manages 5 nurseries: The Gyle Nursery for Marks & Spencer, Edinburgh (40), East London Street (18), Broughton Street (8), Beaverhall Road (31), Broughton Street (20) (all in Edinburgh) Places: 117

Employees: 42 Edith Rose Day Nursery Head office: South Lodge, Station Road, Sunningdale, Berkshire SL5 OQW Tel/fax: 01344 873140 Directors: Rebecca Fishwick, Nicola Sowerby Established: 1988

Owns 3 nurseries: Windsor, Berks (24), Sunningdale, Berks (27), Banbury, Oxfordshire (30) Places: 81 Employees: 26 Plans: To extend the Sunningdale nursery.

Elm Park Nursery Group Head office: 90 Clarence Avenue, Clapham, London SW4 8JR Tel/fax: 020 8769 0077 Partners: Sandra Taylor, Enley Taylor Established: 1991 Owns 4 nurseries: Elm Park Nursery, Clapham (72), Riverside Nursery, Putney (60), Wiltshire Nursery, Brixton (40), Elm Park Nursery, Tooting Common Nursery, Streatham (34) (all in London) Places: 206 Employees: 65

The Eveline Day and Nursery Schools Head office: 30 Ritherdon Road, Tooting Bec, London SW17 8QD Tel: 020 8672 7549 Fax: 020 8672 7259 Established: 1964 Directors: Maria Keaveney-Jessiman, Alfred Clifford Jessiman, Eveline Drut, Gordon Jessiman

Owns 5 nurseries: Tooting Bec (36), Wandsworth (63), Seely Hall, Tooting Broadway (41), Wimbledon (50), Raynes Park (54) (all in London) 1 prep school: Tooting Bec (90) Places: 244 Employees: 110 *Fisherfield Farm Nursery Head office: Hargate Avenue, Rochdale OL12 6BT Tel: 01706 655000 Fax: 01706 347777 Website: www.ffn.co.ukDirectors: David MacGill, Nicky MacGill Established: 1996

Owns 4 nurseries: Norden (40), Banford (40), Sandbrook Park (in UK headquarters of MyTravel) (52), Central (55) (all in the Rochdale area) Places: 187 Employees: 65 Plans: To expand in the Manchester area in both private and corporate sectors.

Fledglings Head office: 2 Hazelfields, Worsley, Manchester M28 2LS Tel: 0161 281 2821 Fax: 0161 281 2822 Director: Christopher Gray Established: 1990 Owns 4 nurseries: Stretford (70), Worsley (100), Irlam (80) (all in Manchester), Warrington, Cheshire (87) Places: 337 Employees: 105 Plans: Possibly building a fifth nursery.

Flying Start Head office: 24 Drump Road, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 1LU Tel/fax: 01209 210710 Partners: Sharon and Steve Cowburn Established: 1993

Owns 9 nurseries: (all in Cornwall) Camborne (52 plus 8 out-of-school places), Helston (21 plus 9 out-of-school places), Bodmin (20), Penryn (32 plus 24 ou-of-school school places), Saltash (28 plus 30 out-of-school places), Redruth (24 plus 24 out-of-school places), Duchy (18 plus 30 out-of-school places), Cornwall College (49 plus 24 out-of-school places), Sure Start Creche, Kerrier (16) Places: 260 Employees: 82

Plans: Several centres will be expanding their range of services, number of registered places and premises.

The Formative Years Group Head office: The PIES Kindergarten and Private Day Nursery, 221 Bury New Road, Whitefield, Manchester M45 8GW Tel: 0161 766 2929 Proprietors: Jillian Banks, Simon Banks, Frances Lawrence, William Lawrence Established: 1988

Owns 3 nurseries: PIES Kindergarten and Private Day Nursery, Manchester (42), Radcliffe Hall Kindergarten and Private Day Nursery, Manchester (39), Whitefield Kindergarten and Private Day Nursery, Manchester (48) Places: 129 Employees: 33 For Under Fives

Head office: 33 Abbey Road, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN32 0HQ Tel: 01472 232300 Fax: 01472 232301 Website: www.forunderfives.co.ukDirectors: DA Lang, JR Lang, S Lampard Established: 1987

Owns 4 nurseries: Springfield Lodge Montessori Day Nursery, Grimsby (53), Springfield Lodge for under-twos, Grimsby (27), Dearne Valley College Day Nursery, Wath upon Dearne, near Rotherham (50), Village Day Nursery, Cottingham (50)

Manages 4 nurseries: Havelock Day Nursery, Grimsby NHS Trust (53), County Hospital Day Nursery, Lincoln and Louth NHS Trust (42), Woodlands Day Nursery, S****horpe and Goole NHS Trust (50), Springhill Day Nursery, West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (53) Places: 378

Employees: 110 Plans: To create a training arm. Looking at two other possible sites in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire areas.

Freshfields Nursery Schools Head office: Clifford Forge House, Clifford Road, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire CV37 8HW Tel: 01789 261 633 Fax: 01789 294 783 Principal/proprietor: Julie Cox Manager (2-5 yrs): Anne Wassell Established: 1990

Owns 2 nursery schools, both teaching Montessori philosophy: The School House, Alcester Road, Stratford-upon-Avon (50), Clifford Forge House, Clifford Road, Stratford-upon-Avon (88, plus separate before-and after-school care and holiday club facility) Places: 138 Employees: 51

Plans: New expansion plan for Clifford Forge House ready for September 2002.

*The Gables Day Nurseries Head office: 11 St Matthews Gardens, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex TN38 0TS Tel: 01424 426101 Fax: 01424 421128 Directors: Ann Stewart, Elaine Piper Established: 1997

Owns 3 nurseries: The Green (55), Bexhill Road (24), St Matthews Gardens (20) (all in East Sussex) Places: 99 Employees: 35 Gosford House Nurseries Head office: 229-231 Beehive Lane, Gants Hill, Ilford, Essex IG4 5EB Tel: 020 8551 2241 Director: Edna Usher Established: 1988

Owns 3 nurseries: Clarence House Nursery, Gants Hill (30), Gosford Baby Nursery, Redbridge (22), Gosford Pre-school, Redbridge (78) (all in Essex) Places: 130 Employees: 44 Grasshoppers Day Nurseries Head office: U9 Executive Park, 229 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts AL1 4TA Tel: 01727 812731 Fax: 01727 833197 Directors: Nerissa Burton, Philip Bowers Established: 1989

Owns 5 nurseries: Erdington, Birmingham (53), Edgbaston, Birmingham (48), Harborne, Birmingham (35), St Albans (25), Hertford, Herts (60) Places: 221 Employees: 90 Greendale Nursery Complex Head office: Greendale House, 633 Antrim Road, Glengormley, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland BT36 4RF Tel: 02890 838389 Fax: 02890 847389 E-mail: ianmcfall@greendale. sagehost.co.uk Website: www.greendalenursery.info

Owners/partners: Frank Cassells, Louise McFall, Ian McFall Established: 1992 Owns 3 nurseries: Greendale House (50), Meadowdale House (50), Frankie's Den (42) (all in Newtownabbey) Places: 142 Employees: 40 Happitots Day Nurseries Head office: 28 Colston Drive, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow G64 2AZ Tel: 0141 772 4708 Fax: 0141 772 8496 Website: www.happitots.com

Managing director: Heather Gilchrist Established: 1996 Owns 5 nurseries: Portobello, Edinburgh (55), Bishopbriggs, East Dumbartonshire (68), Ballieston, Glasgow (65), Garrowhill, Glasgow (45), Glasgow Airport, Paisley (100) Places: 333 Employees: 100 Plans: Three further developments planned in central Scotland during 2002.

Happy Child

Head office: 109 Uxbridge Road, Ealing, London W5 5TL Tel: 020 8579 8558 Fax: 020 8579 3109 E-mail: enquiry@happychild.co.ukWebsite: www.happychild.co.ukDirectors: Ashoob Cook, Dr Julian Cook Established: 1990

Owns 17 day nurseries: Ealing (35), Happy Child Montessori School, Ealing (26), Ealing (50), Ealing (41), Ealing (18), Harlesden (66), Acton (32), Kilburn (70), Northfields (35), Ealing Common (35), Queens Park (20), Alperton, Middlesex (35), Perivale, Middlesex (39), Ruislip, Middlesex (60), Shepherds Bush (27), St Christopher's Nursery School, Wembley (40), Kenton, Middlesex (55)

3 preparatory schools: Aston House School, Ealing, St Christopher's School, Wembley and St Nicholas School, Kingsbury. Owns Aston Training Centre.

Places: 684 Employees: 265 Plans: To expand through establishing and acquiring up to six nurseries per year over the next two to three years within the London region.

*Happy Days Day Nurseries

Head office: Hylton, St Mawgan, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 4EY Tel/fax: 01637 852630 Website: www.happydaysnursery.co.ukPartners: Robin and Sarah Karkeek Established: 1993

Owns 7 nurseries: Newquay (56), Truro (45), St Austell (30), Wadebridge (32), Treloggan (15), Padstow (32), Summercourt (20) Places: 230 Employees: 65 Happy House Educational Care

Head office: Hollywood, Hollybush Ride, Wokingham RG40 3QR Tel: 01344 771946 Fax: 01344 771567 Directors: Linda and Bruce Tranter Established: 1997 Owns 4 nurseries: Little Red House Day Nursery, Crowthorne (50), Little Ducklings Day Nursery, Woodley, near Reading (48), Happy House Day Nursery, Reading (32), Little Miss Muffet Day Nursery, Basingstoke (43) Places: 173 Employees: 65

Plans: Additional 60 places to be added during 2002/2003.

Happy Jays Nurseries and Childcare Centres Head office: Lancaster Park, Audax Close, Clifton Moor, York YO30 4RA Tel: 01904 479261 Directors: Jacqueline Gernon and Tony Gernon Established: 1996 Owns 2 nurseries: York (70), Boroughbridge (35) Places: 105

Employees: 30 Plans: To open additional units throughout Yorkshire region over the next five years.

Happy Times Nurseries and Childcare Head office: HTC Healthcare Group, Happy Towers, 16-20 Wendell Road, London W12 9RT Tel: 020 8746 4222 Fax: 020 8746 4223 E-mail: team@happytimes.co.ukWebsites: www.happytimes.co.uk,www.supercarer.com Directors: Adam Shaw, Elizabeth Cullen, Ian Taylor, Russell Thornhill Established: 1997

Owns 3 nurseries: Hammersmith, London (124), Battersea, London (107), Richmond, London (150) Places: 381 Employees: 100 Hatton Hill Day Nurseries Head office: Hatton Hill, Windlesham, Surrey GU20 6AB Tel: 01276 474764 Fax: 01276 453337 E-mail: enquiries@hhdn.co.ukWebsite:www.hattonhilldaynursery.co.uk

Directors: David Lewis, Clem Malcolmson, Paul Whitlam Established: 1996 Owns 4 nurseries: Windlesham, Surrey (98), Farnborough, Hampshire (120), Frimley Green, Surrey (55), Esher, Surrey (75) Places: 348 Employees: 130

Plans: Has recently acquired a half-acre site at the Persimmon Elvetham development in Fleet, Hampshire. A new 120-place nursery school unit is due to open in spring 2003. A further five nursery school units within the Surrey/Hampshire area are projected to open by 2005.

Highgate Nurseries

Head office: 55 Glanmor Road, Uplands, Swansea SA2 OQA Tel: 01792 281120 Fax: 01792 202879 Managing director: Julie Halliday Operations director: Jayne Lewis Established: 1989

Owns 2 day nurseries: Glanmor Road (58), Morriston (65), plus two pre-schools: Uplands (60), Morriston (25) Places: 208 Employees: 75-plus

Hippo Creche/First Child Care Head office: The Wheatley Oast, Wheatley Lane, Nr Binsted, Hampshire GU35 9PA Tel: 07973 206595 Website: www.hippocreche.co.ukManaging director: Charles Ullmann Established: 1988

Owns 2 nurseries and 1 creche: St Leonards nursery (78), Tunbridge Wells nursery (46) and creche (18) Places: 142 Employees: 45

Plans: To open further two nurseries in the next year.

The Honeytree Day Nursery Head office: Willow House, 145 Oldmixon Road, Hutton, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset BS24 9QA Tel/fax: 01934 815237 Directors: Phillip Weston and Linda Weston (company secretary) Established: 1980

Owns 3 nurseries: Bristol (60), Weston-super-Mare (51), Portishead (46) Places: 157 Employees: 53 Plans: Currently involved in negotiations to purchase two nurseries and plans to buy more.

Hopscotch Children's Nurseries Head office: 9 Aymer Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 4GB Tel: 01273 385577 Fax: 01273 774154 E-mail: office@hopscotch.uk.comWebsite: www.hopscotch.uk.comBusiness development director: Barbara Watson Operations director: Jo Halling Established: 1988

Owns 5 nurseries: Hove (68), Brighton (58), Brighton (16), Peacehaven (39), Seaford (90).

Places: 271 Employees: 75 Plans: Looking at several possible sites in the Sussex area. Available to discuss options.

Horn End Nurseries Head office: Egg Lane, Hixon, Stafford, Staffs ST18 0PR Tel: 01889 271051 Website: www.hornend.co.ukOwner: Deborah Falshaw Established: 1990

Owns 3 nurseries: Hixon (33), Rugeley (33), Stafford (59) Places: 125 Employees: 35 Plans: Currently looking at other possible sites in the Staffordshire region with a view to further expansion in the next five years.

ITM Childcare/Piccolo Nurseries

Head office: 209 Bradford Road, Shipley, Yorkshire BD18 3AA Tel: 01274 597241 Fax: 01274 594612 Director: Linda Ward Established: 1989

Owns 5 nurseries: Pudsey, Leeds (98), Bradford (33), Shipley, Yorkshire (26), Saltaire, Yorkshire (29), Baildon, Bradford (32) 2 out-of-school clubs: Saltaire, Yorkshire (20), Pudsey, Leeds (20).

Accredited centre for NVQs from 1992.

Places: 218 Employees: 80

Jancett Group of Day Nurseries Head office: Graylaw House, 42-54 Manor Road, Wallington, Surrey SM6 OAB Tel: 020 8669 1725 Fax: 020 8669 1259 Proprietors: Chris and John Pritchard Established: 1969

Owns 6 nurseries: Wallington (nursery) (70), Wallington (baby unit) (31), Pollyanna Day Nursery and Baby Unit, Carshalton (60), Gaytime Day Nursery and Baby Unit, Wallington (55), Startel Day Nursery, Wallington (50), Sunbeam Day Nursery/Baby Unit (71) Places: 337

Employees: 183 Plans: We are keen to strengthen our links with day nurseries that require in-house training with their staff teams. The training arm of the organisation has been inspected by the Training Skills Council with extremely successful grades being awarded. We are confident that we can help with staff training programmes and would be happy to discuss this on 020 8773 8146.

Jigsaw Day Nurseries Head office: Brook Point, 1412-1420 High Road, Whetstone, London N20 9BH Tel: 020 8343 8008 Fax: 020 8343 7812 E-mail: jigsaw@jigsawdaynurseries.com

Website: www.jigsawdaynurseries.comDirectors: Les Cullen (chairman), Sir Christopher Ball (deputy chairman), Mike McKechnie (chief executive), Graham Rutter (finance director), Jane James (development director), Kamelia Farhangi (IT director), Mike Paccitti (3i non-executive director)

Established: 1991 (management buyout in March 1998) Owns 36 purpose-built nurseries: Abbeymeads, Swindon (91), Broome, Swindon (72), Windmill Hill, Swindon (94), Chineham, Basingstoke (104), Birmingham (105), Bristol (102), Bradwell Common, Milton Keynes (103), Brownswood, Milton Keynes (107), Ocean Park, Cardiff (66), Chatham Maritime (72), Chingford (120), Colchester (106), Westwood, Coventry (66), Coventry Business Park (115),

Dartford (126), Hammersmith, London (60), Harlow (111), Stockley Park, Heathrow (89), Hemel Hempstead (93), Leamington Spa (112), Leicester (130), Letchworth (104), Capability Green, Luton (105), Northampton (107), Littlemore, Oxford (110), Portsmouth (84), Meadowside, Reading (107), Reading Green Park (105), Woodley, Reading (89), Reading International

(88), Shenley (90), Solihull (88), London Road, Stevenage (98), Stevenage Leisure Park (110), Wandsworth (101), Welwyn Garden City (72) Places: 3,502Employees: Over 1,000 full-time equivalents

Joint Responsibility Head office: Epworth Halls, High Street, Quorn, Leicestershire LE12 8DT Tel: 01509 621700 Fax: 01509 416634 Managing director: Gina Lafferty Established: 1993

Owns 2 nurseries: Epworth Halls (118), Loughborough (84), plus a school at Epworth Halls (126). Kids' Club and Holiday Club at Epworth Halls, and Trinity Halls, Loughborough.

Places: 202

Employees: 45 Just Learning Head office: 45 High Street, West Malling, Kent ME19 6QH Tel: 01732 846333 Fax: 01732 846444

E-mail: info@just-learning.freeserve.co.ukWebsite: www.justlearning.co.ukDirectors: Michael Fallon (managing director), Hamilton Anstead

(non-executive chairman), Alan Cox (finance director), Rachel Murphy (non -executive director) Established: 1995 Owns 27 nurseries: Darlington, County Durham (88), Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees (100), Great Notley Garden Village, Braintree, Essex (100), College Road, Maidstone, Kent (50), Angel Lodge, Maidstone, Kent

(50), High Trees, Larkfield, Kent (48), Toad Hall, Maidstone, Kent (30), King George Hospital, Ilford (124), Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone (100), Walkden Avenue, Wigan (79), Chafford Hundred, Lakeside, Essex (92), St Andrews Business Park, Norwich (72), Hinchingbrooke Business Park, Huntingdon (100), North Hampshire Hospital, Basingstoke (100), Enstone

Court, Wellingborough (100), Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff (100), Willingdon Drove, Eastbourne (100), Higham Hill, Walthamstow, London (100), Pinewood, Ipswich (100), Cambourne, Cambridgeshire (100), Trowbridge, Wiltshire (100), Progress Park, Bedford (112), Cedars Park, Stowmarket (112), Fifers Lane, Norwich (112), Beechings way, Gillingham (112), Durham Road, Stockton (57), Bishops Park, Croydon (112)

Places: 2,450 Employees: 600

Plans: Two nurseries under construction at Monks Lane, Newbury (104), and Great Ashby, Stevenage (112). Three further sites awaiting planning permission.

Kidcare Head office: 55 Renfrew Street, Glasgow G2 3BD Tel: 0141 564 1150 Fax: 0141 564 1148 Established: 1990 Chief executive: Rita Hopper Parent bodies: One Plus, SASCA

Operates 6 nurseries: Wellpark Nursery, Glasgow (31), Strathclyde University Nursery (58), Glasgow University Nursery (74), Clydebank College Nursery (40), Braidfield Nursery, Clydebank (27), The Leisuredrome Nursery, Bishopbriggs (31)

3 out-of-school services: Hillhead After School Care, Glasgow (30), The Glasgow Academy After School Care (24), SPLOSH, Glasgow (24).

Also runs a holiday playscheme for Scottish Enterprise (32) and operates a mobile creche service across Scotland.

Places: 261 Employees: 98 Plans: Completion date on new nursery 30 November 2002.

Kidsunlimited Head office: Kids of Wilmslow Ltd, Westhead, 10 West Street, Alderley Edge, Cheshire SK9 7EG Tel: 01625 585222 Fax: 01625 583444 Website: www.kidsunlimited.co.uk Established: 1983

Directors: Stewart and Jean Pickering, Stephen Chalmers-Morris, Adam Holloway, David Sherratt and Graham Smith Owns/manages 33 nurseries: Clairmont House and Clairmont Cottage, Wilmslow, Cheshire (82), HSBC, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (46), First Direct, Arlington, West Yorkshire (50), The Body Shop, Littlehampton, West Sussex (75), Aldfields, Didcot, Oxfordshire (50), Mango Tree, London (50), Woodlands, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (54), Little Flyers, Altrincham, Cheshire (80), WH Smith,

Swindon, Wiltshire (43), Mansion House, Oxford (40), Bridgewater, Manchester (38), Cambridge University, Cambridgeshire (50), Milton Park, Abingdon Oxfordshire (255), Mary Seacole, London (65), Regent's Place, London (77), Countess of Chester NHS Trust, Cheshire (60), Bradmore Road, Oxford (54), First Direct, Stourton, West Yorkshire (120), First Direct, Hamilton, Glasgow (100), Cambridge Science Park, Cambridgeshire (146),

Summerfields, Wilmslow, Cheshire (152), Didsbury, Manchester (139), HSBC, Beckenham, Kent (61), Air Miles, Warrington, Cheshire (65), St Mary's, Manchester (81), Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire (110), Oxford Business Park, Oxfordshire (166),Total Fitness, Chester, Cheshire (56), Total Fitness,

Wilmslow, Cheshire (50), Foxton House, Cambridge (60), Addenbrookes, Cambridge (89), Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, London (91), Spindlewood, Chineham Business Park, Basingstoke, Hampshire (130) Places: 2,785

Employees: 928 Plans: To double the number of nurseries within five years.

KinderCare Learning Centres Head office: Slapton Hill Farm, Blakesley Road, Slapton, Towcester NN12 8QD Tel: 01327 861175 Fax: 01327 861273 Director: Wray Hutchinson

Established: 1995 Owns 2 nurseries: Callands Nursery Centre, Warrington (100), Bramingham Park Nursery Centre, Luton (144), (US branch owns 1,200 nurseries in 38 states) Places: 244 Employees: 60

Kindercare Childcare Centres Head office: Ashton House, Ashton Park, Pedders Lane, Preston, Lancs PR2 1HL Tel: 01772 726696 Fax: 01772 732318 E-mail: sc@kindercare.freeserve.co.ukWebsite: www.kindercare-group.co.uk

Directors: Stuart Carr, Sarah Carr Established: 1989 Owns/manages 10 nurseries:

Ashbridge (210), Preston (248), Blackpool (231), Bamber Bridge (176), Chorley (220), Lostock Hall (40) plus 28 after-school places, Salwick (BNFL workplace nursery) (33), Warton (BAE Systems workplace

nursery) (30), Warton (Land Registry workplace) (60) plus 40 after-school places, Lancaster (248) 1 independent primary school: Ashbridge Independent School (100) Places: 1,496

Employees: 263 Plans: Controlled expansion. Two more 220-place centres are under construction.

Kindergarten (UK) Head office: 14 Thorney Leys Park, Witney, Oxon OX2 4GE Tel: 01993 700123 fax: 01993 700456 E-mail: info@kindergarten-uk.co.ukDirectors: Jo and Nick Letherbarrow Established: 1994

Owns 3 nurseries: Witney (92), Witney (48), Witney (64) (all in Oxon) Owns 1 soft-play centre: Kinderkids, Witney (35) Places: 204 Employees: 60

Plans: Further two new nurseries opening 2003.

Kinderquest Head office: 9-10 Sheep Street, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 1BL Tel: 01933 440166 Fax: 01933 443492 E-mail: ewrenn@kinderquest.co.ukDirectors: Denise Wrenn (managing director), Ian Stocks, Ricky Wrenn,

Debbie Thursby Established: 1988 Manages 46 workplace nurseries:

Bedford (75), Guildford, Surrey (40), London (35), Crowthorne, Berkshire (50), Surbiton (27), Hemel Hempstead (50), Teddington (66), Liverpool 1 (50), Liverpool 2 (35), Croydon (40), Aberdeen (35), Hastings (35), Dudley (39), Harlow (51), Birkenhead (30), Plymouth (30), Bedfordshire (35), Nottingham (50), Foxhill, Bath (37), Bristol (100), Salford, Manchester (36), Washington (55), Didcot (42), Leeds (30), Aberystwyth (40), Newbury (36), Ipswich (27), Leicester (32), Bunaston, Derbyshire (49), Telford,

Shropshire (44), Harpenden (25), Cardiff (60), Glasgow (59), Falkirk (34), Wetherby (45), Feltham (21), Stretford (30), Warwick (42), Weymouth (40), Coventry Land Registry (40), Edinburgh Scottish Executive 1 (36), Edinburgh Scottish Executive 2 (16), Sunbury (46), Central London (36), Wolverhampton (20), Ensleigh (60)

Owns 2 nurseries: Liverpool (70), Northamptonshire (46) Manages 15 holiday playschemes: Bedford (30), Guildford (40), Liverpool (90), Nottingham (40), Washington (48), Leeds (50), Telford, Shropshire (32), Harpenden (22), London 1 (24), London 2 (22), London 3 (16), London 4 (16), Guildford (16), Blackpool (125), Wellingborough (46) Places: 2,026

Employees: 600+ Plans: To continue to expand our nursery operations; and recruitment, training and management services. We will be opening an 80-place nursery in the West Midlands in February 2003.

Kinder Groups

Head office: Tovil Business Centre, Burial Ground Lane, Tovil, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6RJ Tel: 01622 692 098 Fax: 01622 693 338 Directors: Alan Bishop, Janet Bishop Established: 1990

Owns 8 nurseries and 3 after-school/holiday centres: East Malling (100), 3 in Gravesend (98, 60 and 25), Tonbridge (60), Maidstone (71), Sittingbourne (63), Rainham, Kent (75) Places: 552 Employees: 178

Plans: Two new nurseries about to be constructed.

Kingsclere Nurseries Head office: Forest Road, Wokingham, Berks RG40 5SA Tel/fax: 01344 489328 Proprietors: Sylvia Cox, Julia Cox Established: 1986

Owns 5 nurseries: Kingsclere, Wokingham (12), Merrydale, Binfield (42), Stepping Stones, Finchampstead (33), Bramley Wood, Bracknell (78), Abacus, Newbury (52) Places: 217 Employees: 106

Plans: Looking for other sites in Berkshire. Due to expand at three sites.

Ladybird Head office: 24 High Street, Fenstanton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE18 9JZ Tel: 01480 469166

Website: www.ladybird-daynursery.co.ukProprietor: Mary Crosby Established: 1976 Owns 3 nurseries: Fenstanton (50), Papworth (30), Brampton (42) (all in the Cambridgeshire area) Places: 122 Employees: 32

Leapfrog Day Nurseries Head office: Central Office, Second Avenue, Centrum 100, Burton on Trent, Staffs DE14 2WF Tel: 01283 510444 Fax: 01283 510445 Website: www.leapfrogdaynurseries. co.uk Directors: Derek Mapp (executive chairman), Sue Husbands (managing director), Mike Butcher (finance director)

Established: April 1998 Owns 35 nurseries: Beverley, East Yorkshire (102), Bicester, Oxon (102), Braintree, Essex (102),Thurrock, Essex (102), Bromborough, Wirral (102), Brough, East Yorkshire (102), Burton on Trent, Staffs (102), Chandlers Ford, Hants (116), Chelmsford, Essex (102), Cheshire Oaks, Cheshire (102), Chippenham, Wilts (109), Chiswick, London (82), Clifton Moor, York (120), Crawley, Sussex (132), Daventry, Northants (88), Daybrook, Nottingham (120), Edgbaston, Birmingham (106), Emersons Green, South Glos (105),

Enfield, Middlesex (96), Evesham, Worcs (102), Clifton Street, London (90), Heatherton, Derby (102), Kettering, Northants (105), Mill Hill, London (78), Northwich, Cheshire (109), Oakwood, Derby (102), Peterborough, Cambs (115), Quedgeley, Glos (109), Reigate, Surrey (105), Smithfield, London (95), Swindon, Wilts (106), Telford, Shropshire (108), Warndon, Worcs (102), Woking, Surrey (130), Wollaton, Nottingham (109) Places: 3,659

Employees: 1,100 Plans: Due to open a further five nurseries by the end of 2002 -Edgbaston (September), Excel, Royal Docks (September), Carlton Park, Leicester (October), Purley, London (October), Salisbury (November). A further eight sites identified for early 2003.

Leisure Operations/ Pelican Childcare Head office: 665 Knutsford Road, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 1JJ Tel: 01925 232202 Fax: 01925 235380 Directors: Dave Watson (managing director), Neil Ritchie (financial director)

Established: 1992 Owns 3 nurseries: Northampton (45), Washington (50), Reading (50), plus creches, playgroups and toddlers groups (32) throughout the UK.

Places: 145 Employees: 350

Lesley Bothwell Nurseries Head office: 534 Queensferry Road, Edinburgh EH4 6EE Tel: 0131 339 6340 Proprietor: Lesley Bothwell Established: 1984

Owns 3 nurseries: The Barnton Nursery (63), The Buckstone Nursery (35), The Royal Mile (21) (all in Edinburgh) Places: 119 Employees: 60 Lilliput Childcare Head office: Ladybird House, 1 Old Bray Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18, Ireland Tel: 01 289 3941 (international 00 353 1 289 3941) Fax: 01 289 1052 E-mail: ladybird@iol.ie

Website: www.lilliputcreche.comManaging directors: Colin and Alison McMullen Group operations directors: Carolyn Eglington and Ann Halliden Established: 1987 Owns 4 nurseries: Foxrock (74), Ringsend (30), (both in Dublin) Bray (30), Kilcoole (30) (both in Co. Wicklow) 1 after-school club: for up to 60 children in Kilcoole, County Wicklow Places: 164

Employees: 30 Plans: Actively looking for sites and extending existing sites.

Lilliput Children's Centres Head office: Hersham Green, Burwood Road, Walton-on-Thames KT12 4AA Tel: 01932 252202 Fax: 01932 228989 Partners: Tony and Phyleen Cunningham Established: 1992

Owns 3 nurseries: Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (155), Redhill, Gatwick (96), Bagshot, Surrey (70) Places: 321 Employees: 70

Plans: Actively looking at sites in Surrey.

Lilliput Montessori Day Nurseries Head office: Railway House, Hotel Street, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 3EQ Tel: 01530 813913 Fax: 01530 817898 E-mail: samanthagraveling@talk21.comDirectors: Samantha and Paul Graveling Established: 1994

Owns 4 nurseries: Anstey (55), Glenfield (27), Coalville (50), Whetstone (63) Places: 195 Employees: 71

Plans: The extension of Glenfield to 64 and Anstey to 70 places. All nurseries offer out-of-school care.

Little Angels Nurseries Head office: 2nd Floor, 3 Market Place, Hertford, Herts SG14 1DF Tel: 01992 505757 Fax: 01992 584414 Directors: Angela and Paul Spencer Established: 1993

Owns 2 nurseries: Ware, Herts (39), Hoddersdon, Herts (69) Places: 108 Employees: 39 Plans: To increase the number of places at Hoddersdon to 81.

Little Darlings Childcare Head office: 74 Belmont Road, Portswood, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 2GE Tel/fax: 02380 676301 Partners: Jill and Gary Darling Established: 1991

Owns 4 nurseries: Little Darlings Day Nursery, Southampton (29), Merritime Nursery, HMS Sultan, Gosport (40), Woodentots, HMS Collingwood, Fareham (45), Portsmouth College Nursery, Portsmouth (40) Places: 154 Employees: 47

Little People Day Nurseries Head office: South: 250a Lillie Road, Fulham, London SW6 7PX Tel: 020 7386 0006 Fax: 020 7386 0078 North: Piccadilly Gardens, Piccadilly Road, Burnley BB11 4PP Tel: 01282 411950

Partners: Anne Gleasure (north), Jane Gleasure (south), David Gleasure, Bob Gleasure Established: 1976 Owns 7 nurseries: Habergham, Padiham, Lancashire (45), Little People of Colne, Lancashire (80), Little People of Burnley, Lancashire (50), Piccadilly Gardens Day Nursery, Burnley, Lancashire (80), Willow Vale, London (35), Shepherds Bush, London (35), Fulham, London (70) Places: 395

Employees: 105 Little Sneakers Nursery Head office: 2 Station House, 98 Station Road, Studley, Warks B80 7JS Tel: 01527 850 330 Proprietor: Karyn Maddison Established: 1995

Owns 2 nurseries: Studley, Warks (29), Redditch, Worcs (34) 9 before-and after-school clubs and 3 holiday clubs: all in Worcestershire area Places: 63 Employees: 52

Plans: A new nursery opening in Redditch (26 places) in September 2002. Two further after-school-clubs opening October 2002 in Worcestershire and in Warwickshire.

Magic Roundabout Nursery Head office: Binfield Road, London SW4 6BT Tel: 020 7498 1194 Fax: 020 7498 1193 Website: www.magicroundaboutnursery.com Director: Khalid Iqbal Established: 1995

Owns 3 nurseries: Walthamstow (126) and after-school and holiday scheme (32), Bristol (92), Docklands, London (39) Places: 257 Employees: 110

Plans: Refurbishing new Stockwell nursery to become flagship nursery and head office, with state-of-the-art staff and agency training facilities, children's internet bay and education centre, parents' lounge cafe and parent/toddler shop, plus rotation training and skill transfer workshops.

Manor Tree Group Head office and Educational Training Centre: Tithe Barn, Tithe Court, Parlaunt Road, Langley, Berks SL3 8AS Tel: 01753 592200 Fax: 01753 549551 Partners: Chris and Sally Eaton Established: 1983

Owns 3 nurseries: The Cherry Trees Nursery, Slough, Berks (134), The Langley Nursery, Berks (120), The Iver Nursery, Bucks (35) 2 nursery units: at Langley Manor School, Langley, Berks (68), and Danesfield Manor School, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (90) Places: 447 Employees: 172

Plans: To open two more schools and five more nurseries over the next few years.

Maytime Day Nurseries Head office: 87 York Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 3AF Tel: 020 8553 1524 Fax: 020 8518 3179 Director: Mary Mahoney Established: 1984

Owns 3 nurseries: Ilford (47), Goodmayes (50), York Road Nursery pre-school, Ilford (50) (all in Essex) Places: 147 Employees: 61 Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce Group of Nurseries

Head office: Commerce House, Wakefield Road, Aspley, Huddersfield HD5 9AA Tel: 01484 438800 Fax: 01484 514199 Director: Stewart McShane Established: 1989

Owns 5 nurseries: Aspley Day Nursery, Huddersfield (33), Wakefield Westgate Nursery (36), Summer Lane Nursery, Barnsley (48), West Parade's Nursery, Halifax (42), Castle Hall Nursery, Mirfield (48) Places: 207 Employees: 67

Mother Goose Nurseries Head office: 54 Linden Grove, Nunhead, London SE15 3LF Tel: 020 7277 5956 Fax: 020 7358 1407 Website: www.mothergoosenurseries.com E-mail: prospectus@mothergoose nurseries.com Owners: Curtis and Krish Brown Established: 1989

Owns 5 nurseries: Nunhead, Peckham (18) incorporating south east London's first specialised baby unit, Waveney Ave (25), Dulwich (24), Brookbank Road, Lewisham (18), Greendale Fields, Camberwell (38) Places: 123 Employees: 32

Plans: To open a purpose-built nursery in the south of the borough by 2003. Opened new Child Care Training and Conference Centre in April 2001 offering NVQ level 2 and 3 to staff and users in the borough.

Nord Anglia Education Group/Princess Christian Nurseries Head office: Anglia House, Eden Place, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1AT Tel: 0161 491 4191 Fax: 0161 491 4517 Established: Nord Anglia: 1972, Princess Christian College: 1901 Directors: Nord Anglia Education: Kevin McNeany, David Johnson, Derek Green, Felicity Goodey, Sir David Tripper, Lorene Simpson. Nursery division: Jacqueline Moss

Owns 21 Princess Christian nurseries: Abbotsford, Urmston, Manchester (65), Aston Locks, Birmingham (71), Bradley Stoke, Bristol (100), Carshalton, Surrey (90), Cavendish Lodge, Keighley (55), Fern Bank, Hull (56), Gloucester (100), Kingsway, Cheadle, Cheshire (56), Millbrook, Kettering (60), Oakwood, Rotherham (71), Oldbrook, Milton Keynes (100), Peatmoor Village Centre, Swindon (100), Penny Cottage, Warwickshire (90), Princess Christian, Manchester (74), Sale (70), St Michaels Mead, Bishop Stortford (62), Sudbury Hill, North London (100), Thornton Lodge, Bradford (55),

Wootton Fields, Northampton (110), Wyndham Lodge, Altrincham (94), Weston Super Mare (100) (includes recently acquired Bright Horizons Nurseries).

Nord Anglia Education also has 19 nurseries attached to its independent schools (five are overseas): Abbotsford, Manchester (40), Brabyns, Marple, Cheshire (70), Gramercy Hall, Torbay (40), The Hampshire Schools, London (40), Hull Grammar School, Kingston upon Hull (40), Kingswood College,

Ormskirk, Lancashire (40), Lady Lane Park, Bingley, West Yorkshire (48), Ladymede, near Aylesbury (40), Moor Allerton, Manchester (40), Norman House, Manchester (40), Cleveland, Bolton (40), St Colette's, Cambridge (40), Sale (63)

Overseas: British International School, Berlin (40), British International School, Bratislava (40), British International School, Kyiv (40), British International School, Moscow, English International School, Prague (40), British School, Warsaw (70) Places: 2,260

Employees: Princess Christian: 675 full-time, 135 part-time. Nord Anglia nursery schools: 100 (28 part-time) Plans: Negotiating on various sites around the UK, hoping to have 50 nurseries by 2010. Due to open new nurseries in Bedford and Cheam late summer 2002, both 100 places.

*Nunthorpe Nurseries Group Head office: 2 The Crescent, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough TS7 0JP Tel/fax: 01642 325312 Directors: Paul Nelson, Ian Howlett Established: 1989

Owns 9 nurseries: Nunthorpe Day Nursery (62), Nunthorpe Early Years Centre (82), Woodlands Day Nursery, Redcar (58), Teesdale Day Nursery, Stockton (62), Billingham Day Nursery (50), Acklam Day Nursery, Middlesbrough (59), Minus Fives Day Nursery, Ingleby Barwick (60), TAD Centre Day Nursery, Ormesby (15), Redcar Childrens Day Nursery (40) Creche facilities: Eston Sports Academy creche (20)

Places: 488 Employees: 132

Plans: Expansion through pupose-built or quality exisiting nurseries throughout the north-east.

*Nunu Head office: Wilsthorpe Road, Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire NG10 3RX Tel: 0115 946 3003 Fax: 0115 946 4002 Website: www.nunu.uk.comManaging director: Linda Knight Established: 1999

Owns 7 nurseries: Cheadle, Cheshire (107), Holmes Chapel, Cheshire (90), Loughborough, Leicestershire (40), Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire (81), Thetford, Norfolk (59), Sandbach, Cheshire (47), Wigan, Lancashire (81) Places: 505 Employees: 140 Nursery Days

Head office: The Old School, Upchurch, Sittingbourne ME9 7AJ Tel/fax: 01634 263896 Websites: www.nurserydays-upchurch.co.ukwww.nurserydays-brightlingsea.co.uk Directors: HM Porter and AR Porter, VM Parry and JE Parry Established: 1996

Owns 2 nurseries: Upchurch, Sittingbourne (57), Brightlingsea, Colchester (37) 2 after-school/holiday centres: Kids Days, Upchurch (32), Kids Days, Brightlingsea (16) Places: 94 Employees: 31

Plans: New nursery opening soon in the Sittingbourne area. Plans to expand in Essex.

Nurseryworks Family Solutions (Part of Bright Horizons Family Solutions, US) Head office: Morelands, 5-23 Old Street, London EC1V 9HL Tel: 020 7253 9620 Fax: 020 7253 9623 Chairman: Susan Hay Managing director: Tobin Kelly Established: 1990

Owns 9 nurseries: Alperton, Wembley (30), Billet's Corner, Chingford (30), Broadgate, London (50), East Dulwich, London (24), Fleet Street, London (40), Floral Place, Islington, London (43), Highgate, London (55), Spitalfields, London (50), Waterloo, London (40) Manages 1 nursery: Finchley, London (31) Places: 393 Employees: 120

Plans: Opening a new 42-place nursery in Warwick in September 2002. (See Bright Horizons Family Solutions (Ireland) and The Red Apple Private Day Nursery Schools).

Nyehome Nursery Schools Head office: Barony Court, Barony Road, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 5RD Tel/fax: 01270 610846 E-mail: nyehome@promise-web.co.ukWebsite: www.promise-web.co.uk/nyehome Managing director: Nora Connolly Established: 1966

Owns 5 nurseries: Crewe (50), Elworth, Sandbach (35), Nantwich (85), Clatterbridge, Wirral (60), Arrowe Park, Wirral (60) Places: 290 Employees: 90

Plans: Extension to Arrow Park, Wirral, to accommodate 20 more places is almost complete. Two more nursery schools planned for the future.

Oranges and Lemons Nurseries Head office: 60/68 Constitution Sreeet, Dundee DD3 6NE Tel: 01382 205300 Fax: 01382 201 400 Website: www.orangeslemons.co.ukGeneral manager: Lynn Boyle Established: 1998

Owns 6 nurseries: Clement Park Place, (50), Dunsinane 1 (48), Dunsinane 2 (44), Rosebank 1 (50), Rosebank 2 (50) (all in Dundee), Braehead, Aberdeen (21) Places: 263 Employees: 84 Plans: Braehead expanding to 48 places in July 2002. Hoping to complete two new sites by end of the year increasing places to 459.

Oscar Bears Children's Nurseries

Head office: Parsonage House, 142 Blackburn Road, Accrington BB5 1RD Tel: 01254 871832 Fax: 01254 389550 Directors: Mr and Mrs Stansfield Established: 1991 Owns 4 nurseries: Accrington (105), Blackburn (48), Whalley (26), Darwen (26), plus a children's fun centre in Bolton (150).

Places: 205 Employees: 52 Partners in Play

Head office: Suite 1L, North Sands Business Centre, Sunderland SR6 0QA Tel: 0191 5672666 Fax: 0191 5674888 Websites: www.cleadonvillage-kindergarten.co.uk; www.fulwellgrange-kindergarten.co.uk E-mail: partnrsnplay@aol.comDirectors: Paul Halliday, Lisa Halliday, David Halliday, Maureen Sheekey Established: 1997

Owns 3 nurseries: Cleadon, South Tyneside (108), Bear Park, Durham (124), Fulwell, Sunderland (69) Places: 301 Employees: 62

Plans: New nurseries opening in Newcastle and North Tyneside in the next year. Further sites being negotiated.

Pear Tree Nursery Group Head office: 4-6 Halimote Road, Aldershot, Hants GU11 1NJ Tel/fax: 01252 324642 E-mail admin@peartreegroup.co.ukWebsite: www.peartreegroup.co.uk Proprietors: Susan and Mike Lambert (partners) Established: 1988 Owns 3 nurseries: South Farnborough (26), Aldershot (26), North Farnborough (20) Places: 72 Employees: 20

Plans: Working in public/private partnership to develop a Neighbourhood Nursery. Looking at further sites within a 25-mile radius.

*Pelican Day Nurseries Head office: Highwood House, Maldon Road, Hatfield Peveral CM3 2JP Tel: 01245 382582 Fax: 01245 382581 Website: www.pelicandaynurseries.co.uk Partners: Margaret Allen, Denis Allen Established: 1992

Owns 3 nurseries: Pelican Place (49), Brimpton House (58), Highwood House (60) Places: 167 Employees: 78 Petits Enfants Day Nurseries

Head office: Colonial House, 52 Church Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8PB Tel: 020 8977 0333 Fax: 020 8977 0303 Joint chairpersons: Chrissie Banstead and Paul Mannings Managing director: Carole Jenkins Established: 1991

Owns 9 nurseries: Epsom (66), Fulham (38), Morden (56), Sutton (47), Teddington (65), South Wimbledon (62), Fulwell Road, Teddington (75), Thames Ditton (66), Cheam (62) Places: 537 Employees: 200 Plans: To open or acquire four more nurseries over the next 12 months.

Pinfold Group Head office: Pinfold Gate, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 1BE Tel: 01509 269020

Website: www.childcare2u.co.ukDirectors: Colin Commons, Linda Commons, Robert George, Helen George Established: 1991

Owns 5 nurseries: Pinfold Gate Day Nursery, Loughborough (72), Whitwick Day Nursery, Whitwick (71), Charnwood Day Nursery, Shepshed (45), Kirby Muxloe Day Nursery, Kirby Muxloe (45), Humberstone Day Nursery (35) (all in Leicestershire); Childcare2U, temporary or emergency service providing qualified nursery nurses to care for children in their own home.

Places: 268 Employees: 106 Pixieland Day Nurseries Head office: 162 Mannamead Rd, Mannamead, Plymouth, Devon PL3 5QL Tel/fax: 01752 770550

Proprietor: Caroline Francis Established: 1983 Owns/manages 5 nurseries: Mannamead (61), Mount Gould Hospital, St Jude's (24), Town Centre (26), Devonport (Roger's Burrow Nursery, HMS Drake at the MoD) (28), Springfield Drive, nr Stoke Village (67) (all in Plymouth) Places: 206

Employees: 70 *Portland Nurseries Head office: Portland House, 55 New Hey Road, Lindley, Huddersfield HD3 4AL Tel/fax: 01484 538880

Co-ordinator: Samantha Richmond Established: 1991 Owns 3 nurseries: Portland House (40 plus 16-place out-of-school club), Harlequin (24), Holly Bank (27) (all in Huddersfield) Places: 91

Employees: 30 Plans: To extend Holly Bank to offer 48 places.

Premier Creche Services Head office: Gains Lodge East, Gains Park, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 5AN Tel: 01743 366858 Fax: 01743 344872 Directors: Peter and Susan Cunningham Established: 1985

Manages 12 shoppers' creches: Bon Accord Shopping Centre, Aberdeen (30), Callender Square Shopping Centre, Falkirk (30), Metro Centre, Gateshead (30), Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield (49), Milton Keynes Shopping Centre (49), Great Western Designer Outlet Village, Swindon (48), Telford Town Centre (20), The Trafford Centre, Manchester (60), Gyle Shopping Centre, Edinburgh (35),

Cribbs Shopping Centre, Bristol (60), Buchanan Galleries Shopping Centre, Glasgow (20), Chimes Shopping Centre, Uxbridge (40)

1 nursery: Gains Lodge, Shrewsbury (20) 8 IKEA ball rooms: Croydon, Brent Park, Nottingham, Birmingham, Thurrock, Bristol (all 20 places), Edinburgh (30), Glasgow (40) Places: 491 Employees: 260

Plans: To open 19 more creches over the next ten years.

Primley Park Children's Nurseries Head office: 48 Nursery Lane, Alwoodley, Leeds LS17 7HW Tel: 0113 2667221 Fax: 0113 2888833 Directors: Sandra and Malcolm Hutchinson Established: 1991

Owns 3 nurseries: Alwoodley (50), Moortown (50), Roundhay (75) Places: 175 Employees: 72

Plans: Looking to purchase existing settings and explore opportunities with other agencies/providers.

Puffins of Exeter Childcare Centres Head office: 13 Mont le Grand, Heavitree, Exeter EX1 2PD Tel: 01392 496017 Fax: 01392 439903 Directors: Rosalind Taylor, Maureen Gard Established: 1990

Owns 8 nurseries: Winslade Park (36), Sowton (32), Clystheath (48), Heavitree (40), St Leonards (52), Southernhay (78), Haldon House, Torquay (66) Newton Road, Torquay (47) and five after-school clubs Places: 399 Employees: 150 Rainbow Nursery

Head office: St Marks Hall, Birling Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent Tel: 01892 516677 Proprietors: Tina Hallett, Lorraine Evans and David Evans Established: 1991

Owns 2 nurseries: Tunbridge Wells, Kent (25), Tunbridge Wells, Kent (20), and 1 holiday club in Tunbridge Wells, Kent (25) Places: 45 Employees: 11

Plans: To continue expansion into East Sussex.

Ravenstone House Pre-Preparatory Schools and Nurseries Head office: School House, Tattenhoe Lane, Milton Keynes MK3 7EG Tel: 01908 642111 Fax: 01908 366365 Chief executive officer: Hilary Pauley Established: 1975

Owns 8 nurseries: Redbourn, Hertfordshire (98), Hyde Park, London (100), South Kensington, London (35), Walton, Milton Keynes (100), Tattenhoe Lane, Milton Keynes (250), Broughton Manor, Milton Keynes (80), Bicester, Oxfordshire (166), Banbury, Oxfordshire (94) (The Ravenstone House group of nurseries are all affiliated to Milton Keynes preparatory school) Places: 923 Employees: 200

Plans: Three sites under negotiation: Aylesbury, Northampton and London. Planned expansion along M4/M40 corridor.

The Red Apple Private Nursery Schools (Part of Bright Horizons Family Solutions, US) Head office: Bankton Square, Murieston, Livingston EH54 9EY Tel: 01506 462200 (nursery) 01506 409900 (admin) Fax: 01506 416540

E-mail: livingston@redapplenurseries.co.ukWebsite: wwwredapplenurseries.co.uk Managing director: Tobin Kelly Established: 1989

Owns 4 nurseries: Abbeyhill (66), Ardmillan Terrace (30), Rutland Square (50) (all in Edinburgh), Murieston, Livingston (150) Places: 296 Employees: 90

(See Nurseryworks Family Solutions and Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ireland.) Rivertide Education Head office: Suite 10-12, Arcade Chambers, High Street, Eltham, London SE9 1BG Tel: 020 8859 8777 Fax: 020 8859 8568 Directors: Phil Rhodes, Lesley Coombs Established: 1996

Owns 4 nurseries: Lebanon Park Day Nursery, Twickenham (35), Elizabeth Terrace Day Nursery, Eltham (47), Crouch Hill Day Nursery, Islington (29), Peckham Rye Day Nursery, Peckham Rye (67) (all in London) Places: 178 Employees: 60 Safeway Creches

Head office: 6 Millington Road, Hayes. Middlesex UB3 4AY Tel: 020 8970 3966 Fax: 020 8756 1068 Operations support manager: Warren Koehler Established: 1995

Owns and operates creches throughout the UK and Northern Ireland for the use of Safeway shoppers Saplings Head office: 48 Sydenham Road, Croydon CR0 2EF Tel: 020 8681 8484 Fax: 020 8681 3340 E-mail: services@saplings.co.ukWebsite: www.saplings.co.uk

Directors: Stephen Walsh (managing director), Tracy Seed (childcare director) Established: 1991

Owns 5 nurseries: Lewisham (45), Fulham (36), Parsons Green (38) (all in London), Bromley (56), Croydon (56). Training company providing high quality early years training to NVQ Level 3.

Places: 231 Employees: 80

Plans: To set up more nurseries in the south of England. To offer high-level training and development for seniors and management.

The Secret Garden Day Nursery Head office: The Gatehouse, Ruck Lane, Horsmonden, Kent TN12 8EA Tel: 01892 722 733 Fax: 01892 722 332 Directors: Alan and Jayne Proto Established: 1997

Owns 6 nurseries: Maidstone (80), Canterbury (94), Wilmington (50), Tonbridge (100), Tunbridge Wells (52), Tunbridge Wells (15) (all in Kent) Places: 391 Employees: 150

Seymour House Day Nursery Schools Head office: Seymour House, 140 Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1RN Tel: 01245 494202 Fax: 01245 494002 Website: www.seymourhouse.co.uk Directors: John Player, Julie Player Established: 1988

Owns 8 nurseries (2 with activity day camps attached for school-age children): Fobbing Farm, Basildon (55), Laindon, Basildon (51), St Michael's, Braintree (50), Broomfield Road, Chelmsford (50), Springfield Road, Chelmsford (50), Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford (50), Lawn Lane, Chelmsford (50 plus 104 out-of-school places), Highwoods, Colchester (51 plus 68 out-of-school places) Places: 407

Employees: 148 Snapdragons Nursery Head office: Prospect Farm, Bath Road, Atworth, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 8JW Tel: 01225 707009

Directors: Paul and Rosemary Collard Established: 1998 Owns 3 nurseries: Atworth (31), Bath (60), Melksham (32) Places: 123 Employees: 48 Springboard

Head office: Three Gables, 2 Snowdon Road, Westbourne, Bournemouth BH4 9HL Tel: 01202 757002 Directors: Kim Welsh, Nick Welsh Established: 1998 Owns 6 nurseries: Busy Bees (26), Rainbow (26), Priory View (26), Westcliff (26), Three Gables Day Nursery (26), The Claremont Day Nursery (26) (all in Bournemouth) Places: 156

Employees: 32 Plans: Two new nurseries under development in Bournemouth; will double number of nurseries by end 2002.

Stepping Stones Child Care Head office: 189 Earlham Grove, Forest Gate, London E7 9AB Tel: 020 8555 1473 Fax: 020 8257 9600 Director: Susan Perkins Established: 1989

Owns 2 nurseries: Stratford (40), Plaistow (40) (both in east London) After-school care: Stratford (10), also organises summer playschemes and year-round play schemes (subject to demand) Places: 80 Employees: 24

Plans: Looking at setting up other nurseries in areas around east London.

Sunshine Day Nursery Schools Head office: 1 Ditton Court Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7HG Tel: 01702 436644 Fax: 01702 436655 E-mail: nurseries@sunshine.uk.comWebsite: www.sunshine.uk.comDirectors: S Jones, L Horncastle Established: 1994

Owns 3 nurseries: Southend-on-Sea, (50), Benfleet (38), Leigh-on-Sea (60) (all in Essex). Also owns Sunshine Babyworld, the south-east's largest independent nursery retailer.

Places: 148 Employees: 73

Plans: Additional 86-place nursery in Southend-on-Sea opening summer 2002.

Tara Kindergartens Head office: 4 Ridgemead Close, Southgate, London N14 6NW Tel: 020 8886 8334 Fax: 020 8882 8400 Proprietor: Raj Nagendran Established: 1992

Owns 4 nurseries: Ponders End, Enfield (50), Edmonton, London (72), Hatfield, Herts (60), Uxbridge, Middlesex (60) Places: 242 Employees: 85 Plans: To expand at rate of one or two per year.

Teddies Nurseries

Head office: 4 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW1 1BJ Tel: 020 8744 1531 Fax: 020 8892 6711 Website: www.teddiesnurseries.co.ukOwner: BUPA Childcare Executive director: Carole Edmond Established: 1991

Owns 30 nurseries: Newbury (55), Godalming (50), Twickenham, Middlesex (44), West Hampstead, London (70), Southfields, London (50), Farnham, Surrey (50), Crawley, West Sussex (42), Brentford, Middlesex (48), Bexleyheath, Kent (74), Woking, Surrey (50), Northwood (63), Chiswick (50), Croydon (50), Balham, London (48), Chiswick Park, London (59), Bristol (45), Gloucester (50), Tonbridge (50), Esher (50), Maidstone (51), Sutton (50), Forest Park (47), Bedford (45), Streatham (50), Banbury (56), Southampton 1 (35), Southampton 2 (65), Ipswich (50), Cheltenham (41), Loughton, Essex (50). Also runs holiday clubs through BUPA Children@ work (25-80 placesper club)

Places: 1,538 Employees: 500 Plans: Due to open this year - Greenwich (50), Southgate (50), Beckenham (50).

Thanet Childcare and Training Scheme Head office: Smarties Childcare Centre, c/o Thanet College, Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1PN Tel/fax: 01843 600110

Chair of directors: Ivan O'Reilly Childcare director: Sarah Saunders Established: 1998 Owns Smarties Childcare Centre, Broadstairs: (30) (for two-to 11-year-olds) plus after-school club (30), and holiday club (30) at the same premises. Also runs holiday club in Broadstairs (60 places) and satellite centre at Holy Trinity Church (10) Employees: 12 plus holiday workers

Plans: To open more satellite centres.

Thomas's London Day Schools Head office: Monmouth Court, Southampton Road, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 1HE Tel: 01425 481500 Fax: 01425 481501 Principals: Tobyn Thomas, Ben Thomas, David and Joanna Thomas Established: 1972

Owns 2 kindergartens: Battersea, London (42), Pimlico, London (55) 4 preparatory schools: Battersea, London (500), Kensington, London (214) & (160), Clapham, London (482) Places: 97 Employees: 250

TLC (Tender Loving Childcare) Head office: 27 Sheep Street, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 3BX Tel: 01788 565156 Fax: 01788 542100 E-mail: BBakerTLC@aol.comManaging directors: Barbara Baker and Catherine Griffin Established: 1989 Owns 6 childcare facilities: Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry (53), Warwick Hospital (40), City Hospital, Nottingham (100), Henry Hinde School, Rugby (30), University of Nottingham (96), The Hillingdon Hospital, Middlesex (58) Places: 377 Employees: 120

Plans: To continue xpansion within the NHS hospital trust sites and other workplace nurseries; current contracts ensure that TLC will double its number of nursery facilities within the next 12-18 months.

Toad Hall Nursery Group Head office: Trinity House, Heather Park Drive, Wembley, Middlesex HAO 1SU Tel: 020 8902 1485 Fax: 020 8903 3557 Director: Sarah Owen Established: 1998

Owns 12 nurseries: Shepperton Film Studios (42), Pinewood Film Studios (41), Ottershaw (41), Ripley, Surrey (40), Swindon (159), Marlborough (19), Watford (49), Walton on Thames (69), Haslemere, Surrey (57), Langley (60), Woking (40), Ealing (48) 4 after-school clubs, 6 holiday playschemes: Swindon (50), Staines (50), Laleham (24), Littleton (36), Byfleet (24), Guildford (24), Walton on Thames (24), Staines (24) (Also owns an indoor adventure playground.) Places: 665 Employees: 240

Plans: To continue to expand through further planned acquisitions later this year.

Tops Day Nurseries Head office: Leigh Road, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2BX Tel/fax: 01202 882829 E-mail: CherylHadland@aol.comDirector: Cheryl Hadland Established: 1990

Owns 5 nurseries: 2 (linked) in Parkstone, Poole (56), Wareham, Dorset (33), Royal Bournemouth Hospital (89), Wimborne (42) Places: 220 Employees: 85 Plans: Nursery in Winchester Hospital due to open October 2002. Wareham Nursery due to expand in August 2002 to 56 places.

Torridon Pre-school Nursery Group Head office: 23a King Street, Lossiemouth, Moray IV31 6PZ Tel: 01343 813342 Managing director: Sharon Hayward

Established: 1994 Owns 2 nurseries: Elgin (60), Lossiemouth (60) and an accredited training centre offering SVQs in childcare and education.

Places: 120 Employees: 15

Treetops Private Day Nurseries (Dunmar Nurseries) Head office: 'Number Sixty Nine', Ashbourne Road, Derby DE22 3FS Tel: 01332 600601 Fax: 01332 600602 E-mail: info@dunmar.co.ukWebsite: www.treetopsnurseries.co.ukManaging director: Paul Foster Childcare director: Sheena Gibson Established: 1990

Owns 10 nurseries: Oakwood, Derby (75), Oakwood, Derby (28), Wythall, south Birmingham (56), Matlock, Derbyshire (50), Ashbourne, Derbyshire (50), Chester (42), Headingley, Leeds (50), Duffield, Derbyshire (58), Belper, Derbyshire (47), Pudsey, Leeds (76)

6 out-of-school clubs: Ashbourne, Derbyshire (20), Matlock, Derbyshire (40), Oakwood, Derby (30), Chester (24), Belper Derbyshire (8), Pudsey, Leeds (16) Places: 532 Employees: 159

Plans: New head office opened October 2000 incorporating City & Guilds accredited training centre facilities. Plans to continue expanding the nursery chain. New nursery opening in July 2002 in Dudley (75). Actively looking to acquire sites for new-build nurseries, as well as going-concern nursery operations in central England.

Turtles Children's Nursery Head office: Burton Bank Farm, Burton Bank Lane, Stafford, ST17 9JW Tel: 01785 214675 Fax: 01785 613334 Proprietor: Karen Laycock Established: 1996

Owns 2 nurseries: Stafford (64), Stafford (24), also operates five before- and after-school clubs along with 48-place holiday play scheme.

Places: 88 Employees: 35

Plans: To expand. Due to open a third nursery this year.

Ultimate Day Care Nursery Head office: 9 Brydges Road, Stratford, London E15 1NA Tel/fax: 020 8519 2100

Website: www.ultimatedaycarenursery.co.uk E-mail: ultimatedaycarenursery@ hotmail.com Director: Bel Oomerjee Established: 1996

Owns 4 nurseries: Stratford (58), Kiddy Care Nursery, Leytonstone (30), Bright Kids Day Nursery, Leyton (50) (all in London), Jack 'n' Jill Day Nursery, Chigwell, Essex (30) Places: 168 Employees: 60

Plans: To double the number of nurseries in the next two years.

Unicorn Childcare Head office: Cavendish House, Coggeshall, Essex CO6 1NH Tel: 01376 563777 Fax: 01376 563367 E-mail: unicorn@cavendish-house. co.uk Website: www.cavendish-house.co.uk Director: Peter Farmer

Established: 1995 Owns 1 nursery: Bury St Edmunds (47) 3 nursery franchises: Heathrow Airport (50), Leicester (50), Canary Wharf, London (75) Places: 47

Employees: 10 Plans: To buy ten more nurseries over the next 18 months.

VIP Childcare Head office: Sham Farm, Eridge Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9JA Tel: 01892 750060 Fax: 01892 750062 E-mail: vipchild@aol.com

Website: www.viponline.co.ukDirectors: Ray Coles, Sarah Coles Established: 1996

Owns 2 nurseries: Southborough, Kent (40), Eridge, Kent (60), plus nursery and toy retail outlets.

Places: 100 Employees: 60

Plans: Extension of Corporate Nursery Advisory and Management Service plus two further nursery schools in the Sussex/Kent areas. Operation of childcare training courses in our training facilities (Eridge).

White Horse Child Care/ The Trees Day Care Nurseries Head office: Stanley House, 65 Victoria Road, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 3BB Tel: 01793 488988 Fax: 01793 488428 Directors: Richard Lay, Lester Lay, Lloyd Lay, Peter Lay Established: 1989

Owns 4 nurseries: Portswood 1 (86), Portswood 2 (64), Shirley (83) (all in Southampton), Swindon (60) Places: 300 Employees: 81 Plans: To purchase residential buildings or sites suitable for nurseries for at least 48 children.

Wind in the Willows Head office: Earle Street, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside WA12 9XD Tel: 01925 223445 Fax: 01925 223465 Directors: Ginny and Neil Taylor Established: 1993

Owns 4 nurseries: Earle Street (46), Cross Lane (20) plus after-school club (16), Haydock (29) (all in Merseyside), Neighbourhood Nursery, Dudley, West Midlands (53) plus 8 after-school places Places: 148 Employees: 37 Plans: To open a further eight Neighbourhood Nurseries over the next 12 months.

This list includes details of all the private and independent chains of nurseries, kindergartens, playgroups and creches known to Nursery World. Under the term 'chain' we have included groups with only two nurseries up and running if they have specific and imminent plans for expansion, or also offer some other form of childcare provision.

While we have tried to be comprehensive, we may have omitted some chains not known to us. If your chain is not included, please contact us at the address on page 3 of Nursery World and we can include you in the next issue of Nursery Chains, due out in November 2002.

* Individual nurseries have only been named if they do not take the same name as the company. Figures after each nursery's location denote the number of places they are registered for. The number of employees includes full-time and part-time staff unless otherwise stated.

* 'Places' denotes the total number of registered nursery places. This does not include nursery classes in schools, out-of-school care or holiday places, but does include creche provision and places in any nurseries that are owned and managed by each group. We have only included plans where they are specific. The information in each entry reflects the state of play as at the end of June 2002.

* Denotes entries that are new for this issue of Nursery Chains.