Busy time for nursery acquisitions as Kids Planet expands reach
Monday, April 1, 2019
Kids Planet has acquired a group of five nurseries, while Cherubs Nurseries and Mama Bear’s have each added one new setting.
Kids Planet Day Nurseries now owns 38 settings after buying Excellence in Childcare, a group of five nurseries in Chesterfield, from previous owner Natalie Johnson, who had run the nurseries for 10 years before making the decision to sell.
The five nurseries, which are all rated either Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, have a combined capacity of 420 places, with one setting also providing an after-school and holiday club service for children up to 12 years old.
Chief executive of Kids Planet Clare Roberts commented, ‘We are thrilled to be adding this group of five to our family of nurseries at Kids Planet. This will be our first acquisition outside of the North West, increasing our total settings to 38, and is the start of our plans to become a national childcare operator.’
Jenna Caldwell, director of childcare for Redwoods Dowling Kerr, who oversaw the sale, added, ‘After 10 years of pure dedication to the sector, Natalie can now concentrate on her new business venture, safe in the knowledge that her nursery group will continue to thrive under the ownership of Kids Planet.’
Mama Bear's
In further expansion news, Tiny Steps Day Nursery and Pre-School in St George, Bristol has been acquired by Mama Bear’s Day Nursery and Pre-School.
The setting, rated Good by Ofsted and providing places for 80 children, was purchased in October 2018 by Tony and Bev Driffield, who own the Mama Bear’s group.
The new acquisition initially continued under the Tiny Steps banner as a stand-alone provision, but following the appointment of a new manager, Gemma Fear, the nursery has been brought under the Mama Bear’s umbrella to provide it with more support from the group’s central services.
Mr Driffield said, ‘Our overriding objective has been that the children should not perceive any difference in their care.
‘However, with Gemma now in place, this is a good time for the changeover which will formally give her team the same enhanced benefits package and training opportunities as other Mama Bear’s staff.’
Mama Bear’s Day Nursery and Pre-School, based in the South West, provides care for more than 2,000 children across 24 nursery sites in Bristol, Torbay, Plymouth, Taunton and Yeovil, employing over 425 members of staff.
Cherub's Nurseries
Meanwhile Cherubs Nurseries has added its 12th setting after buying Bright Beginnings Day Nursery in Edwinstowe. The setting is a rural 60-place nursery in Nottinghamshire and will bring the total number of childcare places offered by Cherubs Nurseries to 934.
Susan Mills, managing director of Cherubs, said, ‘Growth is always exciting and I’m looking forward to adding Bright Beginnings, soon to be Cherubs Edwinstowe, to our nursery group. Bright Beginnings is a well-known nursery in the local community with a good reputation – a perfect addition to Cherubs Nurseries.
‘As with all our acquisitions of existing nurseries we will work closely with the owners, staff and parents to ensure that the transition period is a smooth one for everyone involved, causing minimal disruption to nursery life. I am also looking forward to making Cherubs Edwinstowe our first “curiosity approach” inspired and run nursery, something that we have never done before.’
