Nursery groups Just Childcare and All About Children merge under ownership of Partou
Catherine Gaunt
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Two of the country’s largest nursery groups, owned by the largest Dutch nursery group Partou, are to merge under the Partou brand, making them one of the top five groups in the UK by size.
The leading nursery group in the Netherlands acquired Just Childcare in 2021, followed by All About Children a year later.
The deal will mean the combined group now operates more than 100 nurseries and offers more than 6,100 childcare places.
The group’s nurseries are spread throughout England.
Founded in 2004 by couple David and Jacqueline Johnson, Just Childcare grew from seven nurseries to 64 across the North West, Yorkshire and the South West, with the backing of Phoenix Equity Partners, before it was sold to Partou.
Meanwhile, All About Children was founded in 2010 by ex-CEO of Asquith Russell Ford, and Marcia Viccars,and expanded to around 40 settings in London, the South East and the Midlands before it was bought by Partou in 2022.
In the Netherlands Partou, which was set up in 1984, operates 700 childcare centres.
Partou said the merger would provide an opportunity to combine the knowledge and experience of all three organisations to offer families in the UK a higher quality of childcare service, matching that of its Dutch counterpart.
The company is also B Corp certified, recognised for its commitment to the environment and its communities.
Jeanine Lemmens-Westerink, Group CEO of Partou and Samantha Rhodes, UK Managing Director, Partou
Samantha Rhodes who was UK chief executive of Just Childcare is now UK managing director of the combined company.
Rhodes, UK managing director at Partou, said, ‘We are delighted to announce the merger of All About Children and Just Childcare and welcome a new chapter of exceptional childcare services in the UK, all under our Partou brand name. We’re thrilled to combine decades of expertise from all three brands and offer a quality childcare for families in the UK.
‘At Partou, we’re committed to future-proofing our society to ensure that equal opportunities, social cohesion and sustainability are the norm. Our combined mission is to prepare every child for the world of tomorrow, by cultivating resilience, enabling them to navigate the challenges of the future with confidence.
‘As part of the merger, we look forward to bringing more resources and research to the UK market and help implement positive changes to fulfil our mission.’
