Busy summer as nursery groups expand

Two of the Bright Horizons settings are workplace nurseries serving education professionals. A 98-place nursery and pre-school at the University of Oxford is the fifth run by Bright Horizons at the institution.

In September, the group will open a 50-place daycare and pre-school setting at the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) headquarters in Cheltenham.

And children in Woking have already started attending a five-room setting in the town centre, with two gardens, a beach feature and water resources.

Commenting on the UCAS nursery, UCAS chief executive Mary Curnock Cook said the chain recognised ‘the particular challenges for colleagues wanting to combine a fulfilling career with bringing up a family’.

‘Early indications are that both male and female staff are excited about the opportunity to have their children looked after on-site in a high quality nursery with access to a wonderful expanse of outdoor space,’ she said.

Last week, Bright Horizons announced it had acquired a group of four London-based nurseries previously owned by Little Unicorn Day Nurseries, and the Phoenix Day Nursery in Essex.