The nursery group, which was established just three years ago, has purchased Davidson-Roberts, which operates settings across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Chief executive of Family First Ollie Humphries said, ‘From our first meeting, I knew that Davidson-Roberts would be a superb match for Family First with a shared ethos and energy for quality childcare. We have been searching in this geography for the right settings and I’m delighted that we’ve made this happen and that the whole team is now part of Family First.’
Jane Roberts, founder of Davidson-Roberts Ltd, added, ‘Family First is a company that shares our own values and is ready to take Davidson-Roberts, and the team, to the next level.’
The new sites in the East of England include Buckden, Ramsey, Rushden, Manor Farm, Royston, Flitwick, Hilton and Acre Wood Day Nurseries, along with Offord and Coton Pre Schools.
Family First, which is backed by August Equity, has now acquired 23 nurseries since the start of the year and this brings the total number of full-time nursery places to over 5,500, supported by more than 1,400 staff. The group aims to have 80 nurseries by the end of the year.
The Bright Stars Nursery group of four sites has also expanded with the purchase of the Cheshire Day Nursery.
South-East nursery group adds more sites
Bright Stars Nursery, which operates settings in North London and Hertfordshire, has also expanded with the acquisition of the Cheshire Day Nursery chain of four nurseries and one kindergarten in the North-West of England.
Former owners of the Cheshire Day Nursery Group, sisters Julie Mannering and Brenda Burling, who established the company in 2000, decided to sell the settings to allow them to retire from the sector
They said, ‘We are both delighted that we have found a fantastic home for our nurseries after 20 plus years in running the settings.’
Speaking on behalf of Bright Stars, Stephen Booty commented, ‘We are delighted to have acquired Cheshire Day nurseries, which will add significantly to our presence in the North-West. The nurseries have built a strong reputation for outstanding childcare. We look forward to working with the staff, the parents, their children and continuing to build on the legacy of Julie and Brenda.’
Christie & Co director Nick Brown, who is head of childcare and education at the brokerage, which handled the sale, added, ‘This is a market setting deal which shows that buyers are super keen to acquire the best settings in premium locations. I would like to wish Julie and Brenda all the best in their retirement, and I am sure Bright Stars will thrive from all these settings and over time we shall see their footprint in this area continue to grow.’
