The company, which claims to be the largest family-owned nursery group in the UK, struck the deal with the owners after they decided to retire from the Leek-based business.
Carol and Ken Leech opened Buckingham’s Nursery School on Buxton Road in 1997, which recently received its third consecutive ‘outstanding’ rating from Ofsted.
They established a pre-school at Leek First School in 2012, which was recently rated ‘good’.
The pair approached the group with the proposal because of their reputation for quality in the region and personal knowledge of the Mason family which owns Children 1st.
Mrs Leech said, ‘I have put my heart and soul into the nurseries during my career.
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