Nursery World - Major chains deal: Bright Horizons buys Casterbridge Nurseries

Bright Horizons Family Solutions, the second biggest nursery group in the UK, has acquired all of Casterbridge Nurseries' 27 settings, in what is the largest deal that the UK nursery sector has seen for some years.

Bright Horizons now outstrips Busy Bees in terms of the number of settings it operates, and edges closer to usurping its position as the provider with the most childcare places.

Casterbridge Academy and training colleges are also included in the sale.

Bright Horizons will now operate 159 nurseries throughout the UK and Ireland, offering 11,264 places, while Busy Bees provides 11,831 places at 137 settings.

Figures from Nursery World’s Nursery Chains’ league table, show that Casterbridge Nurseries was the eighth largest nursery group in the UK and Ireland, offering 2,809 childcare places and employing more than 1,100 staff.

In a statement the nursery group said that Casterbridge Nurseries’ employees would be retained as part of the transition.

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