Kids Planet Day Nurseries buys its 25th nursery

Nursery group Kids Planet Day Nurseries, which runs 24 nurseries in the North West, has purchased Childsplay of Liverpool in Merseyside.

Credit: Alexandru Marian/ Shutterstock

Kids Planet Day Nurseries provides more than 3,000 childcare spaces in the North West and 18 of its nurseries have been rated Outstanding by Ofsted in latest inspections.

Steve and Liz Edwards, the founders of Childsplay of Liverpool, set up the nursery in 1988 but their wish to retire triggered the nursery's sale.

Mr and Mrs Edwards said: “We are happy to have passed our reigns on to such a like-minded, quality childcare group Kids Planet.”

Kids Planet Day Nurseries was established by working mum Clare Roberts and her father John Hoban in 2008.

A spokesperson for Kids Planet Day Nurseries said: “We are thrilled to have been chosen by Liz and Steve to take over Childsplay nursery in Wavertree as the 25th nursery to join the Kids Planet family of nurseries.

“We are looking forward to building on the already great facilities and high standards of care within the nursery. This is a great acquisition for us which sits perfectly in terms of geography to our other settings across the North West.”

Bright Horizons buys 5-strong Zoom nursery group

News of the childcare acquisition, follows the purchase of Zoom Nurseries in London by Bright Horizons nursery group, on 17 April.

Zoom was founded by siblings Bella Landen and Sophie Hubble in 2003 and operates five nurseries in south-east London, offering around 350 childcare places.

Zoom’s first nursery was established in 2003 in Hither Green, London. A year later, a new baby unit opposite the nursery opened, followed by nurseries in Eltham, Blackheath and Brockley.

Lydia Hopper, general manager at Bright Horizons, said: "Bright Horizons has long admired the work of Bella and Sophie and the excellent reputation that Zoom has established in the Blackheath area.

"We are therefore delighted to be welcoming the children and families they serve as well as their nursery teams into our Bright Horizons family. Sharing a strong commitment to early years education and childcare, we firmly believe that each Zoom nursery will continue to flourish with Bright Horizons.” Bright Horizons also acquired Yellow Dot Nurseries last April. The Yellow Dot group operated 12 nurseries in Hampshire.

click here for more details or to contact Kids Planet Lymm