It was already the third largest nursery chain in the UK but now Kids Planet has expanded even further by taking over another Greater Manchester chain.
The company, which has its head office in Lymm, has more than 180 sites across the UK, including centres in Salford Quays, Urmston, Sale, Little Lever, Swinton and more.
Back in 2020 it took over the Kids Allowed chain and still operates nurseries under that name, including settings in Altrincham, Trafford, Stockport and further afield.
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And now it has expanded its presence in Greater Manchester even further after buying out Fledglings, a group of four nurseries based in Bredbury, Irlam, Stretford and Worsley.
It comes as the company has recently opened the doors to a new purpose-built setting in Sale called Stanley Square and has this year taken its first steps into Wales, with the acquisition of Springfield Day Nurseries, in Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Conwy and Llandudno.
Clare Roberts, CEO at Kids Planet Day Nurseries, which now employs more than 4,700 members of staff, said: “We have always admired Fledglings as being strong pillars of the Early Years community in the north west. I see many synergies with ourselves, with their child-centred approach to early years provision.
“Across all the settings, strong and established leadership teams are in place, and we are really looking forward to supporting them moving forward and welcoming them into the Kids Planet family.”
Christopher Gray, former owner of Fledglings, said: “The decision to hand over the reins was incredibly difficult. Fledglings, originally founded by my wife Christine in 1989, has been such a huge part of my family’s life.
“We are left with fantastic memories and it has been a privilege to have been chosen by many thousands of parents to give their children the best possible start in life. We are confident that the children and our wonderful colleagues will continue to flourish as part of Kids Planet and that has been a major factor in our decision.”
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
