Stockport nursery acquired by Dutch childcare giant

Netherlands-headquartered childcare group, Partou, has acquired two nurseries serving Stockport and South Manchester.

Little Faces Nursery in Hazel Grove was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted at its last inspection and provides first class early years education and facilities for families in the village and surrounding areas including Poynton, Bramhall and Stockport.

Its sister setting, Little Faces @ Manchester Airport – which achieved a ‘Good’ rating from the regulator – offers a unique learning environment for families in Hale Barns, Altrincham, Wilmslow, Wythenshawe, Heald Green and Hale.

Established in 1975, Partou is the leading childcare group in the Netherlands with more than 700 settings, over 70,000 children and 9,000 team members. Partou UK cares for around 9,000 children and employs more than 2,000 dedicated childcare professionals, including 240 apprentices.

Samantha Rhodes, Partou Managing Director, said:

“We are excited to have two such highly regarded nurseries joining the Partou community to support even more families across the North West.

“As part of the Netherlands’ largest childcare group, we have access to world-leading expertise in learning and development.

“Families can be confident that they will benefit from our child-led approach that emphasises building confidence, curiosity and independence.”

Stephen Calvert, outgoing owner of Little Faces, said:

“Little Faces Nursery was established in 2010 and we’ve spent the past 15 years building high-quality childcare provision that supports children’s development in safe, nurturing and stimulating environments.

“Both settings have been designed to meet the individual needs of children in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage, offering spacious, engaging rooms and activities.

“Now that I’m retiring, I leave the business in a safe pair of hands. Little Faces becoming part of Partou is great news for our dedicated colleagues, children and their families who have trusted us over the years.

“Partou is an organisation that’s committed to delivering exceptional early years care and I’m confident Little Faces will continue to thrive.”