Nursery group Kids Planet has become the third biggest group in the UK, after acquiring Stockport-based Kids Allowed.
Kids Planet operates 44 nurseries across the UK, including two sites in Stockport, and Kids Allowed operates eight nurseries, including two in the town. Following the acquisition, Kids Planet now has around 6000 children in the North-west and Midlands in its care.
Established by Jennie Johnson in 2003, Stockport based nursery group Kids Allowed has grown to eight nurseries through its focus on high quality childcare, with five Outstanding Ofsted ratings.
Kids Planet founder, Clare Roberts said:
We’ve made a number of acquisitions in recent years. This deal is particularly significant as it brings together two of the most successful nursery groups in the UK, making us the best childcare group for quality, based on Ofsted grades and other industry accolades, including 2019 Nursery World Group of the Year and Nursery Management Group of the Year.
“Kids Allowed is a business we’ve long-admired for its approach and commitment to high-quality care. Both companies were started by working mums when we were faced with the challenge of finding flexible and excellent childcare for our own children.
“We both felt there was an opportunity to improve standards and options in the market. There are so many synergies which has made this acquisition feel like a natural move and we look forward to future success.”
Kids Allowed’s Jennie Johnson said:
In making the decision to part with Kids Allowed, it was of the utmost importance to me to find a company and leader that would continue the Kids Allowed legacy of care, passion and excellence with regard to both the experience provided for the children and families in our care and equally for our colleagues.
“I have known Clare and Kids Planet for many years and know that the coming together of arguably the two best childcare groups in the country will create something even more special than the sum of its parts. I’m excited to see this new force in childcare take shape whilst bringing highest quality childcare to even more families in the region and beyond.”
The acquisition of the Stockport nursery group was funded by Barclays, Clydesdale Yorkshire Bank and investment firm BGF, who invested in Kids Planet in 2016.
Image: Clare Roberts, founder of Kids Planet (L) and Jennie Johnson MBE, founder of Kids Allowed (R).