New owner for ‘Outstanding’ York nursery through Christie & Co

The Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ nursery, which has maintained its rating since 2015, offers capacity for up to 60 children across two adjacent buildings which share a central courtyard. Split for two age groups, under and over 2’s, the setting provides extensive amenities including play rooms, activity classrooms, library area, quiet area, and spacious outdoor activity areas.

Well established with an excellent reputation in the community, the business serves families in the immediate residential area and further afield, offering an ideal location for parents commuting to and from the centre of York.

Having been owned by Ken McArthur and his family since 1997, Polly Anna’s has grown into a thriving and superlative setting, run by a dedicated and long-standing staff team. 

Mr McArthur decided to sell the leasehold of the family run nursery in order to retire, passing the business into capable hands to continue to deliver its high quality childcare, and comments, “I was not getting any younger and believed I had achieved as much as I could so felt the time was right to step away, particularly as my daughter Helen would not continue to run the nursery without me and is now embarking on the next stage in her career. Retirement also means a greater opportunity for me to travel further and longer than before.

“Our greatest achievement, along with the excellent reputation we have within the local community and City of York generally, was being awarded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. On a personal level, being voted by my peers at NMT (Nursey Management Today) Magazine’s Most Influential Person in Early Years 2016 was my biggest achievement, acknowledging the work both Vanessa & I did at the start of the Early Implementers of 30 hours. 

“We chose to sell the business through Christie & Co as they are recognised as the leading experts on early years businesses and their reputation is second to none. The whole process was managed very professionally, ensuring the discretion that was paramount to me and they managed this extremely well. They helped make the whole process smooth and turbulence-free.

“Helen and I will be supporting Venessa and her management team over the next few months to ensure a smooth as possible transfer of ownership which will benefit the children, their parents and our loyal staff team.”

The new owners, Little Green Rascals Organic Day Nurseries Ltd, already operate five settings based in and around York.  Vanessa Warn, Founder & Managing Director, comments, “We’re delighted to bring Polly Anna’s into our growing family, we’ve been looking for some time to expand and this opportunity was too good to miss. Our group is now the largest Early Years provider in the region looking after more than 350 children per day.

“Ken McArthur has been a great mentor and sounding board for me and my business since I started out in 2009, his knowledge of the sector is unmatched. I’m thrilled to be able to take on his thriving nursery and will strive to maintain the high standards that have already been set.”

Vicky Marsland, Business Agent at Christie & Co who handled the sale, comments, “I’m very pleased to have been able to assist Ken with the sale of the nursery and wish him a happy and well-deserved retirement. I believe they have found the perfect new owner for Polly Anna’s in Vanessa and look forward to seeing the Little Green Rascals group expand so they may continue providing their award winning childcare services for many years to come.”

“This transaction is an example of how active the children’s day nursery market currently is. There is a high demand for quality settings with strong financial performances.”

The leasehold interest of Polly Anna’s Daycare Nursery was sold for an undisclosed sum.