Children's Day Nurseries (ECEC)
Our specialist childcare and education team support a wide range of clients, including children’s day nursery owners, operators and investors.
Our teams early years expertise spans across children’s day nurseries, kindergarten’s, pre-schools, wrap around care and holiday clubs.
While there has been some consolidation over the past decade or so, the UK day nursery market remains highly fragmented, with 70+% of settings individually owned. Regional, national and international groups remain eager to further expand across the UK, via acquisition of existing businesses, teamed with selective organic new build developments.
Structural growth of the sector over the past four decades, with local provision having historically been organically created by new entrants (often because as parents they couldn’t find a service that met their personal needs), has led to the average size of UK day nurseries being around 44 places.
The UK’s first nursery groups were founded in the early 1980s, these led to the more expansive development of purpose-built facilities and larger scale conversions of properties to facilitate day nursery settings.
With the development of new ‘future proof, purpose designed’ settings increasing, pressure is being placed on some smaller local providers. This is pushing many owners to reinvest in their settings and evolve in line with growing demands and expectations of parents, service users and consumers.
During recent years, demand from buyers for high quality nursery businesses has gathered momentum. With the UK sector awarding the opportunity for consolidation, prime nursey businesses have become incredibly ‘hot property’ and with our specialist childcare and education team facilitating high levels of competitive tension during confidential sales processes, eye-watering prices have been achieved for best in class businesses.
Looking to buy a children’s day nursery? Start your search here:
Selling a Children’s Day Nursery
Click here if you’re thinking of selling your day nursery business.
Whether you’re contemplating a sale now or in the future our team are best placed to help you prepare and can provide you with a free, confidential appraisal.