Nursery World’s first issue of Nursery Chains was published in November 1998. Looking back through our archives to track the fortunes of the UK’s nursery groups over the past two decades also reveals the evolution of our early years sector.
1998
Setting the scene
‘Two years ago, Nursery World knew of only ten nursery chains. Now we are in contact with more than 70, and the number seems to be rising every day…The majority of nursery chains were set up in the late eighties and early nineties and have grown quickly since then: each now owns an average of seven or eight nurseries and typically employs around 100 staff. In total the groups listed in our directory employ more than 9,500 staff and own upwards of 550 nurseries, crèches and out-of-school clubs between them. Two factors are escalating the speed of growth – the Government’s commitment to a National Childcare Strategy and the increase in the number of working mothers.’
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