Of the 105 settings owned by Kids Planet, a total of 103 are 'active'.
Founded in 2003, Twinkles Nursery group operates across North and West Yorkshire, providing places for 482 children up to the age of five and 56 out-of-school places over its six sites. All of the settings are rated good or outstanding.
The nursery group was due to open a seventh site in Spring 2023, which was sold to Kids Planet as part of the deal.
Jill Smith, former managing director of Twinkles Nursery Group, said, ‘I have been operating nurseries for almost 21 years and have organically developed Twinkles gradually over that time, starting the first nursery in 2001 when my daughter was a baby.
‘I feel now is a good time to step back and take some time to decide what comes next. I know that Twinkles will continue to thrive in the very capable hands of Claire and Kids Planet, and I look forward to seeing further growth. I will miss my team and wish them all the very best of luck for the future and thank them for the amazing memories we have built together.’
Chief executive of Kids Planet Clare Roberts added, ‘With Leeds being a city close to my heart, we are thrilled to have acquired a group such as Twinkles, which provides exceptionally high-quality childcare.’
The sale was handled by Courteney Donaldson and Nick Brown at Christie & Co.