New nursery group hits top 20

A 20-strong nursery group with settings in the south-east of England is the highest entry in the  league table of the UK and Ireland's 20 biggest nursery groups, published this week in Nursery World's summer issue of Nursery Chains.

The Casterbridge Care and Education group is in 12th place, following the merger of chains Dolphin, Hatton Hill and Saplings, and several acquisitions. The group has also opened two new-build nurseries.

Casterbridge director Tony Hurran told Nursery World, 'We have all the advantages of being a group while retaining individuality. We've "de-branded". We think it's important to link with the local community.'

Mr Hurran said that each nursery has its own name and logo, but gains from the stability and the benefits of being part of a large group, such as investment in training and having a group chef to oversee nutritious meals at the nurseries.
He said the company is investing 3 per cent of its revenue in developing training and quality. 'We want to make sure we're at the forefront of qualifications. We're developing a training programme with people at every level.'