The 60-place nursery was previously owned by Sue Ball, who opened the setting in 1998. She sold the nursery to Happy Jays in order to pursue other interests, including setting sail herself as a member of the crew on a round-the-world boat trip.
The Harrogate setting is rated outstanding by Ofsted, joining York and Boroughbridge on Happy Jays’ roster of nurseries achieving this top grade. The other two settings owned by the group are rated good.
Happy Jays, owned by husband and wife team Tony and Jacqui Gernon, opened its first nursery in Boroughbridge in 1996. Three more settings followed over the next ten years. The group now employs more than 125 childcare professionals.
The Killinghall nursery has rooms across two floors, with space for under-threes on the ground floor and pre-school children upstairs. It also features three enclosed areas for outdoor play.
Mr and Mrs Gernon plan to hire more staff over the next 12 months and introduce the digital recording system already in use at their other settings in order to track children’s learning journeys. They will also look at creating more play areas, as well as flowerbeds and vegetable plots for gardening, and a mud kitchen.
Happy Jays owner Jacqui Gernon said, ‘We are very pleased indeed to be purchasing Setting Sail nursery, and we’d like to thank Sue and her team who have done a fantastic job over the years. We wish Sue all the best with her future plans and adventures.’