The nursery chain has become the new operator of the Bird in Bush Nursery in Peckham, adding to the portfolio of nurseries it operates across six London boroughs.
The nursery has been a part of the local community in Peckham for more than 60 years, starting out as a welfare centre in the 1950s, becoming a pre-school and community centre in the late 1970s, and providing low-cost childcare to local families since it was taken over by Catholic children’s charity Cabrini in 2006. Several of the parents at the setting attended the nursery themselves as children.
LEYF chief executive June O’Sullivan said, ‘We’re proud to build on the legacy that Bird in Bush Nursery has in the local community. Parents can be reassured their children will be happy and safe at the nursery, and we will work in partnership with parents to support them to build on their child’s learning at home.’
The nursery group acquired the 41-place nursery as part of plans to double its childcare services over the next three years, following the acquisition of Soho Family Centre in London’s West End last month.
LEYF is planning building works to make room for more children and refresh the nursery space, which currently features a variety of playrooms and two enclosed gardens.
Ms O’Sullivan added, ‘We have ambitious growth plans because we know that early years education is critical to a child’s long-term success and helps give them the best chance of becoming a healthy, happy and successful young adult. As a social enterprise we use our unique business model to reinvest our profits to increase the number of children that can access our community nurseries.’
LEYF is listed in Nursery World's Nursery Chains 2013 as the 12th largest nursery group in the UK with 1,095 childcare places.
