Nursery World - Big business

A modest player on the nursery field became one of the biggest providers almost overnight. Simon Vevers looks at how the company intends to move forward In June last year Nord Anglia was eighth in Nursery Chains' league table of private providers, with 25 nurseries under the Princess Christian brand supplying 2,610 places. A solid, if not spectacular, mid-table performer - more Charlton than Chelsea - with a modest long-term objective to have 50 nurseries by 2010.

In June last year Nord Anglia was eighth in Nursery Chains' league table of private providers, with 25 nurseries under the Princess Christian brand supplying 2,610 places. A solid, if not spectacular, mid-table performer - more Charlton than Chelsea - with a modest long-term objective to have 50 nurseries by 2010.

Then in September 2003, without great fanfare, the company acquired nine Petits Enfants nurseries. But it was early this summer that Nord Anglia revealed its expansionist plans by snapping up, at a cost of more than 73m, all 39 Leapfrog nurseries and 28 belonging to the ailing Jigsaw chain, propelling it up the table and making it one of the industry's big hitters (see box).

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