Releasing its latest financial results, Nord Anglia Education said that nursery occupancy was ahead of the same period for last year for the first time since the company bought the Leapfrog and Jigsaw day nurseries.
Nord Anglia acquired both nursery groups in May 2004 and subsequently rebranded its nursery division under the Leapfrog name. The group now operates 88 nurseries offering around 9,000 places.
Occupancy is currently at 60.5 per cent, up from 50.5 last September. In the six months to the end of February the nurseries division generated a turnover of 22m and an operating loss of 0.6m (0.1m profit in 2006).
Nord Anglia said that the results had been affected by 0.4m in additional rents from the sale and leaseback of seven nurseries in June last year.
Chief executive Andrew Fitzmaurice said, TWere pleased with the progress that's been made. The business has got rising occupancy for the first time in three-and-a-half years, there's more clarity around Government policy and the market has got better.
