Nursery Management: Case Study - In the loop

The ambition for Twinkles Nurseries to open a site in Leeds city centre has just been realised, after a three-year quest for a suitable location. The group's fourth nursery, which is opposite the landmark Leeds Parish Church, welcomed children on 18 March.

Twinkles currently operates three other nurseries, in Knaresborough, Wetherby and Boston Spa, all of which are surburban sites with what owner Jill Johnson describes as 'lovely' play areas. Quality nursery provision is in demand in Leeds centre and Twinkles looks set for another successful launch.

The ethos of the chain is expressed in its motto, 'where children shine', and it has grown steadily as a family business. Boston Spa was the first Twinkles setting to be opened by Ms Johnson in 2003, followed by Wetherby in 2008 and Knaresborough in 2012.

'We always intended to grow organically,' she says (speaking prior to the launch). 'We have no desire to be a big national company and we are very much a family business. Our nurseries have a warm and personal feel and our parents really like that about us.'

The opening of the new nursery has certainly been greeted enthusiastically by parents and families. Ms Johnson says she has been searching for a suitable premises for the branch, and thinking about the project, for the past three years.

'We'd had a lot of requests from parents who needed provision right in the city. Because of travelling times, we have been asked to extend our opening hours at our other nurseries, but it can still be difficult for parents to cover a full working day.'

She adds, 'The problem was finding a suitable site. I am a great believer in outdoor play and it has been a long wait to acquire premises that will provide the potential for this, but we do believe we have now found it.'

STRONG PROSPECTS

The new site is indeed spacious. It has been created out of a former Network Rail office space, which was itself converted from three railway arches. The nursery is minutes from Leeds central railway station, and is just off the one-way City Centre Loop Road. The project has been self-funded by Twinkles, with building costs of around £160-£170,000.

'We have converted 4,500sq ft into nursery space, ready for 68 children from birth to five,' says Ms Johnson. 'The great thing is that there is a lot of space in front of the nursery, formerly offered as parking. We have enclosed 1,500 sq ft of it as an outdoor play area, and resurfaced it with wetpour. There is still room for parent parking.'

New staff are currently being recruited. 'We are looking to appoint a staff of at least 20,' she says. 'This will include a manager and deputy manager, nursery nurses and supernumeraries. All will be qualified to a minimum of Level 3.'

Ms Johnson says that there has been a flood of applicants for the jobs on offer. 'Because of the location, we are getting applicants from all over Yorkshire, which is great,' she explains.

'We are looking to provide a high level of quality, and staff will work with teams in our existing nurseries to achieve this.'

A particular source of pride is the 'all singing, all dancing' kitchen. She says, 'We will be appointing a full-time chef, with all our food prepared on-site. Like our other nurseries, there will be a big emphasis on organic produce.'

A number of families are already using a combination of Twinkles Nurseries sites for their child, and for some the central nursery will form part of that mix. At the same time, the level of new enquiries has been strong, because of both the location and the group's reputation.

'We expect that we will be sold out by the time the nursery opens,' says Ms Johnson. 'We are holding two open days before the official launch, but we are finding that parents are already showing a real willingness to commit. We expect that all those attending the open day will have already have booked their place.'

• www.twinklesnurseries.com