Further expansion for Co-operative Childcare

The group has bought the City of Wolverhampton College’s three nurseries, which between them offer a total of 101 places, and the former Early Birds Nursery School in Walsall, in the West Midlands, with 50 places.

All staff will continue to work at the nurseries, which will be refurbished and re-branded with The Co-operative Childcare logo.

The move is part of the group’s continued expansion plan. Earlier in the year, the Co-operative Childcare bought the Petit Enfant nursery chain of four settings, the Places for Children chain of eight settings, and the two Banana Moon nurseries.

The Co-operative Childcare, which is part of The Midcounties Co-operative, now has 47 nurseries and two after-school clubs, offering more than 3,000 childcare places, placing it in the top ten nursery providers in the UK.

The City of Wolverhampton College Nurseries, a group of three settings - Metro One, Paget Road and Wellington Road in Wolverhampton -  are based on the college’s three campuses and are all rated good by Ofsted.

The Co-operative Childcare’s group manager, Mike Abbott, said, ‘Midcounties has a significant trading presence in the Black Country. We are delighted to acquire our first nurseries in Wolverhampton and Walsall as part of our continued expansion.

‘The deal safeguards the future of the college’s nurseries and parents can rest assured their children will be well cared for. We are committed to running our nurseries according to co-operative values of trust, honesty and openness and to developing strong connections with the local community.’

Commenting on the acquisition, the vice principal of the City of Wolverhampton College, Paul Polowyj, said, ‘The Co-operative Childcare is a trusted provider with considerable experience and a proven track record. It can access the investment needed to enable the nurseries to flourish and continue to provide quality care.’