Mr McArthur, who founded the setting in Hexby in 1997, has sold the setting to retire.
Polly Anna's Daycare Nursery will be Little Green Rascals sixth nursery. The group's other settings are based in and around York.
Vanessa Warn, founder and managing director of Little Green Rascals Organic Day Nurseries, said they had been looking to expand for some time and the opportunity to buy Polly Anna’s Daycare Nursery, which is rated outstanding by Ofsted, was ‘too good to miss’.
She added, ‘Ken McArthur has been a great mentor and sounding board for me and my business since I started out in 2009, his knowledge of the sector is unmatched. I’m thrilled to be able to take on his thriving nursery and will strive to maintain the high standards that have already been set.’
Mr McArthur said, ‘I’m not getting any younger and believe I have achieved as much as I can so the time was right to step away, particularly as my daughter Helen would not continue to run the nursery without me and is now embarking on the next stage in her career. Retirement also means a greater opportunity for me to travel further and longer than before.
‘Our greatest achievement, along with the excellent reputation we have within the local community and City of York generally, was being awarded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.
He added, ‘Helen and I will be supporting Vanessa and her management team over the next few months to ensure a smooth as possible transfer of ownership which will benefit the children, their parents and our loyal staff team.’
Vicky Marsland, Business Agent at Christie & Co who handled the sale, commented, ‘I’m very pleased to have been able to assist Ken with the sale of the nursery and wish him a happy and well-deserved retirement. I believe they have found the perfect new owner for Polly Anna’s in Vanessa and look forward to seeing the Little Green Rascals group expand so they may continue providing their award winning childcare services for many years to come.”
‘This transaction is an example of how active the children’s day nursery market currently is. There is a high demand for quality settings with strong financial performances.’
The sale follows a string of acquistions this month including Just Childcare's purchase of the Primley Park Nursery Group.
