The nursery was sold after the previous owners, who established the business in 2003, decided to pursue other interests.
The Sandpit Nursery is located within walking distance of Barnsley town centre. It has capacity for 88 children from birth to five years.
The site is an adapted and extended church building and includes purpose-built accommodation and fully enclosed outdoor play areas.
The latest Ofsted inspection rated the nursery good in all areas.
Jonathan Wickens, director at Christie & Co, who brokered the sale said, ‘We are pleased to see a regional operator expanding in the Yorkshire area and wish 1st Safari every success in their new venture.’
‘Christie & Co is continuing to see high demand for day nurseries across the north of England with many regional operators looking to expand as well as a number of individuals looking to enter the market for the first time.’
This acquisition takes the number of settings at 1st Safari to five. The group has continued to grow in size since it started in 2006 with a small nursery in the town of Keighley. The group’s other settings are located in Bradford and Sheffield.
Nick Porter, director of 1st Safari said, ‘We are a family business with hopes to continue to expand throughout the region.
‘Sandpit Nursery is a great fit for us as it is about ten miles north of our Mazehill Nursery in Chapeltown, Sheffield, allowing us to share staff. This will allow us to assimilate our ethos and existing operations and practices, faster than using traditional re-training methods.
‘It also gives the staff at Sandpit confidence that we are about improving not re-inventing.
We aim to engage the workforce to deliver high quality childcare and improve working in partnership with parents.
‘The transfer has been smooth and we have spent time in the nursery getting to know staff, parents and children.
‘Over the forthcoming months, we will work with our manager Dawn Shapcott and her team to improve practice and develop the nursey so that it operates to our standards and delivers for the children and parents who choose to use Sandpit Nursery.’
