The new setting, Little Explorers Nursery in Carleton, opened at the end of 2017.
The nursery has a focus on outdoor learning for children, with weekly Forest School sessions and a large garden space for activities including fire pit building, a mud kitchen and a converted play-Jeep.
The opening of Little Explorers Carleton is expected to generate a 100 per cent increase in turnover for the group, which also owns the 50-place Little Explorers Thornton.
The new nursery is registered to care for 55 children.
The building had previously been a nursery for over 20 years, but underwent major refurbishment to rebrand.
Amy Crook, manager of Adventures in Learning, said, ‘The site was chosen for its generous indoor size and popular location but mostly because of the outdoor garden space. The scale of this garden allowed for Adventures in Learning to recreate an ideal outdoor learning environment, enriched with natural resources and room for open-ended play.
‘The Carleton site is also surrounded by woodland areas, perfect for Forest School activities. Securing the sale took slightly longer than expected, but HSBC were on hand to advise throughout the process.’
Adventures in Learning confirmed it is planning further expansion in the future, but said it would be focusing first on Ofsted’s imminent inspection of the Little Explorers Thornton setting.
Ms Crook added, ‘We’re really delighted with how well our Carleton nursery has been received since opening. It was important that we could provide a space that engaged children as much as our existing nursery and the Carleton site has ticked all the right boxes. We’re already caring for up to 30 children a day and can’t wait to meet even more local families in the future.’
Brian Heyes, HSBC’s area director for Lancashire, said, ‘The Little Explorers Nursey brand has a great local reputation as a fun and welcoming nursery. Their unique approach to outdoor learning was something that really stood out to us and we hope the business can continue to stand out as a valuable part of the community.’
