The Co-operative Childcare acquires 'Forest School' nursery group

The nursery now has four settings in Birmingham and Wolverhampton - three of them graded outstanding - and a 2.8-acre site in woodland nearby for daily Forest School sessions, which are an integral part of the nursery's ethos.

The group's former owners are co-founders Debbi and Andy Gould, who started their first nursery in 1992 with friends Debbie and Derek Bates, when they needed daycare for their own children. The Bates sold their share of the business to the Goulds in 2005, and the nursery group became a limited company.

The First Steps nurseries will retain their current management teams and the two newly-merged groups will share best practice.

Nearby Co-operative Childcare nurseries in Bilston, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Burton-on-Trent will also now benefit from visits to the woods for Forest School.

Mike Abbott, group general manager at The Co-operative Childcare, said, ‘First Steps Nursery has developed a reputation for providing first class childcare, as evidenced by its success at last year’s Nursery World awards.

‘We’re pleased to bring its nurseries under the umbrella of The Co-operative Childcare, to join our already thriving West Midlands presence.

‘This is a mutually beneficial new partnership that adds strength both to First Steps, but also to our existing portfolio of nurseries. We’re looking forward to working closely with the First Steps management teams to share learnings and new ideas, such as the Forest School, which we hope to roll-out nationally over the next few years.’

First Steps has just started offering accredited Forest School training, which will continue under the new ownership.

Ms Gould told Nursery World that it had been ‘a difficult time emotionally’ to hand over the company the couple had started, but that the opportunity had come along and it seemed the right time to sell.

‘All the staff are staying,’ she said. ‘We didn’t want a big corporate to come in. I believe they are going to keep First Steps as First Steps.

‘My main priority was to make sure that my staff have a good future and I’m confident that they do,’ she said.

She added, ‘We thought that we would be involved in the business for quite sometime yet but, the opportunity arose for us to be able to pass our award winning nurseries onto a likeminded organisation.

Debbi and Andy Gould pictured last year, shortly after winning the Nursery World's Chain of the Year 2015

‘We are very proud of what we have achieved over the last 25 years and whilst we are “retiring” from the childcare side of the business, I shall hopefully still be involved in one way or another and, will be operating in a consultancy role with regard to Forest School and providing “outstanding” provision.

‘I am very sad to say goodbye to a business that has developed organically over the past 25 years and although I shall undoubtedly miss the many friends and families that I have met along the way, I am very much looking forward to a new challenge. On with new adventures!’

The Co-operative Childcare now has 48 nurseries spread throughout the country and with the acquisition of First Steps has added 350 childcare places.

It was the sixth largest nursery group in Nursery World’s 2015 Nursery Chains with 3,499 places.

• The 2016 edition of Nursery Chains will be published on 14 November.